Papuans being annihilated to guard sovereignty of Indonesia

“We are constantly maintaining welfare and accelerated development approaches at that province (Papua) and are upholding the law and security” (as translated) were the words of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a speech given at a First Plenary Session of the Indonesian Legislative Assembly and Peoples Assembly on 16 August 2013. (See: www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1303/S00152/annihilation-of-indigenous-west-papuans-challenge-and-hope.htm)

The full segment of President SBY’s State Speech in regards to Papua was as follows:

“We are constantly maintaining welfare and accelerated development approaches at that province and are upholding the law and security there. We have always shown respect for human rights there and for the distinctiveness of the culture of the Papuan community. The Central Government has increased the budget to accelerate Papua’s development. Infrastructural development has already gone ahead intensively in a number of regions in Papua and West Papua. We are also at this time planning on a new formula for Special Autonomy in Papua which will be an improvement and will provide a new breakthrough that will actualize advancements and the dignity of Papua. Brothers and sisters in the future following this session, we will be asserting yet again that Aceh and Papua are inseparable parts of the Republic of Indonesia and that this is a fixed position for the nation of Indonesia. We hope this standpoint is important for us all. To that end, all of us both within and outside the State are to shun that propaganda and provocation that could threaten our sovereignty and the entirety of the region of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Throughout this entire time until this date, the nation of Indonesia has always respected the sovereignty and integrity of those countries with which we are friends. Therefore we hope that they will apply the same principle. Through this session it is also hoped that all parties will work actively so as to prevent actions by political activists that are able to create consequences that disturb Indonesia’s relations with those countries with which we are friends. Do not hurt the feelings of the nation of Indonesia, as we do not hurt the feelings of other nations.” (As translated).

RESPONSE TO SBY’S SPEECH

From that segment of SBY’s speech regarding Papua, it is extremely clear that the Republic of Indonesia (RI) has a totally fixed position regarding Papua, being that “Aceh and Papua are inseparable parts of the Republic of Indonesia”. To defend RI’s continued hold of Papua, President SBY has insisted that three primary approaches be undertaken in the land of Papua being the welfare, legal and security approaches. SBY’s words that RI is in the process of planning a new ‘formula’ for Special Autonomy which will be an improvement and which will provide a new ‘breakthrough’ that will bring about advancements and dignity for Papua, are of course what is being put forward as the goals for the draft regulations for governance in Papua known as ‘Special Autonomy Plus’ that are presently being developed by RI.

However the Special Autonomy Plus Regulations have already been firmly rejected by the people of Papua. As Papuans know so well that this is not the solution to bringing an end to the problems in Papua and that it will without a doubt create new additional problems for Papua. Special Autonomy Plus will experience the same fate that the previous Special Autonomy package met, as it failed to protect and respect the basic rights of the people of Papua. Even the most basic right being the right to life of indigenous Papuans whatsmore in the very land of their ancestors, was not protected by RI under Special Autonomy. Special Autonomy Plus is going to be a disaster for the people of Papua just as Special Autonomy has been until now.

SBY’s statement that RI has “always shown respect for the human rights and for the distinctiveness of the culture of the Papuan community” is a public lie. It may be an elegant statement from the lips but not that easy to bring about in reality in either attitude or real actions. The reality is that in order to guard the sovereignty and integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesia since the 1960’s, Papuans have been annihilated both directly and indirectly through a range of planned, systematic and measurable approaches by RI. The question begs ‘Must the world allow the people of Papua to be killed by RI through its armed forces in order to guard the sovereignty and integrity of RI?’ Does not the action of killing or wiping out the Papuan people amount to a humanitarian evil that conflicts with the forces of law and morality? Is there no other way than the United Nations (UN) and the other nations of the world allowing the people of Papua to be continuously killed simply so that other nations can prioritize working together with RI in a range of sectors?

RI is choosing to ‘manage’ the problems in Papua by unilateral means with the application of Special Autonomy, a means which was referred to by President SBY in his speech as a “formula that will be an improvement and which will provide a new breakthrough”. To achieve RI’s goals SBY is applying both legal and security approaches in the land of Papua. The application of the legal approach falls within the authority of the police. So accordingly they gag the freedom of expression in public areas and arrest and arbitrarily imprison Papuan activists. That has been the practice of Indonesia until this time. Whilst the application of the security approach has been placed under the Indonesian military (TNI). Their role is to wipe-out, to extinguish the movement for the liberation of Papua within the guise of guarding the sovereignty and integrity of RI. Apart from these two state forces there is also the full support of the national intelligence (BIN), the Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS), State Intelligence Coordinating Agency (BAKIN) and all the machinery of RI’s various governance systems (including at executive, legislative and judiciary levels) and support of support groups faithful to RI to bring about these ends in Papua.

