Papuan Tribal Council steps up pressure on government

Papuan Tribal Council steps up pressure on government

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

United Nations and rudimentary SOS flags were unfurled during a
ceremony commemorating International Indigenous Day on Tuesday
morning in Jayapura.

The ceremony, which was tightly guarded by dozens of police
and Army personnel, came only weeks after U.S. congressmen
proposed a controversial bill on Papua. The bill sparked uproar
among Indonesian government officials as it questioned the
validity of the process leading up to the 1969 Act of Free Choice
in Papua, when selected Papuan leaders voted unanimously to join
Indonesia.

The ceremony, which was organized by the Papuan Tribal
Council, started off quietly but later drew attention after two
Papuan youths unfurled a United Nations flag and two other youths
unfurled a white flag bearing SOS.

They held both flags side by side before some 700 Papuan
youths attending the ceremony, held in front of the house of
Theys Hiyo Eluay, a Papuan leader who was murdered by Army
Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers four years ago.

"By standing here with the two flags, we aim to draw the UN's
attention in order to help us get justice. We have been treated
discriminately on our own soil," said Andi Manobi, a Papuan youth
leader.

The secretary-general of the Papuan Tribal Council, Leo
Imbiri, said that Papuans had always been treated unfairly but
Papuans would continue to struggle to bring an end to the
injustice. One such injustice, he said, was that development in
Papua was never discussed with the Papuan tribal community. Many
Papuans lost their lives after Papua was incorporated into
Indonesia in 1969. "The killers of those Papuans have to be
brought to justice. If they are not, Papuans will always question
whether we were we incorporated into Indonesian just to be
slaughtered?" said Leo.

Separately in Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met
29 Papuan leaders on Tuesday night at the State Palace to discuss
the latest developments in the easternmost province.

The leaders, including Papua Governor JP Salossa and Papua
provincial council speaker Jhon Ibo, went to the State Palace at
the invitation of the President.

All high-ranking government officials attended the meeting,
including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto
and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security
Affairs Widodo A.S. and chief of the State Intelligence Agency
(BIN).

In his welcome speech, the President said the meeting was
aimed at discussing solutions to Papuan problems, adding that all
problems had solutions. However, details of the meeting were not
available as it was declared a closed-door meeting after the
welcome speech.

The President had invited Salossa on Monday night to a meeting
at the State Palace and during the meeting the President told the
Papua governor not to let Papuans be provoked by the U.S. bill
questioning the legitimacy of the Act of Free Choice that
incorporated Papua into Indonesia territory.