Megawati lauds Papuans' loyalty vow to NKRI

Megawati lauds Papuans' loyalty vow to NKRI

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri welcomed members of the
separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) back to the fold of the
Unitary Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), a day after they
surrendered to the Papua Provincial Administration and pledged
full unwavering loyalty to the state government.

Speaking via teleconference with the Papuan Police Chief Insp.
Gen. Budi Utomo on Tuesday, the President congratulated the local
authorities for their role in the surrender.

"I welcome the return of our friends in Papua to the NKRI and
hopefully they will convert their colleagues (other independence
seekers) as well," Megawati said.

The teleconference was held in conjunction with the
celebration of the 57th anniversary of the National Police at the
police's Airbase in Pondok Cabe, South Jakarta, on Tuesday.

During the teleconference, Megawati emphasized that both she
and Vice President Hamzah Haz, who was also in attendance,
praised the decision by the group to surrender to the
authorities.

"Both me and pak Hamzah are glad about the decision and once
again ... congratulations," the President remarked.

During the teleconference, Budi was accompanied by several
former OPM members who had recently surrendered.

One of the men, Tadeus, said that he chose to join Indonesia
because he had lost interest in pursuing freedom.

"With all my faculties intact, I surrendered to the state," he
told the President.

He was one of 42 OPM members who officially surrendered to the
local authorities on Monday.

The group also handed over grenades, rifles, ammunition and
other military equipment to the police as a symbol that they were
truly giving up any hope of independence.

Earlier in the teleconference, Budi said that he would not
charge them with any legal offenses because they voluntarily gave
up their pursuit of freedom in order to be loyal subjects of the
state.

The unprecedented move of the independence fighters was quite
surprising as the government had not yet made any major decisions
about how to crack down on the freedom movement in Papua.

The government is still wavering over its decision to
implement special autonomy in the province due to some serious
hurdles. Many Papuans, including local legislators, are beginning
to pose tough questions to the central government about its
motives in the fund allocation. Most of the funds remain in
Jakarta despite a much greater proportion called for in the
autonomy law.

Aside from the budget problem, the Papuans are also at odds
with Jakarta over its decision to divide the province into three
different provinces, which is slated to go into effect as soon as
possible.