In his speech SBY didn’t mention any possibility of trying to bring an end to the problems in Papua through dialogue between Jakarta and Papua. RI has no interest to go in that direction. Indonesia has continuously to date disregarded the pressure to enter into dialogue with Papua from a range of parties from both within Indonesia and overseas, such that the matter of dialogue has now reached a deadend for the moment after SBY froze that possibility by not including it in his state speech.

SBY made the closing statement regarding Papua “Don’t hurt the feelings of the nation of Indonesia, as we don’t hurt the feelings of other nations.” But what about the feelings of the nation of Papua that have been so ‘hurt’ beyond measure by the military and political invasion of RI with the annexation of the sovereignty of the nation of Papua into RI? What about the ‘feelings’ of the nation of Papua that has continuously been so wounded in struggling to have its right to sovereign independence acknowledged by RI, the United Nations (U.N) and other countries of the world? What about the feelings of the nation of Papua that has had to sacrifice everything and even millions of human souls that have become victims of this struggle? President don’t use political rhetoric and don’t make discriminative statements! The President needs to both question himself and correct himself. The nation of Papua has the very same rights to full independence as the nation of Indonesia and other nations of the world that have already had their independence recognised. RI should not hurt other nations so that in turn RI might not be hurt by other nations. President stop twisting and perverting the facts and making public lies!

After gaining a more in-depth understanding of SBY’s speech regarding the handling of the problem of Papua, all parties that have sympathy for Papua really need to stop and ask the question ‘Why is RI still hardening its heart and refusing to consider the way of peaceful dialogue to find a dignified solution for the problems in Papua?’

We also need to ask in light of the implications of SBY’s speech, what then are the next steps that those of us who care about Papua now need to take in view of the fact that SBY has frozen for the present the matter of dialogue as a possibility for bringing an end to the problems of West Papua. A few steps are offered below for readers' consideration:

1) All parties need to carry out an overall evaluation of all efforts that have been and are being made to bring an end to the problems in West Papua. We need to unite and reflect together, then take on a position that will enable us to take the next steps forward together.

2) We need to upgrade our national and international actions to pressure Jakarta to bring an end to the problems in Papua through peaceful negotiations facilitated by a neutral third party so as to find a dignified solution.

3) All parties who care about the Papuan situation need to unite their ranks and urge the U.N to:
i) firmly apply tough sanctions against the State of Indonesia as a UN member, due to its continual human rights violations and humanitarian evils in the land of Papua.

ii) pressure RI be open to consultations with Papua facilitated by a neutral third party in a neutral location.

4) If RI continues to disregard the urging of the international community and the UN, then the U.N is the body with the legal and moral responsibility to carry out a ‘Humanitarian and Security Intervention’ to overcome the present humanitarian emergency that is most horrifying indeed. To overcome the political ideological conflict between RI and West Papua. For this humanitarian emergency has now resulted in a slow moving but certain genocide against ethnic Papuans.

This is the path that the nations of the world and UN so badly need to take in order to uphold democracy, honesty, peace, justice and truth together and to provide protection and dignified respect for humans in Papua above all other interests.

That the blood and tears of the people of Papua continue to flow without ceasing is a fact. That fact is data and the data is the truth. The blood and tears have flowed without ceasing from the time Papua was annexed into RI until now and we well know the same will continue still tomorrow. Blood and tears that are shed solely for the liberation of the nation of Papua from the colonial domination by RI and its allies.

Once again let it be stressed that the people of West Papua are NOT struggling for and do NOT need those developments offered through RI’s Special Autonomy / Special Autonomy Plus packages or the Accelerated Development Strategy known as UP4B. Rather the people of Papua need and struggle for the liberation of the nation of Papua from the colonial domination of RI and its allies.

Selpius Bobii is the General Chairperson of The United Front of the Struggle of the Nation of Papua. He is a Papuan Freedom Political Detainee in Abepura State prison, Jayapura.

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