Papuan council demands freedom for Irian Jaya

Papuan council demands freedom for Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Following the ouster of former
president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, the Papuan Presidium
Council announced on Tuesday the easternmost province Irian Jaya
wished to separate from Indonesia.

The council's deputy chairman, Tom Beanal, however, was quick
to note that the Irianese fight for independence had nothing to
do with the events surrounding Abdurrahman.

"The demand is purely the wish of the Papuans. It is the
Papuans who wants to be independent, not Gus Dur .... Whoever
leads Indonesia, we will continue the struggle to be free," he
said.

He made the statement while opening the Papuan Women's
Conference, which was attended by some 500 participants,
including representatives from European and Asian countries.

Abdurrahman repeatedly stated that if he was removed form
office a number of provinces, including Irian Jaya and Aceh,
would secede from the republic.

Tom said the integration of Irian Jaya into Indonesia was not
only the wrongdoing of the Indonesian government, but also of the
United Nations.

He said he would continue the struggle for independence
through peaceful dialog, not violence.

"The struggle for freedom does not have to be violent. Through
dialog, we will correct the history of the integration of Irian
Jaya into the republic. It has to be cleared up because the vote
in 1969 was full of deception," he said.

He was referring to 1969's UN-supervised Act of Free Choice,
which resulted in the territory joining Indonesia.

Five of the presidium council's leaders are currently on trial
at the Jayapura District Court for subversion. They are council
chairman Theys Hiyo Eluay, Don A.L. Flassy, Thaha Al Hamid, the
Reverend Herman Awom and John Mambor. (35/hdn)