Churches back calls for Irian Jaya independence<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A forum of church officials and community
\nleaders in Irian Jaya is urging the government to heed calls for
\nindependence from the population of the easternmost province.<\/p>\n
The forum said the aspiration had developed in Jakarta and in
\nthe province, and materialized in the emergence of three groups
\nrespectively calling for \"an independent state\", \"an autonomous
\nstate\", and \"a federal state\".<\/p>\n
\"The forum, however, finds that the Irian Jaya people
\nbasically want a chance to govern themselves (which means)
\nindependence,\" said the Reconciliation Forum of the People of
\nIrian Jaya (Foreri) in a statement released to The Jakarta Post
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
The forum was established last July 24 by three main churches
\nin the province: the Christian Evangelical Church in Irian Jaya
\n(GKI), the Irian Jaya Diocese and the Christian Missionary
\nAlliance Indonesia (GKII).<\/p>\n
Rev. Herman Saud of the GKI, Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar of the
\nDiocese and Benny Giay of the GKII were among those who signed
\nthe statement.<\/p>\n
Other signatories were community leaders Theis H. Eluay, Tom
\nBeanal, women leaders Selviana Sanggenafa and Yusan Yeblo and
\nuniversity students Gerson Abrauw, Mario Korano and Martinus
\nWerimon.<\/p>\n
Foreri advocated \"a vast opportunity for Irian Jaya people to
\nopenly and peacefully speak out\" and suggested a poll to gauge
\ntheir aspirations and the reason for their demands.<\/p>\n
Foreri's statement came several days after the Irianese
\ncommunity in Jakarta headed by Yorrys Raweyai -- known for his
\nactivities in the Golkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth group
\n-- demanded special autonomy for Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Both Foreri and the Irianese community in the nation's capital
\nhave accused the government of failing to bring prosperity in the
\npast 35 years to the province, which is three times larger than
\nJava with untold wealth of natural resources but a population
\nunder two million people.<\/p>\n
Both groups also cited human rights violations allegedly
\ncommitted by the military against the people of Papua -- as
\nIrianese would rather call themselves -- over the years.<\/p>\n
Alleged rights violations in the spotlight include incidents
\nwhen the military opened fire on a group of proindependence
\nactivists in Biak on July 6, and a student protest in capital
\nJayapura on July 3.<\/p>\n
People had reportedly hoisted the outlawed Free Papua Movement
\nflags in some parts of the province in a glaring show of defiance
\nagainst the government.<\/p>\n
The Biak shooting stirred up further controversy in the past
\nfew days following the discovery of several decomposed bodies
\nfloating in the sea, suspected by locals and some church
\nofficials to be execution victims.<\/p>\n
However, the local government and police officials have denied
\nthe suspicions in the local press, saying the bodies were victims
\nof the July 17 tidal wave disaster that hit Papua New Guinea.<\/p>\n
The border of Papua New Guinea is 600 kilometers away from
\nBiak.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, a church source in Biak suggested the government
\nshould allow the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC)
\nto launch its own investigation in the province to halt the
\ncontroversy.<\/p>\n
\"It's (the controversy) because local government institutions
\nlack credibility,\" the source said by phone from Biak.<\/p>\n
The ICRC has never received permission from the government to
\nenter the province, but no exact reason has been given for the
\nrefusal. (aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/churches-back-calls-for-irian-jaya-independence-1447893297",
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