Government must recognize, address the Papuans need for democracy

Neles Tebay, Rome

It was the first time in the history of Papua that the Government of Indonesia recognized the Papuans' need for democracy (The Jakarta Post, July 30, 2004).This recognition is fundamental, not only for the Papuans, but also for the government and the international community.

However, before addressing the Papuans' need for democracy, the government, especially the working group on Papua at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, needs also to comprehend the Papuan understanding of democracy.

Here I would like to share a Papuan concept of democracy -- that lived by the people who belong to the Mee tribe in the central highlands of Papua -- as an example.

The majority of Mee people still cannot read and write. Being illiterate does not mean being ignorant of democracy, however.

The core essence of democracy in the Mee tribe is well expressed by two words, okaina mee, which literally means "he/she is also a human being". It implies that everybody, regardless of opinion, status, profession, gender, religion or citizenship is considered to be a human being, and therefore must be treated as a human being.

From this core grows four fundamental elements of democracy.

Since all human beings share the same human dignity, all are also equals. Equality, then, is the first element.

As human beings, everyone also acts in an egalitarian manner, which is the second element. One does not find in the culture of the Mee equivalent terms to Pak (Mr) or Bu (Mrs), as relationships among people are characterized by the concept of ani-aki or"I-you", rather than "I-it".

Social status, profession or gender do not determine one's human dignity. People many have different roles in the community, but this does not define their dignity as people.

Nobody is considered to be higher than the others in terms of human dignity.

For, "Only the Creator is the greatest" (Ugatame too ibo), while "We are all human beings" (Inii ke mee too), as they to say.

The third element is the value of participation. An activity involving all members of the community in a village is decided not only by one person, or a few members of the community. It is and must be discussed by all members of the community.

The opinions of women and children are also respected. The importance of listening to the opinions of women and children is well expressed in the local language by the saying "Yoka-yagamo kaa mana na yuwii", which literally means, "The voices of the women and children must be listened to and accepted".

The discussion of a commonplace activity or problem usually takes one or two days, for every opinion must be taken into consideration.

Any decision taken by community, then, is the decision of all, for all community members are involved in the process of decision-taking and decision-making. Here one can see just how essential is the value of participation.

The fourth element is the value of independence. In the Mee culture, it is believed that everybody is gifted by the Creator with the capacity to think, reflect and judge. These gifts are collectively referred to as the dimi (mind). Using these gifts, one can think, analyze and make judgments on things and events, and make personal decisions independently. One must be responsible for any consequences generated by the decision that has been made.

Thus, imposing one's will or interests upon others is not accepted as it goes against the other person's independence.

While one may propose something, or challenge another person to ponder an issue more deeply, the final decision will always be a personal decision made independently.

All part of Melanesian culture, the other Papuan tribes share the same concept of democracy, although its expression varies in accordance with their environmental and geographical contexts.

Thus, the concept of democracy in Papuan culture is grounded on respect for human dignity, and therefore contains the values of equality, egalitarianism, participation, dialogue and independence.

From the above description, it is also clear that democracy, for the Papuans, is not only the end of a process. It is also the way. A democratic society in Papua or in Indonesia can be developed only through the democratic way.

Democratic society cannot be created through military operations, intimidation, terror and other forms of oppression. All these are undemocratic and therefore demean human dignity.

That's why the Papuans cannot accept a military solution to the Papua issue, whatever its justification, because it attacks the very dignity of human beings.

In a military operation, the essential elements of cultural democracy such as equality, egalitarianism, participation and independence are intentionally destroyed.

For the Papuans, peaceful dialogue is the democratic way to settle problems and to create a democratic society.

In this light, it is clear why Papuans have been so insistently calling upon the Government of Indonesia to engage in a peaceful dialogue, through the mediation of a neutral, third party, to settle the Papua issue in a democratic way and to establish a democratic society. These calls are grounded on the cultural concept of democracy.

If the government already knows the Papuans' need for democracy, then the government should address this need by welcoming the Papuans' calls for peaceful dialogue.

Eventually, what kind of democracy is offered to the Papuans by the government, and how the government tackles the Papua issue will be very much determined by its understanding of democracy.

The writer is an Indonesian postgraduate student at the Pontifical University of Urbaniana in Rome.