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https://en.jubi.id/indonesia-views-indigenous-papuans-with-racism-benny-giay/
1) Indonesia views Indigenous Papuans with racism: Benny Giay
Racism Towards Indigenous Papuans - News Desk 15 July 2022
The moderator of the Papuan Church Council, Rev. Benny Giay (center) with the President of the West Papua Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Socratez Sofyan Yoman and the President of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI) Tanah Papua, Dorman Wandikbo gave a press statement to the Papuan Church Council in Sentani, the district capital Jayapura, Wednesday (13/7/2022). - Jubi/Hengky Yeimo
Jayapura, Jubi – Moderator of the Papuan Church Council Benny Giay said the recent speech of Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDIP) General Chair and former Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri proved the Indonesian’s racist mindset towards Papuans. Giay assessed that Indonesia’s view of Papuan Indigenous People is indeed biased towards racism, which triggers conflict, violence, and human rights violations against Indigenous Papuans.
“God said that all human beings are good in God’s eyes. But Megawati made a racist comment on Papuans. That’s Megawati’s understanding of Papuan people,” said Giay in a press conference in Sentani, the capital of Jayapura Regency, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
The Papuan Church Council regretted the current situation in Papua. Besides criticizing Megawati’s racist speech, the council also highlighted the Papua expansion, the ongoing Papuan conflict, and Papua’s Special Autonomy.
“The New Autonomous Regions and the new Special Autonomy for Papua can encourage further conflict in Papua. Megawati’s speech towards Papuans is racist, she told of her anxiety when she saw Papuan and black people. She said that the black gene could be changed, saying that people from the coast are saved because there are many Indonesians from outside Papua so they can intermarry,” said Giay.
Giay also criticized AM Hendropriyono’s statement to move 2 million Papuan Indigenous People to Manado, North Sulawesi. “He thought that after a while they could become Indonesians? We know this nation is racist towards Papua, as shown by Hendropriyono and Megawati’s thoughts. They support the Papua expansion to eliminate Papuans,” said Giay.
This same racist mindset has also led Indonesia to turn the 1969 referendum for every Papuan to a vote by only 1,000 representatives. Racism can also be seen in the way Indonesia responded when an Indonesian Military (TNI) member made a racist remark against Papuan students in Surabaya on August 16, 2019.
“Papuan antiracism protests were ignored, even shut for alleged treason. Revision to the Special Autonomy for Papua, the Papua expansion, and the military operations in Papua are proof of the Indonesian government’s racism towards the Papuan people. Indonesia is the same as the United States, they are racist to black people,” said Giay.
President of the West Papua Baptist Church Zokrates Sofyan Yoman said that ever since Indonesia ruled Papua on May 1, 1963, the Indigenous Papuans have lived in racism. He assessed that various policies made or implemented by Indonesia in Papua, from the 1969 Act of Free Choice to Special Autonomy for Papua and regional expansion were fascist and racist.
Because of this situation, Yoman said, the Indigenous Papuans do not feel they were part of Indonesia. “So today, even though some Papuan people work in the Indonesian government bureaucracy, such condition is fake. Indonesia is a colonizer,” he said.
Yoman mentioned that the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) had mapped out the four root causes of Papua’s problems. He said the Indonesian government should look into that and talk with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).
“We, the church, view that the Indonesian government’s policy of establishing three new provinces and revising the Special Autonomy Law does not solve the problem. That actually adds to the conflict between communities. We ask the Indonesian government to have a dialogue with ULMWP,” he said. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi – Four Cenderawasih University students who protested against the Papua expansion were beaten by police on Thursday, July 14, 2022.
The four protesters were Welinus Walengga (22) who was hit in the head, Habel Rufus Fauwok, was hit in the waist and right hand, Ebenius Tabuni (20) who was hit in the right shoulder and right hand, and Nias Asso (20) who was hit in the shoulder. Their bodies were now bruised and swollen.
