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.