Sade Bimantara
Reading stories and claims
put forward by a group naming itself the "United Liberation Movement for
West Papua" (ULMWP) is like hearing a piece of fiction. There are so many mistakes and outrageous
claims by this group that it makes the magical land in the Wizard of Oz seem
believable.
The Group's name itself is
pretentious: "Liberation". "Liberate" who or what, one may
ask. They claim that the people of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West
Papua are not free. But they are wrong.
The people of Papua together
with their brothers from other parts of Indonesia fought together in the war
for independence from the Netherlands. In 1969 the people of Papua once and for
all reaffirmed that Papua is an irrevocable part of Indonesia. A decision
recognized by the United Nations and the international community. Since then,
Papua has developed significantly and grown into two administrative provinces
with 42 districts and cities with a combined population of 3.9 million.
One who visits Jayapura and
other Papuan cities could see that development is comparable and in some cases
exceeds other cities in the South Pacific.
The people of Papua
routinely participate in elections that are internationally regarded as free
and fair. For instance, the millions of Papuan registered voters, including
those overseas outside of Indonesia, participated in the 2014 presidential and
legislative elections together with 184 million fellow voters across Indonesia,
the third largest democracy in the world. They have voted for their president
and their parliamentarians to represent them in Jakarta and in the capital
cities of Papua and West Papua. The people of Papua and West Papua also
directly and freely elected their governors and regents. They are free. Free to
vote. Free to govern. Free to determine their future. With its special
autonomy, no person other than ethnic Papuans are eligible to be governors and
regents in Papua. No other Indonesian provinces enjoy this right.
ULMWP's claim that Indonesia
is "committing genocide" and "killing dissidents on a daily
basis", is absolutely baseless unsubstantiated slander. The 1948
International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide defined genocide as acts "committed with intent to destroy, in
whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group as
such". After reviewing two reports
on human rights in Papua (by Yale Law School students and by Sydney
University), the International Crisis Group (ICG) in its 2006 report concluded
that "Neither of the reports provides any evidence of intent on the part
of the Indonesian government or military to destroy the ethnic Papuan
population as such in whole or in part."
Unfortunately, violence is
committed both against civilians, armed separatists individuals and groups as
well as against security forces. Cases of violence in 2013-2014 shed a light on
the nature of the situation in Papua. In those two years, there were 42
reported cases of violence that killed 21 civilians, 18 members of the police
and the military and nine members of an armed separatist group. Just last
March, a separatist group of 20 armed people ambushed and killed four workers
who were building roads to connect the cities of Sinak and Mulia.
Any cases of violence are
treated seriously by the police. The government is strongly committed to
protecting the basic human rights of Indonesians including those living in
Papua. The highly respected National Human Rights Commission and many human
rights NGOs provide the necessary checks and independent reviews to make sure
the rights of the people are properly protected.
The ULMWP has been calling
to oust Indonesia from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Indonesia is a
Pacific country. Eleven million Indonesians of Melanesian descent call five
provinces of Indonesia home: East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua
and West Papua. This makes Indonesia home to the largest population of
Melanesian ethnicity in the world, by comparison, Melanesian population in
other Pacific countries number about eight million people.
Indonesia's engagement and
membership in the MSG is intended to add value to the organization by
supporting the Group's work to develop a stronger cultural, political, social
and economic identity and link. Indonesia is committed to be a responsible
associate member of the Group including through constructive participation in
meetings as well as financial contribution.
Through membership in the
MSG, Indonesia wants to further open
ways and strengthen connectivity, promote greater contacts, exchange of
valuable activities in which we can share our experiences with our Melanesian
brothers in the South Pacific. Indonesia's 250 million population and its large
middle class-60 million and projected to reach 85 million people by 2020-will
also be a lucrative export destination for MSG products and services as well as
a large investment source.
The ULMWP presence in the
MSG on the other hand, is disruptive.
Their political goal and routine robotic statements for "Papuan
separation from Indonesia" is contrary to the Agreed Principles of
Cooperation of the MSG: "the principles of respect of each other's
sovereignty".
If members allow the ULMWP
to dishonor such revered Principles, crafted by the founders of MSG, the unity
and even the existence of the MSG may be at risk because there is the
possibility that other organizations with ill-intention may follow suit and
question the sovereignty of other members over their respective territories.
While other members focus on
developing the Group with initiatives, programs and projects, the ULMWP has not
been adding much value to the Group's works and instead is blinded by their
fantasy to see Papua separate from Indonesia.
Mr Octavianus Mote, Mr Benny
Wenda and others, please follow the footsteps of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz:
leave the Emerald City. Tap your heels together three times and repeat: "There's
no place like home". Wake up from your dream and let's build Papua
together the right way.
June 2016
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