By Aisha R. Kusumasomantri
The surge of Black Live Matter movement in the US has sparked many discussions on races across Indonesia. As many Indonesians voiced their support for the US’s Black Community after Gorge Floyd murder, some media spotted the redundancy of their position on the issue of race equality (The Jakarta Post 03/06).Up until today, many Native Papuans are still facing racism outside the Papua Island, particularly from the non-Papuan Indonesians.
The Native Papuans are of Melanesian descent, which are more closely related to the population of Pacific Island states such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Solomon. The Papua provinces admittedly did not become a part of Indonesia’s territory on the account of shared identity between its people and the rest of Indonesians, but rather due to an inorganic process of colonialization. Indonesia’s idea on a “nation” is consisted of all territory that was colonized by the Dutch Kingdom, including the Papua Island, despite of the distinct culture between its population and the rest of Indonesia. Therefore, for Indonesians who had a little to no prior interaction with Native Papuans, it is easy for them to develop an ethnocentric view against a community whose people have different physical characteristics and cultural backgrounds with them.
Most racism cases against the Native Papuan Community are not systematically conducted under the state’s law or policy, but rather sporadically in form of prejudice and discrimination. This social condition has created a “glass ceiling” that prevents the Native Papuans to thrive outside of their communities. For example, in Yogyakarta, many Native Papuan students are denied the access to accommodation because the landlords are informed with negative stereotypes of the Native Papuan community. In some cases, the Native Papuan also received verbal and physical assault from mobs for conveying their grievances towards the Indonesian government. Casual racism also frequently found in popular media, in which the Native Papuans are portrayed as primitive or uneducated, contributing further to the negative stereotypes that are believed by some Indonesians.
While most cases prejudice towards the Native Papua are rooted from ignorance, it became a dangerous thing when the act is associated with dissent towards the Free Papua Movement. One prime example of this case is the Surabaya incident in August 2019, where members of a local civil organization shouted racial slurs towards Native Papuan students in their dormitory. At that time, the culprits felt that their action were justified since they were confronting the students on national flag desecration—an allegation that is never proven up until today. The incident has told us that there is a “pseudo-nationalism feeling” that is embedded with racism against the Native Papuan community. Hate crime has somehow falsely associated as an act of patriotism, a believe that is based on over-generalization that all Native Papuans are associated, or the very least, supporting the movement.
The misconception of racism and patriotism among non-Papuan Indonesians has blurred the line between social and political problem in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the long-held believe on this problem has created a prevalent misconception even among Indonesian academics and government officials. Discussions on the topic are often considered as “sensitive” and “taboo” in public settings. Many of the events are either ended up cancelled before they are conducted or created controversies among the Indonesian public.
Regardless, the restriction to discuss racism against the Native Papuan community is an ineffective strategy to contain the Native Papuan community’s support towards the Free Papua Movement. To understand this, we must go back and understand the nature of the Papua Conflict. Separatism is a form of insurgency warfare which places influence and political narration as the key to achieve victory. The native population of the conflict area is considered as “neutral population” which has to be persuaded to support one of the waring actors. The neutral population’s support could mean a lot of things in the war: cutting off the separatists’ logistic, intelligence, movement; gaining international support; strengthening control and legitimacy over the territory; and even winning a potential referendum in the future.
In a democratic setting, where political support is a critical aspect in ensuring the continuation of a regime, it is far more advantageous to win the sympathy of the neutral population rather than repressing them. This is because neutral population can participate in the government’s check and balance process and convey their grievance to the public. Any negative experience can affect the public’s approval rate towards the government and might jeopardize the government’s image both in domestic and international level. Therefore, to ensure that the neutral population support is on their side, the Indonesian authority must be willing to address the persistent problems that are faced with the Native Papuan community—Including racism.
Even though the authority has conducted some approaches to win the “hearts and minds” of the population through infrastructure and special autonomy fund, as long as the government does not address the main problem that create a division between Papuan and non-Papuan communities, it is only the matter of time before the issue resurface again in the future. Recognising that Indonesian have a problem of racism might hurt the pride of the nation but dismissing it will only hamper the state’s effort to keep its territory intact.
