Is Indonesia Trying To Weaken Papua By Increasing Its Provinces?
Indonesia is going to have more provinces to itself. This was decided through a legislation that was passed recently by the Indonesian parliament. The three new provinces would be created in the underdeveloped region of Papua. This might create issues for the autonomous powers at hand, political analysts feel. But the government is of the opinion that this decision will help spur development, improve public service delivery, and create more opportunities for Papuans to become civil servants in the resource-rich area that remains one of the country's poorest regions. According to official sources, this is being done to help the development and growth of indigenous people living in Papua. Surprisingly, this development has led to problems and protests in Papua. What is being witnessed is a low-level independence conflict since a disputed 1969 UN-supervised vote brought Papua under Indonesian control. Is Indonesia trying to work on a ‘divide and rule’ policy is what many critics a...