Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Proposed new central province targets big assets

Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri pushed forward the division of Indonesia's then sole province in New Guinea island, Irian Jaya, into three separate provinces with her Presidential Instruction No. 1/2003. However the creation of Central Irian Jaya province was stalled due to internal disputes amongst residents.

According to Neles Tebay, a lecturer at the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology in Abepura, Jayapura, in Papua province, "a motion for the formation of Central Irian Jaya province has resurfaced and is being debated in Nabire. A special committee for the establishment of Bomberay province has already been formed."

Writing in The Jakarta Post, he said Bomberay would cover the Papua Barat (West Papua) regencies of Fakfak, Kaimana and Bintuni plus Mimika in Papua - which would therefore transfer BP's massive gas fields from West Papua province and the huge Freeport gold-copper mine from Papua.

No comments: