Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Licence needed for work use Learn More

World Video | Defence | Foreign Affairs | Natural Events | Trade | NZ in World News | NZ National News Video | NZ Regional News | Search

 

Papuan People's Coalition for Truth (KRPBK) Statement

OTSUS (Special Autonomy) is a catastrophe, which is the most appropriate word to describe the role of the Indonesian Republic in binding together Papua and Jakarta with their offerings to quell the the Papuan people's calls for MERDEKA.

We all know that since the enactment of OTSUS, the blood of the Papuan people has been shed more than ever before, in all corners, in the mountains, the valleys, along the coasts and in the cities.The aspirations of the people have been stifled by legalistic measures that have put the rights of the people behind bars. The stigma of separatism is being increasingly stoked up and linked to the struggling Papuan people. The Papuan people are being marginalised in their own homeland.

We still remember 15 August 2005 when the entire people came out onto the streets throughout the territory of the Land of Papua, calling for OTSUS to be handed back to the Indonesian government, but the fact is that the Indonesian government doesn't care about this. OTSUS continues to be imposed by force with a series of actions that are destroying the lives of the indigenous Papuan people. One such action was the establishment of the MRP (Majelis Rakyat Papua) which was said to be the cultural representative of the Papuan people, but was deliberately created as a toothless institution.

On 8 - 9 June 2010, the Papuan people held a Grand Assembly (MUBES) which adopted eleven recommendations as their solemn and most important agreement. We all agreed that these eleven recommendations were born out of the desperation of the Papuan people because of the tricks by Jakarta.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

On 17 July 2010, mustering all their forces, the Papuan people came out onto the streets to hand back OTSUS and to demand that the Indonesian government immediately implement the eleven recommendations of MUBES.

But the government has been struck by forgetfulness. Official agencies such as the provincial assembly (DPRP) and the governors have simply ignored these demands. In order to safeguard their hold over the Land of Papua, an OTSUS Evaluation Committee was set up which has been rejected by the people. An Indonesian-style agency, the Lembaga Masyarakat Adat, was set up as a counter-weight to the Dewan Adat Papua (Traditional Council of Papua). A committee for the recruitment of members of the MPR was set up under the control of the Kesbangpol (a government agency the name of which we cannot identify) to recruit members of the MRP. These measures were taken to safeguard the election of the governors and deputy governors of the provinces of Papua and West Papua, bearing in mind that it will be up to the MRP to decide who are chosen to become the governors and deputy governors.

The recruitment of the members of the MRP , based on a special regulation, is now in progress in various parts of the territory and will be completed shortly.

On 10 January 2011, a ministerial meeting was held in Jakarta to set up two MRPs and on 18 January, the recruitment of the members of the MRPs will be finalised, their names will be made public and they will be sworn in on 31 January 2011.

All these facts show clearly that the Indonesian government, the DPRP and the governors of the provinces of Papua and West Papua have violated the wishes of the Papuan people. OTSUS, the offering made by Jakarta to the Papuan people, has been rejected by the Papuan people who demand that their political status should be established as a sovereign nation and state.There can be no compromise this for would only lead the Papuan people to many long years of suffering in their own homeland.

As the people of this homeland, what more can we do to continue with our resistance? The only word is RESIST!

The Papuan People's Coalition for Truth (KRPBK) demand the following:

1. That the establishment of the second MRP should be halted because this does not conform with the wishes of the Papuan people who have already rejected OTSUS.

2. To call on donor countries to immediately end their contributions to OTSUS funds via the Indonesian government because OTSUS has failed.

3. The DPRP should immediately convene a plenary session to decide on its response to the eleven recommendations made public by MUBES on 8 - 9 June 2010.

4. That the Lembaga Masyarakant Adat created by the government should be dissolved because it does not represent the indigenous peoples in the seven traditional regions of the Land of Papua.

5. That the Papuan conflict should be resolved immediately by granting the Papuan people the right to self-determination.


The eight components of the KRPBK are:

Osama Usman Yogobi. KRPBK

Musye Weror, Students Council of UNCEN

Marthen Agapa, Coordinator of Parjal

Jack Wanggai, National Authority of West Papua

Simon Alua, chairmaan of AMPTPI.

Petrus Rumbiak, Papuan Youth

Alius Asao, SHDRP

Selpius Bobii,chairman of the Pepera Front

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
World Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.