Churches back calls for Irian Jaya independence

Churches back calls for Irian Jaya independence

JAKARTA (JP): A forum of church officials and community
leaders in Irian Jaya is urging the government to heed calls for
independence from the population of the easternmost province.

The forum said the aspiration had developed in Jakarta and in
the province, and materialized in the emergence of three groups
respectively calling for "an independent state", "an autonomous
state", and "a federal state".

"The forum, however, finds that the Irian Jaya people
basically want a chance to govern themselves (which means)
independence," said the Reconciliation Forum of the People of
Irian Jaya (Foreri) in a statement released to The Jakarta Post
Saturday.

The forum was established last July 24 by three main churches
in the province: the Christian Evangelical Church in Irian Jaya
(GKI), the Irian Jaya Diocese and the Christian Missionary
Alliance Indonesia (GKII).

Rev. Herman Saud of the GKI, Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar of the
Diocese and Benny Giay of the GKII were among those who signed
the statement.

Other signatories were community leaders Theis H. Eluay, Tom
Beanal, women leaders Selviana Sanggenafa and Yusan Yeblo and
university students Gerson Abrauw, Mario Korano and Martinus
Werimon.

Foreri advocated "a vast opportunity for Irian Jaya people to
openly and peacefully speak out" and suggested a poll to gauge
their aspirations and the reason for their demands.

Foreri's statement came several days after the Irianese
community in Jakarta headed by Yorrys Raweyai -- known for his
activities in the Golkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth group
-- demanded special autonomy for Irian Jaya.

Both Foreri and the Irianese community in the nation's capital
have accused the government of failing to bring prosperity in the
past 35 years to the province, which is three times larger than
Java with untold wealth of natural resources but a population
under two million people.

Both groups also cited human rights violations allegedly
committed by the military against the people of Papua -- as
Irianese would rather call themselves -- over the years.

Alleged rights violations in the spotlight include incidents
when the military opened fire on a group of proindependence
activists in Biak on July 6, and a student protest in capital
Jayapura on July 3.

People had reportedly hoisted the outlawed Free Papua Movement
flags in some parts of the province in a glaring show of defiance
against the government.

The Biak shooting stirred up further controversy in the past
few days following the discovery of several decomposed bodies
floating in the sea, suspected by locals and some church
officials to be execution victims.

However, the local government and police officials have denied
the suspicions in the local press, saying the bodies were victims
of the July 17 tidal wave disaster that hit Papua New Guinea.

The border of Papua New Guinea is 600 kilometers away from
Biak.

Yesterday, a church source in Biak suggested the government
should allow the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC)
to launch its own investigation in the province to halt the
controversy.

"It's (the controversy) because local government institutions
lack credibility," the source said by phone from Biak.

The ICRC has never received permission from the government to
enter the province, but no exact reason has been given for the
refusal. (aan)