Admittedly, it is no easy task to change the mindset of a community. The effort can take generations to complete and should be done through multifaceted efforts including education, media, and civil organizations. However, the result from addressing racism will be much more sustainable since it will create a sense of belonging, mutual trust, and promoting further integration and between the Native Papua and Non-Papuan communities. Only when those aspect are achieved; Indonesia can make Papua as a permanent part of its nation.
On Feb. 3 and 4, several houses had been inundated by flood water following a heavy rain for three days straight. In BTN Yahim Gajah Mada housing area in Sentani, the water on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at night could reach as high as the knees of an adult. The water had yet to recede the following morning.
“Rain has poured in the past three days here in BTN Gajah Mada. Water inundated the complex on Wednesday night and it has yet to recede now,” Rosita, one of the flood victims, told Jubi on Feb. 4.
Rosita and her neighbors, however, did not leave their houses despite the flood. “We don’t know where else to go,” she said. She and her family could not save all her belongings, she said.
Rosita said her neighborhood was lower than the others, and water from higher areas was halted in BTN Yahim Gajah Mada.
Kogoya said his family could not sleep at night because they anticipated more flood on Feb. 4.
Another neighborhood, YPKP Sentani, also got flooded on Wednesday night. The residents complained about the condition of the drainage, which they said got covered by buildings. The drainage in the housing complex was indeed narrow and not deep enough.
A YPKP Sentani resident, Paulina Yakadewa, said the water came suddenly. “I was surprised to find that the water had entered our house. The current was fast. The inundation reached as high as an adult’s knees,” she said.
Her family took shelter at their relative’s house, she said.
“Our stove was carried away by the water until it went outside our house,” she said.
Yakadewa said there was a creek in the neighborhood but it was covered with buildings now. She said the water tried to find its way on the creek but it could not find the creek so it “hit” the houses.
She said residents had talked about water management improvement with the local leaders but nothing happened.
Another resident, Titin, said she wanted Jayapura administration to improve the water management. She said she also experienced the flash flood on March 16, 2019.
Some environmental activists blamed the Sentani flash flood in March 2019 and the recent flood on the damage in Cycloop Natural Reserve, or also called Cycloop Hill.
Manasse Bernard Taime, the head of Youths Care for the Environment in the regency, said on Feb. 3 that his group had checked the condition of the natural reserve and found it “severely damaged”.
“On the low plain of Robonghollo Mountain, there were no trees anymore,” he said.
He said the volunteers found indications of landslides there and also felled trees. The landslides happened in 2019 during the flashflood and the remnants were still there when they visited the reserve recently.
He said Cycloop had an important role in the prosperity of Jayapura residents. It acted as both water source and water retention.
Taime said he had spoken with religious and indigenous figures to campaign for the Cycloop’s sustainability. But he said residents still violated regulations and did not protect the natural reserve. He criticized the administration for turning a blind eye toward the alleged violations.
Papua Forestry and Environment Agency head, Jan Jap Ormusera, said the the management of Cycloop fell into the jurisdiction of the central government, in particular under Papua Natural Resources Conservation Agency, which is under the coordination of the Forestry and Environment Ministry.
“Referring to Law No. 5/1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources and the Ecosystem, 31,000 hectares of Cycloop Natural Reserve, falls under central government jurisdiction. The Papua province administration only handles the 9,000 hectares of the Cycloop’s buffer areas, spanning across Jayapura regency and municipality,” he said.
BKSDA Papua head, Edward Sembiring, said that a joint team had inspected four rivers that began in Cycloop Natural Reserve: Harapan Creek, Eboy Creek, Taruna Creek, and Nauli Creek.
“So far we saw the the condition was safe, so we announce to residents in Jayapura municipality and regency to be alert but not worried too much,” he said as quoted by
Forestry and Environment Ministry website on Feb. 4.
Sembiring said his team would inspect the rivers again on Feb. 6, using drone, to anticipate whether the residents had to prepare for flash flood or not.
