2) Lawmakers concerned about ‘internationalization’ of Papua unrest
3) Police Nab ULMWP Deputy Head on Charges of Papua Riot
4) Police: Those Defying Veronica Koman's Status May File Pretrial
5) Ensuring no more exodus of native Papuan students
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Utube footage in below article
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1) All you need to know about the movement for Papuan self-determination
Karina M. Tehusijarana The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Wed, September 11, 2019 / 04:32 pm
Papuan students grouped under the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) hold a protest in front of Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta on Aug. 28. In the protest, they rejected racial abuse and demanded the government retract the internet blackout in West Papua and Papua. (JP/Donny Fernando)
The recent protests in Papua, West Papua and other regions have brought the issue of a Papuan referendum on self-determination to the forefront of the national debate.
The central government has said that a referendum is not an option, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo saying that the issue of Papuan sovereignty had already been “resolved”.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has also dismissed calls for a Papuan referendum, despite increasing calls from protesters for self-determination.
“I think that [demands for a referendum] are inappropriate,” he said recently. “The NKRI [the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] is final.”
But what are the historical roots behind this renewed push for Papuan self-determination? Has the question of Papuan sovereignty truly been resolved?
Colonial times
Very little is recorded about the history of Western New Guinea before contact with colonial powers in the mid-16th century. In an article for the Journal of Southeast Asian History, Robert C. Bone described 16th century New Guinea as "probably the most masterless area in all the world".
Around 1526, Portuguese explorer Jorge de Menezes became the first European to set foot on New Guinea, landing on Biak and naming the area "ilhas dos Papuas" or "the Papuan Islands." In 1645, Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez claimed the island of New Guinea for the Spanish Empire.
In 1660, the Dutch East India Company witnessed the signing of a treaty between the rival Moluccan sultanates of Tidore and Ternate, in which Tidore was given sovereignty over "the Papuans, or all of their islands."
The Kingdom of the Netherlands laid claim to the western part of New Guinea in 1828 on the basis that it was part of the Sultanate of Tidore, which had become a Dutch vassal state in 1780. Those claims were tenuous, however, with an 1884 British memorandum stating: “There is no evidence of the Sultan’s authority having ever been recognised by the natives on any part of the [New Guinea] mainland [beyond the Bird’s Head Peninsula], or of his people having ever visited any part of it.”
By November 1884, however, the British and German empires had recognized Dutch sovereignty over the western part of the island, with the 141st parallel demarcating the boundaries of “Netherlands New Guinea.”
The region remained on the periphery of the Dutch East Indies for most of the remaining period of Dutch colonial rule.
‘The West Irian Issue’
As nationalists prepared to declare Indonesia’s independence in 1945, the issue of whether Papua, then also known as West Irian, should be part of the soon-to-be independent nation became a matter of debate for the country’s founding fathers.
When the Agency for the Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) held meetings between May and July in 1945, Mohammad Yamin argued that West Irian should be part of Indonesia based on the same claims of Tidorese sovereignty that were previously used by the Dutch.
“According to Indonesian understanding, a large part of the island of Papua is part of the land of the Kingdom of Tidore, so the region is automatically part of the territory of Indonesia,” Yamin said, as recorded in the minutes of a BPUPKI meeting on July 10, 1945.
Most of the other members of the agency, including soon-to-be president Sukarno, agreed with Yamin, but Muhammad Hatta argued against the inclusion of Papua, fearing that it could lead to accusations of Indonesian imperialism.
“The Papuan people are also entitled to become an independent nation,” he said.
Hatta was overruled, however, and on July 16, 1945, the agency concluded that Papua would be part of an independent Indonesia.
Not long after Indonesia declared independence on August 17, 1945, the newly-formed country became involved in an armed conflict with the Dutch, who wanted to reclaim the former colony. The conflict lasted until 1949, when the two sides met in The Hague to discuss the transfer of sovereignty. The status of West Irian remained a sticking point, however, and as a compromise, the conference concluded that the region's status would be determined through negotiations between Indonesia and the Netherlands within a year of the transfer of sovereignty.
