https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesia-arrests-papuan-students-for-waving-banned-flag/95202#
A Papuan student gestures as she takes part in a rally for the independence of Papua province, at the police headquarters in Surabaya on December 1, 2021, to coincide with the anniversary of the Free Papua Movement. (Photo by Juni KRISWANTO/AFP)
The Church in Indonesia has joined rights groups to criticize the arrests of dozens of Papuan students for marking the 60th anniversary of the birth of West Papua on Dec. 1.
Ahmad Musthofa Kamal, a spokesman of Papuan police, said eight students were still in detention pending further investigations.
The police action brought a strong reaction from the Indonesian Christian Church in Papua, Coalition of Papuan Law and Human Rights Enforcement, including the Franciscan Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC)
and Legal Aid Institute in Papua.
“We slam the police’s repressive actions on the students and demand that they be released,” the organizations demanded.
Emmanuel Gobay, director of the Legal Aid Institute in Papua and coordinator of the coalition, said they will be organizing legal help for the students. “We still stand with them until they are set free,” he told UCA News.
Police said the students in the provincial capital of Jayapura were found waving the Papuan Morning Star flag — banned by Indonesian authorities — and also organized demonstrations waving banners and
posters proclaiming “Self Determination for West Papua” and “Stop Militarism in Papua,” besides welcoming the UN high commissioner for human rights, in a show of defiance.
“Despite constant harassment, the Papuan people continue the annual practice of raising the flag on Dec. 1”
Papuan people peacefully mark Dec. 1 as their Independence Day from the Dutch colonial government in 1961 and also raise the flag as a symbol of their long struggle for independence.
Their dream of an independent nation was hampered by the New York Agreement on Aug. 15, 1962, according to which West Papua was handed over to Indonesia from the Dutch on May 1, 1963.
The US-supervised agreement was signed by the Netherlands and Indonesia without involving the representatives of the indigenous Papuan people.
West Papua was formally integrated into Indonesia in 1969 and the Morning Star flag was banned. Its display is punishable with a 20-year prison sentence, according to Indonesian law.
Despite constant harassment, the Papuan people continue the annual practice of raising the flag on Dec. 1.
Jayapura, Jubi – Sixty years ago, December 1, 1961, the Morning Star flag of West Papua was raised for the first time in front of the Nieuw Guinea Raad Building in Jayapura City. Now, the building is known as the Papuan Arts Council Building.
At that time, chairman of the Papuan National Committee Willem Inury said in his speech, “Today, December 1, 1961, we are raising the flag of West Papua on a building that has not been completed”. The raising of the Morning Star flag on that day became a symbol of the Dutch Government’s political recognition of the founding of the state of West Papua.
Willy Joost Mirino, a senior journalist and editor of Suara Perempuan Papua, wrote in his article titled “Papua Council, Gait History and Revitalization” on October 10, 1961, that Nieuw Guinea Raad member Nicolash Jouwe used the right of initiative to designate the Morning Star flag as the Papuan National flag. Meanwhile, the song Hai Tanahku Papua composed by IS Kijne became the national anthem of West Papua.
Though the raising of the Morning Star flag in 1961 was not accompanied by the Proclamation of Independence of West Papua, first President of the Republic of Indonesia Soekarno strongly responded against the event. Soekarno started the Trikora (Tri Komando Rakyat – a strategy for mobilizing the nation) campaign on December 19, 1961 in Yogyakarta, to annex what Indonesia called West Irian. Trikora’s operational command, the Mandala Command for Liberation of West Irian, which was a planned invasion, was led by General Soeharto, who later became the republic’s second president.
The proclamation of Papuan independence was declared long after the first raising of the Morning Star flag. On July 1, 1971, Brig. Gen. Zeth Rumkorem proclaimed the independence of Papua at the Victoria Headquarters. During the proclamation, Rumkorem and his supporters raised the Morning Star flag and sang the anthem Hai Tanahku Papua.
In preparing the proclamation, Rumkorem was also assisted by a graduate of the National Police Academy, Second Lt. Barnabas Fairyo. They led their troops to the jungle that stretches on the border between West Papua and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Zeth Rumkorem finally obtained political asylum and went to Greece, he eventually died in the Netherlands. Fairyo, meanwhile, settled in PNG.
Rumkorem’s proclamation was not the only proclamation of the independence of the West Papuan nation. On December 14, 1988, Thomas Wanggai and his supporters proclaimed the Republic of West Melanesia at Mandala Square, Jayapura City. The event prompted the arrest of several Papuan figures including students and Wanggai himself.
Wanggai and supporters of the Republic of West Melanesia carried the Bintang 14 flag, but the Morning Star flag that was flown on December 1, 1961, continued to become the symbol of the West Papuan independence movement.
The raising of the Morning Star on December 1, 1961 is not listed in Indonesian history textbooks but lives in the memory of the indigenous Papuans. It fuels their dream of achieving independence.
The New Order regime under President Soeharto and through the military have always prohibited the raising of the Morning Star flag. Many Papuans have been killed, persecuted, and imprisoned because of the Morning Star flag.
The Morning Star flag was only allowed to fly in Papua in the era of President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, on December 1, 1999 to be exact. Gus Dur appreciated the Morning Star as a cultural symbol of the Papuan people.
