Papuan council demands freedom for Irian Jaya<\/p>\n
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Following the ouster of former
\npresident Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid, the Papuan Presidium
\nCouncil announced on Tuesday the easternmost province Irian Jaya
\nwished to separate from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The council's deputy chairman, Tom Beanal, however, was quick
\nto note that the Irianese fight for independence had nothing to
\ndo with the events surrounding Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
\"The demand is purely the wish of the Papuans. It is the
\nPapuans who wants to be independent, not Gus Dur .... Whoever
\nleads Indonesia, we will continue the struggle to be free,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He made the statement while opening the Papuan Women's
\nConference, which was attended by some 500 participants,
\nincluding representatives from European and Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman repeatedly stated that if he was removed form
\noffice a number of provinces, including Irian Jaya and Aceh,
\nwould secede from the republic.<\/p>\n
Tom said the integration of Irian Jaya into Indonesia was not
\nonly the wrongdoing of the Indonesian government, but also of the
\nUnited Nations.<\/p>\n
He said he would continue the struggle for independence
\nthrough peaceful dialog, not violence.<\/p>\n
\"The struggle for freedom does not have to be violent. Through
\ndialog, we will correct the history of the integration of Irian
\nJaya into the republic. It has to be cleared up because the vote
\nin 1969 was full of deception,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to 1969's UN-supervised Act of Free Choice,
\nwhich resulted in the territory joining Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Five of the presidium council's leaders are currently on trial
\nat the Jayapura District Court for subversion. They are council
\nchairman Theys Hiyo Eluay, Don A.L. Flassy, Thaha Al Hamid, the
\nReverend Herman Awom and John Mambor. (35\/hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/papuan-council-demands-freedom-for-irian-jaya-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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