No violence as Papuans attend May 1 prayer

No violence as Papuans attend May 1 prayer

JAYAPURA, IRIAN JAYA (JP): Thousands turned out to attend a
mass prayer commemorating "political rights violations in Papua"
here on Monday.

Before the prayer, thousands of indigenous Papuans, led by
local leader Theys Eluay, marched through Jayapura seven times in
remembrance of what they called the political rights violations
committed by the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands.

It was on May 1, 1963, that the Netherlands handed over Irian
Jaya to the Indonesia government under the auspices of the United
Nations.

No violence was reported during the rally, which was tightly
guarded by police and the Papua Task Force. Rumors had been
circulated that during the May 1 commemoration, Papuan leaders
would take over the administration of the country's easternmost
province from the government.

There were also rumors that nonindigenous people and migrants
would be forcefully expelled from the province.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Ingkiriwang said these
rumors had caused unrest among the people in Irian Jaya.
According to Ingkiriwang, Irian Jaya is the target of "invisible
hands" who want to create violence in the province.

And Theys Eluay said the rumors were spread by those who
wanted to create unrest. "We Papuans want to separate from
Indonesia peacefully."

Separately, dozens of Irian Jaya natives who reside in
Greater Jakarta staged demonstrations on Monday at the Hotel
Indonesia traffic circle and in front of the United Nations
building in Central Jakarta, to demand sovereignty over the
province.

They said Irian Jaya was victimized by an international plot
between Indonesia, the United States and its allies when the
province was handed over to Indonesia in 1963.

"Thousands of Papuans have been killed, raped and prosecuted
over the last 37 years, while we have never been given the chance
to determine our own future," said one demonstrator.

The demonstrators also accused the government of being
discriminative by investigating human rights violations in Aceh,
Lampung, Jakarta and Banyuangi, while taking no action to stop
ongoing abuses in Irian Jaya.

Meanwhile, Papuan figures and a political expert called on the
government to stop human rights violations in Irian Jaya and give
the province special autonomy to help ease tensions.

Morin, a Golkar Party legislator from Biak, said the
government should withdraw soldiers from rural and remote areas
of the province and enforce the law to create a feeling of safety
among locals.

"Most locals do not feel free to go about their daily
activities because of the presence of soldiers in their
villages," he said during a panel discussion here on Monday.

Two activists from Jayapura, Willem Saloki and Jimmy, said
they had lost confidence in the government and the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) because of their
failure to seek a comprehensive solution to the Papuan issue.

Ikrar Nusa, a political expert from the Indonesian Institute
of Sciences, warned the government against the increasing demand
for independence in Irian Jaya, saying separatist activities
involved not only the Free Papua Movement but also university
students. (eba/sur/rms)