Handle Papua with care
Handle Papua with care
Sometimes people must be handled like glassware: with extreme
care and certainly not upside down. The people from Papua or
Irian Jaya, are extremely sensitive as they believe they have
received less than they deserve in the form of welfare in view of
the natural resources at their disposal, like gold and other
minerals.
A group of people from that province, including intellectuals
and tribal chiefs got together and declared themselves free from
the Republic of Indonesia. They even asserted, they have never
belonged to any part of Indonesia since 1961. It was under the
auspices of the United Nations that the former Dutch colony
joined the republic and adopted the Indonesian flag and language.
In recent years, however, their patriotic sentiments have
grown stronger, and like other provinces in turmoil, they now
demand an independent Papua with their own flag. They also have
urged for a referendum to be held in that province.
The movement is considered illegal and unconstitutional by the
central government in Jakarta and by the People's Consultative
Assembly, as such would endanger the unity of the republic.
Strong measures will be taken by the military if they continue to
press for independence.
It is unfortunate that President Abdurrahman Wahid once
indirectly lauded the initiative of the people of Papua to have
their own personality and develop their own culture, even their
own flag but not in the form of a free nation independent from
Indonesia.
It is unfortunate, indeed, that a confrontation with war-like
rhetoric is developing between the Papuan people's movement and
the central authorities, people are blaming Abdurrahman for the
situation.
Yet, there is no need for the central authorities to impress
the Papuans with saber-rattling. Many Papuans feel they are
unfairly treated, denied equal opportunities and feel the time
has come to rebel with or without foreign assistance. Lessons we
have learned from Aceh, former East Timor, and other provinces,
calls for self-restraint. Handle boiling water with care. Use
force only to beat dogs.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta