Rebellious Province Wins Greater Autonomy
Indonesia’s parliament approved an autonomy package for the rebellious province of Irian Jaya, giving the territory greater power and revenue in a bid to appease decades-old demands for independence.
Legislators said the package for the vast, resource-rich eastern province also known as Papua would be greeted positively by many of Irian Jaya’s 2 million people. Under the package, the local government will have the power to handle its own affairs apart from areas of defense, fiscal and monetary policy, foreign affairs and religion, officials said.
But a leading separatist group quickly rejected the deal, saying it failed to address calls for an accounting of past human rights abuses.
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