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Papua parliament to hold special sesssion on Special Autonomy

Posted at 00:44 on 14 July, 2010 UTC

The upper house of the Papua provincial parliament in Indonesia, the DPRP, has reportedly decided to schedule a special session on Special Autonomy Status next month.

Members of the Democratic Forum for Unitary Papua have just finished meeting with DPRP members.

They decided by consensus to mediate a formal meeting of academics, Special Autonomy legal advisers, economic, social, political experts, and civil servants from throughout Indonesia’s Papua region to discuss the implementation of Special Autonomy since 2001.

The special formal session of parliament on August 3 will then take any decision on Special Autonomy to Indonesia’s president

The decision follows a series of large demonstrations across Papua last week, involving tens of thousands of Papuans, pushing for the DPRP to formally reject special autonomy.

Last month the lower house of the Papuan parliament, the MRP, voted to formally reject Special Autonomy status.