West Irian Jaya to Change Name

Although I studied politics for quite some time I am not one for debating the subject in blogs or on other sites. Having said that, the politics of Irian Jaya has been one of turmoil and, one-eyed with its residents being the sufferers.

I was pleased to read in the Jakarta Post yesterday that on the fourth anniversary of the province it is name will change to West Papua. Wouldn’t it be nice if they received a certain amount of autonomy as well, and dare I say it, independence.

West Irian Jaya becomes West Papua
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The name of West Irian Jaya will be changed to West Papua to match the preferences of local people, the provincial government announced Tuesday.

The chairman of the West Irian Jaya Legislative Council, Jimmy Demianus Idjie, said the name change was announced by provincial Governor Abraham Octovianus Atururi to coincide with the province’s fourth anniversary.

Jimmy emphasized that the name change had to be followed by solid improvements to the welfare of the province’s residents. “What’s the meaning of a name change if the welfare of the people doesn’t improve?” he asked.

Jimmy said the West Irian Jaya Legislative Council would evaluate the name change before approving it at a plenary session.
“After that, the name change will be proposed to the central government for approval,” he said.