After 1949, anti-Indonesian sentiment among the Dutch led it to institute a new indigenous education policy in Netherlands New Guinea to prepare indigenous inhabitants to govern an independent Papua, a decision that political researcher Bobby Anderson said was “born from vindictiveness”.
This process culminated in 1961, when the Dutch administration held elections for a Papuan representative body called the New Guinea Council. The Council appointed a national committee that then drafted a manifesto declaring the Papuan desire for independence and designating the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag as the national flag and "Hai Tanahku Papua" as the national anthem.
“On this basis we the Papuan people demand to obtain our own place among the other free peoples and nations,” the manifesto read.
The Morning Star flag was first raised in a ceremony in front of the New Guinea Council building in Hollandia, now Jayapura on December 1, 1961, a date that many Papuans consider to mark Papua’s independence day.
The Morning Star flag was first raised in a ceremony in front of the New Guinea Council building in Hollandia, now Jayapura on December 1, 1961, a date that many Papuans consider to mark Papua’s independence day.
Operation Trikora, the New York Agreement and the Act of Free Choice
The raising of the Morning Star flag triggered then-president Sukarno to establish the People's Triple Command (Trikora) on December 19, 1961, with the aim of taking over West Irian by March 1963. Indonesia's attacks were largely repelled by Dutch forces.
By 1962, however, the Netherlands recognized Indonesia's determination to take the territory and came to the negotiating table, in order to put an end to what Sukarno biographer J.D. Legge described an “increasingly unprofitable and distasteful commitment to the last remnant of her former Indian empire”.
Thus on Aug. 15, 1962, the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement on the administration of West New Guinea under the auspices of the United States and the United Nations.
Thus on Aug. 15, 1962, the Republic of Indonesia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement on the administration of West New Guinea under the auspices of the United States and the United Nations.
In the agreement, the Netherlands agreed to transfer West New Guinea to a United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA), which would in turn transfer the administration of the region to the Indonesian government, pending a referendum on self-determination.
The UNTEA turned over West Irian to Indonesia on May 1, 1963, after which the New Guinea Council was disbanded and Papuan political expression was severely curtailed.
In July 1963, Sukarno issued a presidential decree that banned political meetings, rallies, demonstrations and imagery in West Irian, as well as the formation of new political parties in the province.
Between July 14 and Aug. 2, 1969, the Indonesian government held a referendum on the fate of West Irian in accordance with the New York Agreement, called the Act of Free Choice (PEPERA).
Unlike common international practice on plebiscites, however, the referendum did not use the principle of "one man, one vote", as the government argued that such an arrangement was not required by the New York Agreement.
Instead the government insisted that “consultative assemblies” be elected to represent the Papuan people in the vote. The assembly elections, held in May, have been criticized by observers and activists as fraudulent.
In the end, the 1,025 chosen assembly members publicly and unanimously voted in favor of Indonesian rule.
The OPM and armed rebellion
Disappointment over the lack of Papuan involvement in the New York Agreement and discontent toward Indonesian rule triggered an armed rebellion not long after Indonesia took over the administration of West Irian from the UNTEA.
On July 26, 1965, former soldiers of the Dutch-formed Papuan Volunteer Corps (PVP) attacked Indonesian military and police posts in Kebar district.
Two days later, armed men led by former PVP sergeant Ferry Awom attacked Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) personnel in Arfak, Manokwari. These events are considered to be the first significant activities of the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
The OPM do not acknowledge the legitimacy of the PEPERA results and throughout the 70s and 80s the group and its military wing, the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB), conducted guerilla attacks on Indonesian security forces as well as sabotaged the facilities of United States mining company Freeport-McMoRan. The groups were also implicated in attacks against migrants residing in Papua.
The ‘Papuan Spring’ and the formation of nonviolent separatist groups
Following the fall of the New Order, the region went through a period where there was increased room for political expression that some researchers call the "Papuan Spring."
The period saw the formation of several Papuan nationalist organizations by educated Papuans including the Forum for Reconciliation in Irian Jaya (FORERI), the Papuan Students' Alliance (AMP) and the Papuan Presidium Council.
The era also saw the rise to prominence of several highly educated, nonviolent Papuan independence activists, such as Filep Karma and PDP leader Theys Hiyo Eluay.
Then-president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid lifted the ban on the Morning Star flag and the "Hai Tanahku Papua" anthem, while also granting special autonomy status to Papua.
The "Spring" ended with the deposition of Gus Dur in 2001. His successor, Megawati Soekarnoputri, took a more hardline approach toward any expression of separatism, while her successor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, brought back restrictions on the Morning Star flag through a 2007 presidential regulation.
Papuan activists were also suppressed: Theys Eluay was kidnapped and killed by members of the Indonesian Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) in 2001 and Filep Karma received a 15-year prison sentence for treason in 2004.
Despite the crackdown, Papuan independence movements continued throughout the 2000s and 2010s, with some groups reaching the international stage.
In 2003, Papuan separatist figure Benny Wenda was granted asylum in the United Kingdom after being accused of masterminding an attack on an Abepura police station, charges which he denies.
In 2004, Benny formed the Free West Papua Campaign together with other pro-Papuan independence activists in Oxford. The campaign aims to lobby foreign governments to raise awareness and gain support for Papuan self-determination.
On Nov. 19, 2008, a group of Papuan students and activists led by Buchtar Tabuni and Victor Yeimo formed the National Committee of West Papua (KNPB), calling it a continuation of the committee formed by the New Guinea Council in 1961. The organization has mobilized several proreferendum demonstrations, and both Buchtar and Victor have served prison sentences for treason.
In 2014, four Papuan separatist organizations formed an umbrella group called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). Its leadership, which includes Benny Wenda, mostly resides overseas. In 2016, the group requested to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), a subregional group of Pacific island countries, but was rebuffed after intensive lobbying from the Indonesian government.
Renewed calls for a referendum
Triggered by an incident of racial abuse of Papuan university students in Surabaya, thousands of Papuans took to the streets to protest in various cities and regencies across Papua and West Papua starting on Aug. 19.
The incident seems to have tapped into deep anger among the Papuan people and demands for a referendum on self-determination have gained widespread momentum even as the central government imposed an internet blackout in Papua and West Papua.
Hundreds of Papuan students were emboldened enough to call for a referendum in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta while carrying the banned Morning Star flag on Aug. 29.
The government has reacted to the demands with a swift crackdown: eight people who participated in the Jakarta protests were arrested last week, while dozens of other protesters were arrested
Last Wednesday, police named human rights lawyer Veronica Koman, who is also a member of the KNPB’s legal team, a suspect for allegedly “provoking” the protests. Her passport has since been revoked.
What next
Papuan activists and rights groups have urged the government to discuss the issue of Papuan self-determination in order to resolve the unrest still gripping the region.
House of Representatives lawmaker and Papua native John Mirin has also called on the government to be open to dialogue with all parties, even those that have been branded as separatists.
“Let us have dialogue, allow room for dialogue with the people of Papua. If necessary, we should also involve groups that have opposed [us], surely a solution can be found through dialogue,” he said recently, citing the government’s past negotiations with the Free Aceh Movement as an example. ”Aceh was given room for dialogue in a polite, ethical and dignified manner, so why is the problem of Papua allowed to keep going?”
The government, however, seems to have no plans to hold such a dialogue in the foreseeable future.
“Dialogue is important and necessary but it has to be constructive,” Wiranto said at a recent press conference. “But dialogue relating to a referendum or independence, no.”
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2) Lawmakers concerned about ‘internationalization’ of Papua unrest
Dian Septiari The Jakarta Post
Jakarta / Thu, September 12 2019 / 12:45 am
As Indonesia gears up for voting day at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), lawmakers have raised concern over the “internationalization” of the unrest that erupted in Papua in recent weeks.
During a meeting on Wednesday with House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees defense and foreign affairs, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi reported on Indonesia’s campaign to become a member of the UN rights council for the 2020-2022 period, which will be put to a vote at a session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the United States on Oct. 16.
Lawmakers were keen to see Indonesia win a seat at the UNHRC next month, so as to put a damper on attempts to sway public opinion on the issue of Papua.
Evita Nursanty, a lawmaker from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said she expected the Foreign Ministry to easily win a seat at the UN body, with only five countries vying for four open seats at the council.
