Constitutional challenge against West Papua law

The Papuan People's Assembly is filing a constitutional challenge against the Indonesian government's new Special Autonomy Law.

Passed last week in Jakarta, the new version of legislation first granted to Papua in 2001, is set to reshape how the Papuan provinces are administered.

It includes provision for the formation of new representative institutions at regency and municipal level, replacing the Regional Legislative Councils.

But significant consultation with West Papuan customary representatives and civil society organisations over the law was lacking.

The human rights adviser to the Assembly Wensi Fatubun says that along with the House of Representatives they tried to hold public hearing with indigenous communities in all Papua's regions.

"But the problem is when we started to have the public hearing dialogue with the inidgenous Papuans, police and military come and intervention and stopped the hearing."

The challenge is being filed in Indonesia's Constitutional Court today, Tuesday.

Mr Fatubun says the law takes numerous steps such as disempowering Papuan political parties, and allowing for more provinces to be created.

"And if you read the new version of Special Autonomy Law, you can understand this is not protecting indigenous papuans' rights, it is saving the Indonesian government's interests in Papua."

The assembly is filing a challenge to the law in Indonesia's Constitutional Court today.