The History

In 1999 it was proposed to split the province into three government-controlled sectors, sparking Papuan protest. In January 2003 President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed an order dividing Papua into three provinces: Central Irian Jaya, Papua and West Irian Jaya. The formality of installing a local government for Jaraka in Irian Jaya Barat (West) took place in February 2003 and a governor was appointed in November; a government for Irian Jaya Tengah (central) was delayed from August 2003 due to violent local protests. The creation of this separate central province was blocked by Indonesian courts, which declared it to be unconstitutional and in contravention of the Papua's special autonomy agreement. The previous division into two provinces was allowed to stand as an established fact.