3,000 Irian representatives meet to 'rectify' history
By Neles Tebay
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): More than 2,000 people from all corners of Irian Jaya arrived here this weekend ahead of Monday's opening of the six-day Papuan Congress to discuss the future of the natural resource-rich province.
While some participants say they hope to hold a dialogue regarding the possibility of declaring a separate state, the organizers toned the theme down by saying that the chief agenda would be to discuss the history of West Papua and how it became a part of Indonesia.
Although officially the province is still called Irian Jaya, most people here, certainly congress participants, refer to their homeland as West Papua.
President Abdurrahman Wahid, who has already endorsed the name change, had planned to inaugurate the congress but changed his mind at the last minute following criticism in Jakarta that his presence would amount to an endorsement of the separatist cause.
Agus Alua, chairman of the congress' organizing committee, said on Sunday that the meeting would focus on reviewing and rectifying the history of West Papua's integration into the Republic of Indonesia in 1963.
"By reviewing and discussing the history, Papuans can learn the real story behind the integration," Agus said.
"The young Papuan generation will learn the history of West Papua from the perspective of West Papuans," he said.
Many West Papuan leaders have disputed the internationally- recognized integration of their territory with Indonesia in 1963, saying that they were never properly consulted.
They claimed that at the time West Papua had already secured independence from the Netherlands, but this was snatched from them by Jakarta.
Agus said the congress is a continuation of the first West Papuan congress of 1961 which decided on the name West Papua for the country, Hai Tanahku Papua (Oh Papua My Land) as the national anthem, the Morning Star as the national flag and Niew Guinea golden as the nation's currency.
The congress will also discuss the fundamental rights of West Papuans and the injustices suffered by them, he said.
Irian Jaya is home to one of the world's largest gold mining operations.
The territory has also seen sporadic clashes between the military and the armed Free Papua Organization (OPM).
Preparations swung into full gear at the Cendrawasih Sports Hall, the venue of the congress, over the weekend.
Agus estimated the total bill for the congress at Rp 3 billion.
The money will be raised through donations, including Rp 1 billion given by President Abdurrahman and Rp 30 million from the Association of Indonesian Forestry Companies (APHI), he said.
Agus did not say whether the organizers met their objective.
"We don't think there will be any shortages," he said.
The organizing committee has opened a bank account at a local Bank BNI and the account number has been advertised through the local papers to solicit donations.
Participants from the 13 regencies raised the money locally to pay for their fares. Some of them were put up by their relatives or people from their hometowns in Jayapura, he said.
Most arrived by ship or plane.
He stated that Fakfak regency is sending 200 delegates, Sorong 500, Manokwari 500, Nabire 200, Paniai 100, Yapen Waropen 1,000, Puncak Jaya 300, Jayawijaya 500 and Mimika 150.
The Irian Jaya provincial administration is providing 12 buses to transport the participants locally, while the Jayapura branch of the Indonesian Sports Council, which manages the 5,000 capacity sports hall, has waived the rent.
A task force of some 10,000 people have been set up to help with the security arrangements in and around the venue.
Boy Eluay, head of the task force, said task force members have also been deployed in all the regency towns as a precaution against the possibility of certain parties trying to take advantage of the situation.
"We don't want provocateurs disrupting the congress," he said.
Irian Jaya Police Chief Brig. Gen. S.Y. Wenas said he is also deploying his forces for security reasons.
"We hope it will be peaceful," he said, appealing to West Papuans to remain vigilant against provocateurs.
The military is keeping its distance from the congress, Lt. Col. Wais Ningekeula, territorial assistant to the chief of the Trikora Military Command, said.
The Irian Jaya provincial administration has expressed support for the congress in spite of talk that the event will be turned into a show of force for the pro-independence supporters.
"The congress is a way for Papuans to express their feelings and aspirations. The local administration has no objection to that," acting governor Musiran said.