Puzzling government

Puzzling government

If I am not mistaken the government has shown, more or less,
its agreement the people of Irian Jaya to convene a Papuan
people's congress by giving a donation of Rp 1 billion to the
organizers and the promise that the president himself would
attend. A picture also appeared in Suara Karya on May 30, 2000
showing the vice president reading the name tag on the chest of
the commander in chief of the Papua Liberation Army, Gen.
Bernadus Mawen in the Merdeka Selatan Palace.

At that time the Papuan delegation already had expressed their
wish that the Republic should give back their freedom and
sovereignty which was proclaimed in 1961 by the Papuan people.
Their integration with the republic after a "referendum" in 1969
was just a conspiracy between the republic, the Dutch government,
the USA and the United Nations.

The recent action and attitude of the two most important
people of the republic is a puzzle and cannot be understood. The
president promised to attend the congress and they both know the
aim of the Papuan people. From that moment, they should declare
this congress illegal as expressed by the official of the
Functional Group (Golkar) Effendy Yusuf and a prominent member of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Prof
Dimyati Hartono and former Commander of the XVII Cendrawasih area
Maj. Gen. Samsudin.

I remember what the president said in an interview, broadcast
nationwide by TVRI. He said: "If people expressed their will to
be independent, let them do that, that is just talk. But if they
organize themselves, make up a time schedule of action and arm
themselves, then they must be arrested. The government is
serious".

Effendy Yusuf is of the opinion that what the Papua congress
aspired can already be classified as subversive action and the
government should act. If the government does not take firm
steps, it can be interpreted as silent approval, which might
create serious consequences for other "hot" areas. A political
observer from the USA also expressed that he is more concerned
about Papua than Aceh.

Surprisingly Gen. Bernadus Mawen voiced his opinion, which
sounds mature, that everything depends on the decision of the
People's Consultative Assembly. He did not mention what the
Papuan people will do if their demand is refused.

I hope that our top leaders will take measures to avoid
further problems and remain firm.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta