Papuans promote interethnic marriages to preserve culture
Papuans promote interethnic marriages to preserve culture
Kanis Dursin, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The 150 or so people in the room suddenly burst into laughter
when one of the speakers conveyed what he said was an appeal from
Papuan girls.
"I would like to convey a message from Papuan girls. They want
all Papuan men to marry Papuan girls for the sake of posterity,"
middle-aged Protestant priest Karel Phil Erari said when
delivering his speech in a three-day meeting of Papuans in
Diaspora here.
The male-dominated audience, who had listened intently to his
speech burst into laughter, with some clapping their hands, while
others punched their fists into the air. Boys and girls seating
side by side looked at one another, giggling.
Fears of losing their Melanesian identity and of their ethnic
group disappearing permeated the first meeting of Papuans living
outside their province in Jakarta over the weekend. Some 150
Papuans attended the meeting that ended on Sunday.
Most participants claimed that they had been marginalized and
made insignificant by the central government politically,
economically, socially and culturally.
Leonard Imbiri, secretary-general of Dewan Adat Papua or the
Papuan Cultural Council, which facilitated the meeting, said
their fears went beyond the possibility of losing their cultural
identity.
"The fear is not limited to losing our cultural identity, but
also whether or not Papuans can survive as an ethnic group and
live in Papua," Leonard told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He said that spiraling bloody violence resulting in deaths of
Papuans, the unchecked spread of HIV/AIDS, the poor education
system and serious lack of health services had raised suspicions
among Papuans at large that there was an organized attempt at
ethnic cleansing or genocide.
The Post reported earlier that two tribes in Merauke, South
Papua had vanished due to HIV/AIDS. They allegedly got the virus
from prostitutes "offered" to Papuans in exchange for the
fragrant eaglewood locally known as kayu gaharu.
According to Karel, the government's total disregard of the
Papuan people's existence in any major decisions -- be they
political and economic -- have only exacerbated the fears among
Papuans.
Pointing to the government's decision to partition the
province, Karel asserted that the special autonomy status was a
dowry Jakarta had to pay in order to keep resource-rich Papua as
part of the country.
The Autonomy Law, introduced on Jan. 1, 2002, stipulates that
any move to split the province should gain the approval from the
yet to be established Papuan People's Council (MRP). Despite
opposition from Papuans, Jakarta decided to split the province.
Karel said the move further eroded Papuan people's fragile
trust in the central government.
During a discussion attended by sociologist La Ode Ida on
Saturday, participants also said they were also economically
marginalized despite the fact that the province was rich in
natural resources.
Papua, the country's easternmost province, is home to mining
company PT Freeport Indonesia and gas firm British Petroleum in
Tangguh.
La Ode Ida warned that the realization of being marginalized
may lead to social conflict and urged the government to approach
the Papuan elite -- religious and tribal leaders, professionals,
bureaucrats and business people -- to discuss the issue openly.