JakartaPost-July 9
President Prabowo Subianto is preparing to assign Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka a special mandate to oversee matters related to Papua, including accelerating development and addressing ongoing human rights issues in Indonesia’s easternmost region, according to a senior government official. Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra revealed the plan last week during the launch of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)’s annual report. He said the President is in the process of finalizing the assignment for Gibran. “There will be an office in Papua for the Vice President to work on these issues,” Yusril said, prompting speculation that Gibran could be relocated to the region. However, in a follow-up statement on Wednesday, Yusril clarified that it is not the Vice President himself who will be based in Papua, but rather the secretariat and operational personnel of the Special Autonomy Acceleration Board for Papua, which Gibran is set to lead. The Vice President’s official office will remain in the capital Jakarta, as stipulated by the 1945 Constitution. Article 68A of the law assigns the Vice President to head a special body responsible for synchronizing, harmonizing, evaluating and coordinating the implementation of special autonomy and development programs in Papua. This agency will include several key ministers, those responsible for domestic affairs, national development planning and finance, as well as one representative from each Papuan province. “Further provisions regarding this body will be regulated through a government regulation. The existing structure and personnel may be reorganized to meet current needs,” Yusril added. While the assignment signifies high-level attention to the region, human rights advocates argue that real progress in Papua depends more on political will than personnel. “The solution to the problems in Papua doesn’t depend on who is assigned, but on the state’s political decisions rooted in human rights values,” said Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid. Usman stressed that as long as the government maintains a militaristic security approach and fails to uphold human rights, the conflict will persist. He subsequently urged the government to prioritize peaceful dialogue and ensure Papuan voices are central in developing solutions. Read more at:
