DPR dismisses idea of independent Irian Jaya
DPR dismisses idea of independent Irian Jaya
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): A House of Representatives
delegation said here on Saturday no foreign country would
recognize an independent Irian Jaya.
"Leaders of the foreign countries President Abdurrahman Wahid
visited recently threw their weight behind Indonesia in
dismissing independence demands here," House legislator Astrid
Susanto told local government officials on Saturday.
"This sort of demand is against international law".
The delegation includes members of House Commission I for
defense and military and Commission II for law and home affairs.
They are on a three-day, fact-finding visit to the country's
easternmost province following intensifying calls for
independence in the territory.
Separatist activity peaked when Irianese in several regencies
raised the West Papua Morning Star flag on Dec. 1, defying the
warnings of local administrations and security authorities.
Jayapura prosecutors are demanding five people arrested for
raising the separatist flag be sentenced to between 10 months and
one year imprisonment.
A delegation from the Irian Jaya provincial legislature met
with leaders of the House and the People's Consultative Assembly
in Jakarta last week to demand independence for the territory.
They called for international mediation under the auspices of
the United Nations to solve problems in Irian Jaya and for the
name of the province to be changed to West Papua. They also
demanded an investigation into human rights violations committed
in the province.
Astrid, from the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB)
faction, said the international community did not want to see a
partitioning in Indonesia for fear it would pose a threat to
regional stability.
President Abdurrahman in his first month in office has visited
over a dozen countries and received both written and verbal
support for the maintenance of Indonesia's territorial integrity.
He claimed that his extended trips abroad was part of an
effort to show provinces who wanted to break free that they would
get the backing of the international community.
Irian Jaya Deputy Governor Abraham Octavianus Atururi said the
increasing demand in the province for separation from Indonesia
should be taken seriously by the central government.
He said a dialog involving the international community could
be helpful in solving problems in the province.
New name
The House delegation backed the Irianese demand that the
province be renamed West Papua and its capital Jayapura be called
Port Numbay.
"Any changes to the names are not consequential to us. We will
support it if the people want to change the names," said Yasril
Ananta Burhanudin, who chairs House Commission I.
Asked about past human rights abuses in Irian Jaya, Yasril
said the House would investigate the allegations.
"Human rights violations have become our focus and we will
recommend stern measures against whoever is guilty of them,
regardless of whether they are civilians or in the military," he
said.
In a related development, hundreds of students from the Forum
of Communication for Students from Central Mountainous Areas
staged a sit-in at the gubernatorial office. The students
demanded security personnel stop torturing civilians in Puncak
Jaya, Paniai, Jayawijaya and Mimika.
Protest leader Diaz Qwiyangge said the government should also
investigate the killing of civilians who participated in the
raising of the separatist flag on Dec. 1.
"We call on the governor, the military commander, the
provincial police chief and the speaker of the provincial
legislature to listen to our concerns about human rights
violations in the province," he said.
The demonstrators also demanded copper and gold mining company
PT Freeport Indonesia, which operates in Timika, be held
responsible for human rights violations near its area of
operations.
"The multinational company has indirectly helped security
personnel commit atrocities against civilians around its
operational site," said Diaz. (eba/rms)