Indonesia intends to fill the seat representing the Asia-Pacific, with 97 votes from UN member states needed to secure a seat in the secret ballot.
“Hopefully we can use the membership in the UN Human Rights Council to get international support for the sovereignty of Indonesia, especially for the issues of Papua that [some parties are] currently seeking to internationalize,” she said.
Papua and West Papua have been rocked by protests and rioting since Aug. 19, sparked by a case of racial abuse in Surabaya, East Java. The government has responded by deploying Indonesian Military personnel to maintain public order and imposed a temporary internet blackout across the region.
The tension has become a boon for a small-scale secessionist cause in the region, which Jakarta has flatly rejected.
United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker Lena Maryana Mukti said the ministry should be at the forefront in preventing the internationalization of the Papuan issue, which had been widely covered by international media.
“Last week we saw a discussion aired by Al Jazeera […] on Papua, pitting Benny Wenda against Yenny Wahid and a journalist from Australia,” Lena said at the meeting.
Benny Wenda, the exiled leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, who now holds British citizenship, has been making the rounds on international news programs voicing what the Indonesian government has labelled a separatist cause.
Lena took issue with the government’s decision to block internet access, which has resulted in a negative and authoritarian portrayal of the government in the media.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement last week that she was “disturbed” by escalating violence in Papua and West Papua. She also criticized the blanket internet shutdown, saying it likely contravened the freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmaker Syarief Hasan said the government should intensify its diplomatic approach to island nations of the South Pacific or risk pushback from nations like Vanuatu that would become the “pebble in Indonesia’s shoe” on the global stage.
Previously, members of the Pacific Islands Forum have called on Jakarta to show its commitment in resolving human rights issues in Papua, especially in organizing a visit to allow the UN human rights chief to investigate the situation in Papua in an “evidence-based, informed report”.
Some experts have said the people of Papua could not legally demand a referendum based on violations of human rights or their political, economic and social rights, as Indonesia had granted them special autonomy in 2001. On Tuesday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo invited Papuan and West Papuan leaders to discuss solutions to their recent grievances at the Presidential Palace.
Jakarta notes that Papua and West Papua are legally acknowledged territories of Indonesia, based on the 1962 New York Agreement with the Netherlands.
During the meeting, Retno requested to discuss the Papua issue behind closed doors.
A researcher from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Vidya Andhika Perkasa, said there had long been efforts to internationalize the Papua issue and that the current situation reflected just how far it had been discussed on the global stage.
“International recognition is very dynamic and can change. Chaotic riots and protests can indicate the government’s inability to maintain order,” he said. (tjs)
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3) Police Nab ULMWP Deputy Head on Charges of Papua Riot
11 September 2019 20:33 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police have apprehended Buchtar Tabuni who is the deputy head of United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) on Wednesday, September 11. Buchtar has even named suspect for his involvement in the riots in Papua last August.
“Yes, he has been arrested. Papua Regional Police HQ are still examining him,” said Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo in PTIK Auditorium, South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 11.
However, Dedi stopped short of detailing the role of Buchtar and his relations with Benny Wenda, one of the Papuan figures who is accused of masterminding riots in Papua and West Papua.
Buchtar is charged with articles on treason and others, Dedi added.
Previously, the police arrested FBK and AG, who are suspected of being the intellectual actors in the riots.
ANDITA RAHMA
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4) Police: Those Defying Veronica Koman's Status May File Pretrial
11 September 2019 19:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police state that people who oppose the suspect naming of Veronica Koman are allowed to request a pretrial, including the human rights activist herself.
“All legal process carried out by investigators can be tried in a pretrial,” said National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo in PTIK Auditorium, South Jakarta, Wednesday, September 11.
East Java Police have named Veronica suspect for allegedly spreading false or hoax news about the incident in Papuan students’ dorm in Surabaya last August.
The suspect naming sparked protest from several parties, including the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) who considered it an attempt of criminalization.
Dedi asserted the status was issued according to the procedure. “We have evidence,” he said.
Latest reports say that East Java Police have met Consulate General of Australia in Surabaya to discuss measures to summon Veronika, who is the lawyer of Papuan students in Surabaya.