At first, a number of protesters negotiated with the police at the gate of the Cenderawasih University. However, the negotiations failed and the police dispersed the demonstration.
“Your time is up. Disperse them,” the police shouted. Dozens of police officers dispersed the mass, attacked, chased them into the campus, and beat them using rattan and batons. Police also confiscated banners and destroyed the protesters’ megaphones.
Welinus Walengga said that after he got hit, he tried to save himself by running toward the Cenderawasih University’s Students Building. He managed to rejoin other protesters who were being chased by the security forces into the campus. Walengga and his colleagues tried to negotiate with the police again as they did not accept being disbanded, especially since their aspirations had not been conveyed to the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP).
“This is an act of silencing. We haven’t got the chance to talk to the DPRP lawmakers,” said Walengga.
Meanwhile, Operations Control Head of the Jayapura City Police Adj. Comr. Widodo said the police had provided students time to give speeches. However, the police would not allow a long march to the Papuan Legislative Council office. “Because there is already a demonstration happening there. The Police Chief ordered us not to allow any more mass to go there,” said Widodo.
Protest coordinator Kamus Bayage said their protest initially went peaceful and did not block the access road to the campus. However, the police dispersed them with violence. “The police forcibly dispersed the demonstrators then pursued and beat protesters,” Bayage said.
Bayage said this protest was part of a national protest against the new Papua Special Autonomy Law and the formation of three new provinces in Papua. He said that students rejected the policy because they were deemed to exacerbate problems, especially violence against indigenous Papuans.
“With just two provinces, Papua and West Papua, we are already beaten up. Our voices continue to be silenced, there is no room for democracy in Papua. What would happen with the emergence of three new provinces which are not the aspirations of the Papuan people?” he said. (*)
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali says instead of putting the plight of the West Papuan people on the Pacific Islands Forum agenda, Fiji is pursuing strong bilateral relations with their oppressors, Indonesia.
She made the statement during a Morning Star flag raising ceremony on Wednesday at the FWCC Office in Suva.
“Mr Bainimarama (Fijian Prime Minister), as chair of this meeting, should have negotiated for West Papua to be on the agenda but instead, he was visiting Bali in Indonesia last week where he said that ‘Fiji will continue to pursue strong bilateral relations with Indonesia’,” Ms Ali said.
She said when a global alliance was formed “we should be accountable and we should hold all our alliances accountable especially when it comes to Pacific issues”.
“West Papua is a very important issue that should be on the agenda for all leaders in the Pacific.”
She said Fijian leaders were noticeable by their silence on West Papua’s ongoing struggle for autonomy.
Ms Ali said the flag raising ceremony was significant as Pacific Islands Forum leaders were meeting in Suva and “as Pacific islanders, we should make our voices heard loud and clear”.
“We remember the people of West Papua, particularly the women and girls, who are suffering two-fold because of the increased militarisation of the province by the cruel Indonesian government.”
She said the ceremony “remembered all women, girls, men and children who have died and who are still suffering from state violence perpetrated on them”.
Ms Ali also said while Nauru, Tonga, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Palau had raised their voices at the UN General Assembly about the plight of the West Papuan people, all the other Pacific islands should join the call.
4) Intensified violence in West Papua has left 100,000 people displaced – Rev Bhagwan
By Navitalai Naivalurua Friday 15/07/2022
More than 100,000 West Papuans have been displaced due to the intensified violence in the country and the Pacific Conference of Churches is calling on Pacific Island Leaders to step up on its security framework in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific.
Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary Reverend James Bhagwan says the increasing number of casualties of West Papuans is hard to determine because no humanitarian agencies, NGOs or journalists are allowed to enter the region and report back.
He says when church workers were prevented by security forces from visiting villages to see the internally displaced people, this is exacerbated by the tied humanitarian situation, particularly for women and children, as well as the elderly and people with disabilities.
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