The History of West Papua Special Autonomy
Law No. 21 of 2001 represented a turning point in Papua and West Papua special autonomy history. This law gives the Papuan provincial administration the authority to regulate the interests of the Papuan people based on their aspirations and fundamental rights. As a symbol of the central government’s appreciation to the people of Papua, a law giving special autonomy to the Papua province was created. The continuous conflict that has occurred since 1962 was caused by prior development that did not support the Papuans. As a result, Papuans experience a gap in many aspects of life. Because of this conflict, Papua wants to be separated from the NKRI. Law No. 21 of 2001 was created as a type of agreement between the Papuans and the central government in dealing with this long-running conflict. This is the basis of Papua’s and West Papua special autonomy history. Understanding Special Autonomy for Papua and West Papua Prior to the passage of Law No. 21 of 2001, the province of Papua wa