Reporter: Yance Wenda
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3) Papuan students demand dismissal of senior academic over racist tweet
CNN Indonesia – February 2, 2021
Medan – Scores of students from the Papuan Student Association (IMP) in Medan, North Sumatra, held a protest action in front of the North Sumatra University (USU) Rectorate Bureau Building on Tuesday February 2 protesting racism allegedly committed by USU Professor Yusuf Leonard Henuk.
During the action, the students demanded that Henuk's professorship be revoked, that he be expelled from the USU because he has tarnished the campus' good name, and that the police investigate the case.
"We're asking that Henuk be removed from his position as a USU professor. We also ask that he be prosecuted. On Twitter he likened Papuans to monkeys and said that Papuans are stupid. These kinds of cases cannot be allowed to be protected at USU or in Indonesia", said action coordinator Yance Emany at the location of the demonstration.
Emany also threatened to hold protest actions with even more people if the USU authorities fail to follow up on their demands.
"End racism against Papuans. If there is no response we will come back with even more people. We ask for the Bapak [Mr] USU rector's cooperation. We as Papuan students oppose racism. We ask that there no longer be any racism against the Papuan people", he asserted.
USU Rector Muryanto Amin took the opportunity to pledge that he would first study the student's demands. He said they would gather evidence first then summon Henuk – who currently works at the USU agricultural faculty – and ask for clarification on the matter.
"Later we will study the Papuan students' demands and whether or not the person concerned committed an ethical violation. The person concerned is a lecturer at USU. Later we will summon him to then determine what steps will be undertaken", he explained.
Earlier on January 2, Henuk posted a tweet on his Twitter account @ProfYLH about former National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) commissioner Natalius Pigai which smacked of racism.
Henuk uploaded a photograph of Pigai alongside a monkey looking at a mirror. The photograph was accompanied with the caption "Indeed, does Pigai have any capacity in this country".
In another posting he tweeted: IT'S BEEN PROVEN THAT PAPUANS ARE INDEED STUPID, THE PROBLEM IS PAPUANS WHO ARE CONSIDERED SMART SUCH AS @NataliusPigai2 CAN BE DECEIVED BY THE DEVIL @VeronicaKoman. ALL PAPUAN ARE CONTROLLED BY THE DEVIL/DAEMONS SO THEY DAMAGE THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN FAITH. WHERE IS THE ROLE OF THE PAPUAN CHURCH?".
When sought separately for confirmation, Henuk denied that his posting was a form of racism. For Henuk, it was a satirical allusion about Pigai who he believes is an arrogant figure.
Henuk said the public should focus on the mirror in the posting, not the photograph of the monkey placed alongside Pigai's picture.
"It was a satirical allusion, an allusion that he should self-reflect. Why's he (Pigai) so arrogant. I don't agree with the way he hit out at Hendropriyono", said Henuk when sought for confirmation by CNN Indonesia on Tuesday January 26.
"In relation to my posting, that's what's called an illustration (the photograph of the monkey), a reflection that he should reflect, self-introspection. So I say if you don't want to be attacked then don't attack other people", he added.
With regard to saying that Papuans are stupid, Henuk said that this was directed at Papuans who still support Free Papua Organisation (OPM) leader Benny Wanda and exiled Papuan human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman.
"It was just a satirical allusion, right. In saying stupid I meant Papuans who still support Koman and Wenda. Meaning they're stupid. This country is already independent, but many Papuan still believe in Wenda and Koman", he argued.
"Many of my friends are church people, why doesn't the church function to make Papuan people aware. Come on lets enjoy the independence that God has given us. I'm a person from eastern Indonesia, I'm envious of Papua, because Jokowi [President Joko Widodo] has built really good roads in Papua, but what have we got in East Nusa Tenggara?", he exclaimed. (fnr/arh)
Notes
Former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief retired general Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono recently called for the forced removal of some two million indigenous Papuans to the island of Manado in an apparent response to last year's December 1 declaration by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) of a West Papuan provisional government headed by ULMWP Chairperson Benny Wenda.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Mahasiswa Papua Tuntut USU Copot Gelar Profesor Yusuf Henuk".]
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