Salossa bans 'Independence Day'
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua
The Papua provincial government has prohibited Papuans from celebrating Papuan Independence Day on Dec. 1, according to a circular made available to reporters on Monday.
The circular was signed by Papua governor J.P. Solossa, the chief of Trikora military command overseeing Papua province, Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal, Papua police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo and the acting head of Papua Prosecutor's Office, Arwo Hadi Sadjufri.
"Any attempts to celebrate the Independence Day of Papua will be dealt with sternly, in accordance with the law," Solossa warned, while reading out the circular.
Solossa did not go into details as to the legal recourse that would be taken against violators who celebrated Papuan Independence Day.
Papua province was incorporated in 1963 into Indonesian territory, and therefore, all Papuans are bound to Indonesian rules and regulations, said Solossa.
The governor made it clear that all Papuans were prohibited from flying Papua's Morning Star flag and from conducting any other activities to commemorate Independence Day.
"We are part of the unitary state of Indonesia, and we shall not conduct activities that go against the wishes of the Indonesian government, especially any activities that will lead to the creation of a state within state," he said.
He was certain that the Indonesian government would not let an inch of Papuan soil out of its control, and stiff sentences would be imposed on those trying to fight for an independent Papua.
In response to the call, spokesman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP) Rev. Herman Awom confirmed that the PDP would not hold any activities to mark Independence Day, as it had several years before.
Awom was concerned that if such activities were carried out it would be met with a backlash from the government, and could cause conflict in Papua that would only bring losses to innocent Papuans.
Papuan Independence Day has been celebrated in Papua since 1998, after the ouster of president Soeharto.
Last year, some 500 students celebrated the day by holding a protest in front of the house of the late Papuan separatist leader Theys Hiyo Eluay, who was murdered by Indonesian Military personnel in Nov. 2001.
Seven people were arrested during the protest on suspicion of attempting to incite violence and attack government offices.
Awom cautioned that, considering a possible backlash from the Indonesian government, Papuans should not openly fight for a free Papua for the time being. "Keep the spirit of freedom in your hearts," he said.
The call by Awom is timely, as Trikora military commander Nurdin Zainal recently ordered his troops to remain vigilant and to beef up security in the province before, during and after Papuan Independence Day, in order to prevent conflicts from arising in the troubled province.
The alert was necessary, he said, because Dec. 1 was often used as an opportunity to fuel the separatist movement.
Since 1963, the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) had waged an armed revolt in the province for an independent Papua.