East Java Police Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Toni Harmanto explained that Consulate General of Australia confirmed its position in the case. “They will not intervene the Indonesian law, and the summons process will be carried out by National Police’s International Relations Unit,” Toni said.
Last Monday, East Java Police issued the second summons for Veronica Koman. Toni said the police will announce a wanted status if she fails to make it into the summons.
ANDITA RAHMA
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5) Ensuring no more exodus of native Papuan students
7 hours ago
Law and order have been restored by the Indonesian police in Jayapura, Papua, and Manokwari, West Papua Province after violent protests erupted in the two cities and several other towns in both provinces.
However, now, the regional and central governments face the challenge of an exodus of native Papuan students currently studying in various reputable universities outside Papua and West Papua. Indonesia's media and authorities are focusing on the exodus because it occurred despite the guarantees by every provincial police chief for the safety and security of all native Papuan students currently studying outside their hometowns.
A majority of the returnees were previously studying in Manado, North Sulawesi Province, according to Papua Police Chief Inspector General Rudolf Rodja.
Related news: Nearly 700 native Papuan students return home
Rodja regretted the decisions of the returnees, saying that the national police chief had ordered all regional police chiefs to guarantee the safety of the students so that they could direct their undivided attention to completing their studies.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with rectors of the University of Cenderawasih (Uncen) and Jayapura University of Science and Technology (USTJ) on September 9, Rodja said their decisions to return home before completing their studies would affect their future.
Instead, the returnees should have prevented themselves from falling victim to the elites or certain vested interests.
After returning home, they would find it difficult to continue with their studies at local universities. He suggested to their colleagues who are still in various Indonesian cities that they continue with their studies.
They need not fear their routine activities as their safety and security has been guaranteed by all regional police chiefs, he said.
In response to the exodus of some 700 native Papuan students, the central government has encouraged them to return to the cities or towns where they are studying.
The Indonesian military commander has even kept on standby two units of Hercules C-130 aircraft for transporting the returnees from Papua and West Papua to the provinces where they are studying.
The exodus has stopped, and the government is keen to send them back to their universities, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto.
Related news: West Papua vows to tighten supervision of students
Educating the indigenous Papuan students at various prestigious universities outside their homeland is important because they will receive good quality higher education and make friends with their peers from different socio-cultural backgrounds.
By mingling with their colleagues from diverse religious, ethnical, linguistic, and socio-cultural backgrounds, the seeds of Indonesian nationalism and a sense of unity in diversity as one Indonesia will get grown strong inside their hearts and minds.
The government has pledged to ensure their safety and security by ordering the military and police personnel to support foster care for Papuan students, Wiranto said. "This is an effective way of making them feel secure because it is like a kin relationship."
Wiranto also suggested ending the system of exclusive student dormitories. Thus, students from West Kalimantan, West Sumatra, and Papua, for instance, would stay in the same dormitory co-funded by three governors.
"We propose that the home minister coordinates with the related governors to ensure this in the future," he said.
Violence erupted in several parts of Papua and West Papua in the aftermath of the alleged racist slurs against the Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, on August 16 that had triggered public ire among native Papuans.
On August 29, the indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura staged a violent protest which ended with several buildings and vehicles being torched.
In preventing the recurrence of such these violent rallies in the future, the police have deployed more mobile brigade personnel to Papua and West Papua.
At the same time, the police have also guaranteed the safety and security of all Papuan students studying outside the two provinces.
On Tuesday evening, for instance, Maluku Police Chief Inspector General Royke Lumowa held a function at his residence by inviting some 100 students native to Papua and West Papua and presently studying at Maluku’s several universities.
On the occasion, he dined with the students and encouraged them to channel their efforts into ensuring timely completion of their studies and assured them that the police and military institutions would guarantee their safety and security.
Speaking in connection with the pledge by the authorities to offer a security guarantee, Chairman of the Papuan and West Papuan Student Association Erwin Abisay admitted to feeling a sense of security and safety during his stay in Ambon.
"We thank the Maluku police chief and his men for inviting us to join the gathering and for safeguarding us," Abisay stated.
