Bandung – Activists from the Papua People's Solidarity (Sorak) held a protest action in front of the Merdeka building in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on the afternoon of Friday May 21.
The action by the Papuan activists was held to respond to the situation in Indonesia's eastern-most region which has continued to heat up of late. Based on CNN Indonesia'sobservations at the rally, scores of people brought banners and gave speeches in front of the Merdeka building.
In addition to this, there were several banners with messages such as "We reject Special Autonomy Chapter II, the creation of new autonomous regions and the terrorist label", "Immediately release all Papuan political prisoners" and "Withdraw all organic and non-organic troops from West Papua".
Throughout the action, the demonstrators wore mask and maintained social distancing.
Action coordinator Pilamo said there are a number of demands being articulated during the action today. First, rejecting the planned extension of Special Autonomy in Papua, and then rejecting militarism and the deployment of troops which will further harm the Papuan people.
According to Pilamo, the Special Autonomy given to Papua by the government is just a policy which has been forced on the Papuan people by the central government.
Yet, he said, since July 2020 the Papua People's Petition (PRP) has declared a political position of opposing the continuation of Special Autonomy and has offered as a solution for the Papuan people the right to self-determination.
He claimed that as of May 2021 as many as 110 Papuan people's organisations have joined the PRP and that some 714,066 people have declared their opposition to and the continuation of the Special Autonomy political packet in Papua.
"Because of this, we, representing the Papua people are conveying this aspiration to Indonesia and the state that today in Papua things are not okay", said Pilamo when speaking to journalists.
According to Pilamo, almost all components and layers of society have said that Special Autonomy has failed to side with, empower or protect the land and the people of Papua. In addition to this, Pilamo said that over the 20 years of implementing Special Autonomy it has impacted badly on the Papuan people, including causing environmental damage.
In addition this, he said, the education and healthcare system has deteriorated. The construction of roads is not in the interest of the people, but rather, in the interests of investors.
Aside from highlighting issues in Papua, the rally today also took up the issue of Palestine. In a written call to action it demanded an end to the war in Palestine.
They also highlighted a number of recent cases including the government's labelling of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) as terrorists, a label which they reject.
Pilamo believes that the label will only give authority to security forces to commit violence, including against civilians. He claimed that civilians often fall victim as a consequence of violence committed by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police).
"We call on state and Pak [Mr] Jokowi [Joko Widodo] as the president, we demand an immediate end to military operations and to stop [using] the terrorist label against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). The TPNPB are not terrorists, they are part of the movement fighting for Papua national liberation", said Pilamo.
Aside from Bandung, similar actions were also held today in Jakarta and the Central Java city of Yogyakarta. (hyg/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Warga Papua Demo Tolak Otsus dan Militerisme di Bandung".]
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk
Pacific churches have condemned the media blackout in West Papua, military crackdown in parts of the territory and the silencing of dissenting voices.
They have also criticised the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) for “allowing Indonesia into their fold”.
In a statement, the Suva-based Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) said it had noted with deepening concern the humanitarian conflict in West Papua and the continued abuse of human rights perpetrated by the Indonesian security forces.
“This situation has been worsened in particular by the silencing of dissenting voices through increased military presence and suspension of electronic communication,” it said.
“Since 2018 with helicopter gunship attacks on the people of Nduga and followed by human rights abuse of Papuans in Intan Jaya Regency in 2019 and Tembagapura in 2020, Indonesia has increased its persecution of the indigenous people.”
Most recently, security forces had burned homes in Puncak, “forcing an exodus of people under the guise of fighting against terrorism”.
The council’s statement said that “terrorism” was “likely an excuse” to clear land for the “economic gain of the Indonesian elite in Jakarta and Jayapura” in the continued “cultural genocide” through displacement of Papuans.
Indonesia ‘should be ashamed’
“As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Indonesia should be ashamed of its actions and held to account,” said the churches.
“Equally culpable in these events of genocide and human rights abuse are the members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group who have allowed Indonesia into their fold.”
The PCC stood with the West Papua Council of Churches to again to call upon President Joko Widodo to order an end to human rights abuse an enter into dialogue with representatives of the Papuan people.
“We call on the MSG to accept the nomination of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and use its offices to begin a process of dialogue and reconciliation,” said the statement.
“The churches do not condone the killing of Indonesian security forces or Papuans.
“We recognise that without free and open discussions, this conflict of more than 60 years will not end.
“Today [May 20] as we mark the 19th anniversary of East Timor’s acceptance into the United Nations family, we appeal to the United Nations to treat the matter of West Papua with extreme urgency.”
Pacific churches have noted with concern the media blackout in West Papua and the subsequent military operations by Indonesia, leading to displacement of families in Puncak.
PCC Statement on west Papua.
THE Pacific Conference of Churches notes with deepening concern the humanitarian conflict in West Papua and the continued abuse of human rights perpetrated by the Indonesian security forces
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https://www.indoleft.org/news/2021-05-21/simultaneous-demos-in-3-cities-demand-troops-out-of-papua-end-war-on-palestine.html
3) Simultaneous demos in 3 cities demand troops out of Papua, end war on Palestine
CNN Indonesia – May 21, 2021
Jakarta – Simultaneous protest actions held in three cities by the Papua People's Petition (PRP) have also taken up the situation in Palestine which has been heating up of late. They called for an immediate halt to the attacks on Palestine people in the Gaza Strip.
This was included in a leaflet distributed at the actions, one of which was held in front of the regional police headquarters in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Friday May 21.
"Withdraw the military from the land of West Papua, release West Papuan political prisoners, give the right of self-determination as a democratic solution for the West Papuan nation and end the war in Palestine", read a digital leaflet which has already been confirmed.
Actions by the Papuan People's Petition were held simultaneously in three cities: in front of the State Palace in Jakarta, on Jalan Asia-Afrika in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung and in Yogyakarta. The actions were held as marathons, starting at 8 am and ending at 1 pm.
Lakar Sime (not their real name), one of the action coordinators, said that they were demanding three things of the government related to the situation in Papua which has heated up of late. This includes rejecting the government's labeling of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) as a terrorist organisation.
Sime said that labeling the OPM terrorists will only legitimise violence by security forces, including against civilians. He claimed that civilians frequently become victims of violence by the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police).
"Because in every incident we have seen on the ground it's usually civilians who, Papuans who suffer violence, who are often labeled KKB [armed criminal groups] rebels, OPM and so forth", Sime told CNN Indonesia on Friday.
In general, the actions were held to oppose militarism in Papua and the extension of Special Autonomy in the land of the Bird of Paradise as Papua is known.
Special Autonomy is form of special authority which is acknowledged and given to Papua to regulate and manage public affairs through its own initiatives based on the aspirations and basic rights of the Papuan people. This is embodied in Law Number 21/2001 which was revised by Regulation in Lieu of Law Number 1/2008.
Sime said that the application of Special Autonomy over the last 20 years has had no significant impact on the Papuan people. According to Sime, Special Autonomy was born out of political interests that are different from those of the Papuan people.
"Historically Special Autonomy was born because there were political demands which were different from the Papuan people themselves. And not because of the wishes of the Papuan people", he said. (thr/bmw)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo Papua di Tiga Kota Turut Suarakan Isu Palestina".]
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