Papua: A Zone of Peace<\/p>\n
Neles Tebay
\nPontifical University
\nof Urbaniana
\nRome<\/p>\n
On Dec. 1, the Papuans made two fundamental decisions,
\nnamely to declare Papua as a zone of peace and to claim Dec.1 as
\nthe Papua's Day of Peace. The declaration was publicly announced
\non that day in a speech by the deputy chairman of the Papuan
\nPresidium Council (DPD), Tom Beanal.<\/p>\n
The idea of establishing a zone of peace in Papua was
\ninitiated in February by the Papuan tribal chief council (Lembaga
\nMusyawarah Adat\/LMA) during their congress in the capital of
\nJayapura. In their closing statement, the LMA declared that "the
\nindigenous Papuans are committed to making Papua a territory
\nwhich is free from violence, oppression and grief."<\/p>\n
One can easily understand why the Papuans are committed to
\npeace just by looking at the history of Papua for the last 40
\nyears.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government has conducted various military
\noperations in Papua since 1963: Operasi Sadar, or Operation
\nConsciousness (1965-1967); Operasi Brathayudha (1967-1969);
\nOperasi Wibawa, or Operation Authority (1969); the military
\noperation in Jayawijaya district in 1977); Operasi Sapu Bersih I
\ndan II, or Operation Clean Sweep I and II (1981); Operasi Galang
\nI dan II, or Operation Reinforcement I and II (1982); Operasi
\nTumpas, or Operation Annihilation (1983-1984); Operasi Sapu
\nBersih, or Operation Clean Sweep (1985).<\/p>\n
Most of the victims of these operations were civilians.<\/p>\n
The security approach was implemented intensively when Papua
\nwas officially declared a military operation zone (DOM) until
\n1998.<\/p>\n
With the DOM policy, the whole territory was under military
\ncontrol, and some regions in Papua were even closed to the
\npublic. Papuans living in provincial regions were strictly
\ncontrolled by security forces, who closely monitored their
\nmovements, actions and words. When villagers wanted to visit
\ntheir families in other villages or go to a city, they were
\nrequired to obtain written permission for travel from the
\nmilitary or the police, to whom the also had to report upon their
\nreturn. Life, in their experience, was like living in prison.<\/p>\n
All Papuans were under suspicion of being either a member or
\nsupporter of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), and a Papuan could be
\nkilled easily anytime, anywhere, at no cost and for no reason.<\/p>\n
Indeed, thousands of Papuans were victims of extrajudicial
\nkillings, charged as being "separatists" and found guilty without
\nbeing tried in a court of law. Even today, this security approach
\nis still in operation.<\/p>\n
Due to such military operations, many Papuans have been
\nvictims of unlawful killings, intimidation, torture, arbitrary
\ndetention, rape and other forms of oppression.<\/p>\n
It is the desire of the Papuans to live with dignity on their
\nown land, where they would no longer be treated as separatists,
\nbut as human beings. The desire for peace has thus become the
\nmain obsession for Papuans, so they welcome any and all policies
\nor programs from any country or institution that would contribute
\nto establishing Papua as a zone of peace.<\/p>\n
This is also why the Papuans have rejected the presence of,
\nthe recently disbanded, Laskar Jihad -- whatever their motivation
\n-- and the establishment of an East Timor-type militia, called
\nSatgas Merah Putih (Red-and-White militias) in Papua.<\/p>\n
In the name of peace, the Papuans have demanded the Indonesian
\ngovernment to withdraw thousands of its combat troops, including
\nthe Army's Special Forces (Koppassus), deployed in the province.
\nThe Papuans have also been calling for a genuine dialogue with
\nthe Indonesian government to end the conflict peacefully.<\/p>\n
Papua's effort to create a zone of peace has the full support
\nof all of parties in the province.<\/p>\n
Up until now, the only institution which has rejected the idea
\nof a peaceful zone in Papua is the Indonesian military (TNI).<\/p>\n
According to an article by local daily Cenderawasih Pos in its
\nSept. 30 issue, Papua military commander Maj. Gen. Mahidin
\nSimbolon has said that the term "zone of peace" is used by those
\nwho want to secede from the Republic of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
According to Simbolon, who was in East Timor before it claimed
\nindependence from Indonesia, a zone of peace is an agreement made
\nin a conflict-torn region. In Papua, the conditions were not
\nrelevant, he insisted.<\/p>\n
"There is no conflict in Papua. Everything is going well and
\nsmoothly, so why is it necessary to create a zone of peace in
\nPapua when peace already prevails (there)?" Simbolon said.<\/p>\n
Establishing a zone of peace is not the sole responsibility of
\nPapuans and others who live in Papua, but demands an active
\nparticipation of all parties, including government and security
\nforces, both in Jakarta and in Papua.<\/p>\n
This is why a Papuan delegation -- consisting of religious
\nleaders, the Papuan tribal chief council, the provincial
\nlegislative council and NGOs -- led by John Ibo, chairperson of
\nthe Papuan provincial council, has called upon President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri to declare West Papua as a zone of peace.<\/p>\n
However, the central government has not responded to the
\nPapuan's call for peace.<\/p>\n
The central government must have the political will to support
\ncivil efforts to bring peace to Papua.<\/p>",
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