The native Papuan students who are currently struggling to complete their studies should be supported because they are indeed the future leaders who will build a better Papua and West Papua within Indonesia.
Related news: Police guarantee Papuans' safety, security in West Sulawesi
Related news: Police chase down 12 persons wanted in West Papua unrest
Related news: Maluku police chief, Papuan students dine over food for thought
However, now, the regional and central governments face the challenge of an exodus of native Papuan students currently studying in various reputable universities outside Papua and West Papua. Indonesia's media and authorities are focusing on the exodus because it occurred despite the guarantees by every provincial police chief for the safety and security of all native Papuan students currently studying outside their hometowns.
A majority of the returnees were previously studying in Manado, North Sulawesi Province, according to Papua Police Chief Inspector General Rudolf Rodja.
Related news: Nearly 700 native Papuan students return home
Rodja regretted the decisions of the returnees, saying that the national police chief had ordered all regional police chiefs to guarantee the safety of the students so that they could direct their undivided attention to completing their studies.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with rectors of the University of Cenderawasih (Uncen) and Jayapura University of Science and Technology (USTJ) on September 9, Rodja said their decisions to return home before completing their studies would affect their future.
Instead, the returnees should have prevented themselves from falling victim to the elites or certain vested interests.
After returning home, they would find it difficult to continue with their studies at local universities. He suggested to their colleagues who are still in various Indonesian cities that they continue with their studies.
They need not fear their routine activities as their safety and security has been guaranteed by all regional police chiefs, he said.
In response to the exodus of some 700 native Papuan students, the central government has encouraged them to return to the cities or towns where they are studying.
The Indonesian military commander has even kept on standby two units of Hercules C-130 aircraft for transporting the returnees from Papua and West Papua to the provinces where they are studying.
The exodus has stopped, and the government is keen to send them back to their universities, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto.
Related news: West Papua vows to tighten supervision of students
Educating the indigenous Papuan students at various prestigious universities outside their homeland is important because they will receive good quality higher education and make friends with their peers from different socio-cultural backgrounds.
By mingling with their colleagues from diverse religious, ethnical, linguistic, and socio-cultural backgrounds, the seeds of Indonesian nationalism and a sense of unity in diversity as one Indonesia will get grown strong inside their hearts and minds.
The government has pledged to ensure their safety and security by ordering the military and police personnel to support foster care for Papuan students, Wiranto said. "This is an effective way of making them feel secure because it is like a kin relationship."
Wiranto also suggested ending the system of exclusive student dormitories. Thus, students from West Kalimantan, West Sumatra, and Papua, for instance, would stay in the same dormitory co-funded by three governors.
"We propose that the home minister coordinates with the related governors to ensure this in the future," he said.
Violence erupted in several parts of Papua and West Papua in the aftermath of the alleged racist slurs against the Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, on August 16 that had triggered public ire among native Papuans.
On August 29, the indigenous Papuan residents of Jayapura staged a violent protest which ended with several buildings and vehicles being torched.
In preventing the recurrence of such these violent rallies in the future, the police have deployed more mobile brigade personnel to Papua and West Papua.
At the same time, the police have also guaranteed the safety and security of all Papuan students studying outside the two provinces.
On Tuesday evening, for instance, Maluku Police Chief Inspector General Royke Lumowa held a function at his residence by inviting some 100 students native to Papua and West Papua and presently studying at Maluku’s several universities.
On the occasion, he dined with the students and encouraged them to channel their efforts into ensuring timely completion of their studies and assured them that the police and military institutions would guarantee their safety and security.
Speaking in connection with the pledge by the authorities to offer a security guarantee, Chairman of the Papuan and West Papuan Student Association Erwin Abisay admitted to feeling a sense of security and safety during his stay in Ambon.
"We thank the Maluku police chief and his men for inviting us to join the gathering and for safeguarding us," Abisay stated.
The native Papuan students who are currently struggling to complete their studies should be supported because they are indeed the future leaders who will build a better Papua and West Papua within Indonesia.
Related news: Police guarantee Papuans' safety, security in West Sulawesi
Related news: Police chase down 12 persons wanted in West Papua unrest
Related news: Maluku police chief, Papuan students dine over food for thought
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