Gus Dur believed that there was nothing wrong with raising the Morning Star, as long as it was flown side by side with Indonesia’s Red and White flag. On July 6, 2007, Gus Dur explained his reasons for allowing the Morning Star to be raised in Papua, “Morning star is a cultural flag. If we think of it as a political flag, the fault is ours,” said Gus Dur at that time, as quoted by Merdeka.
However, during the era of President Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the government yet again opposed raising the Morning Star. When the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) submitted a proposal for regional symbols and flags, the central government instead issued Government Regulation No. 77/2007 on Regional Coats of Arms, which banned the Morning Star from being used as a regional symbol or flag.
However, indigenous Papuans never forget the historic event on December 1, 1961, when the Morning Star was first raised. In fact, from time to time, new figures emerge to continue efforts to demand recognition of Papuan independence, even after the government made a policy prohibiting the raising of the Morning Star.
In 2014, leaders of the Papuan independence movement gathered in Port Villa, the capital of Vanuatu, a country in the South Pacific. Vanuatu facilitated a meeting of leaders who agreed on the formation of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).
“In December 2014, Papuan leaders declared the ULMWP. Then in June 2015 at Honiara, the ULMWP was accepted as an observer at the Melanesian Spearhead Group,” ULMWP executive director Markus Haluk to Jubi.
The Papua Special Autonomy has been going on for twenty years. Papua has also successfully organized the National Games in its land. However, every December 1, the security forces are always busy with the same thing, chasing people who commemorate December 1 and raising the Morning Star flag. This time, December 1, 2021, the condition remains the same. After twenty years of the implementation of the Papua Special Autonomy Law, has the Papuan problem been completely resolved? Whose fault is it? Gus Dur said the fault is …. (*)
Reporter: Dominggus Mampioper
Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G
Agung Sandy Lesmana – The Metro Jaya regional police have rerouted traffic and closed off Jalan Merdeka Utara and traffic in the direction of Gambir train station due a rally by Papuan protesters in Central Jakarta.
The demonstration was organised by the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) to commemorate 60 years since the declaration of West Papuan independence on December 1, 1961.
Scores of demonstrators began gathering at 10 am for the demonstration which was held at the Horse Statue traffic circle on Jalan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta.
"This morning is situational, we'll wait for developments on the ground", said Metro Jaya traffic director Senior Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo when sought for confirmation in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Yogo said that traffic management would depend on the situation and the number of protesters.
The protesters could be seen bringing a number of banners and posters with messages such as "The 1969 referendum was undemocratic", "Free West Papua" and "Referendum or vanished".
In speeches the FRI-WP said that there were three main demands that they were directing at the central government to coincide with December 1.
First, they demanded that the government immediately withdraw all of the military troops which have been deployed in the land of the Cendrawasih – as Papua is known.
Second, the protesters also asked the government to revoke the extension of special autonomy (Otsus) for West Papua. This is because, the protesters believe, the Otsus law has never truly represented the hopes of the Papuan people.
"Third, give the right of self-determination to the West Papuan nation", said one of the speakers.
Police could be seen on guard at the location of the demonstration and forming a blockade around the protesters. A tactical vehicle, a crowd control vehicle and a detention vehicle were also on alert at the location. (Antara)
Notes
Although it is widely held that West Papua declared independence from Indonesia on December 1, 1961, this actually marks the date when the Morning Star flag was first raised alongside the Dutch flag in an officially sanctioned ceremony in Jayapura, then called Hollandia. The first declaration of independence actually took place on July 1, 1971 when the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) unilaterally proclaimed West Papua as an independent democratic republic.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Orang Papua Peringati 1 Desember di Jakarta, Polisi Tutup Akses Jalan ke Istana Negara".]
4) 8 Papuan youths arrested after flying Morning Star flag in Jayapura
Dhias Suwandi, Jayapura – Police have arrested seven youths – along with an eighth who recorded the action – who raised the Morning Star flag on the grounds of the Cenderawasih Sports Centre (GOR) in Jayapura city on Wednesday December 1.
The Cenderawasih Sports Centre is located next the Papua regional police headquarters.
The Morning Star is a symbol used by the Free Papua Organisation (OPM). As a consequence of the incident, the Papua regional police have detained the eight people involved in the action.
"Earlier this afternoon at 1.28 pm, eight youths were arrested by Papua regional police members after raising [the Morning Star] flag at the Cenderawasih GOR", said Papua regional police spokesperson Senior Commissioner AM Kamal in Jayapura on Wednesday.
In addition to raising the Morning Star flag, the youths also marched past the Papua regional police headquarters. "As they pasted they gave speeches about Papuan independence", said Kamal.
Seven of the eight youths were tasked with raising the flag and marching towards the Papua police headquarters carrying a banner with the Morning Star drawn on it. The eighth person meanwhile was tasked with documenting and sharing the action.
The eight youths, several of which are students, are currently being detained and are still undergoing questioned at the Papua regional police.
"We will wait and see and conduct a follow up examination on what they did and then we will look into and synchronies that information", said Kamal.
In relation to the general situation in Papua on December 1 this year, which is considered to the anniversary of the OPM, Kamal admitted that there were several incidents of the Morning Star flag being raised at different locations.
"Flag raisings occurred in Jayapura, Kiwirok (Bintang Mountains), Intan Jaya and Yapen", he said.
Despite this, he confirmed that the security situation was favourable without there being any significant actions. "The raised [the flag] then took it down again", said Kamal.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Bendera Bintang Kejora Berkibar di Samping Polda Papua, 8 Pemuda Ditangkap".]
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