Jayapura, Jubi – Hundreds of Mama-mama Papua (Papua Mothers) traders and Solidarity of Indigenous Papuan Traders (SOLPAP) held a peaceful demonstration in Taman Imbi, Jayapura, Papua, on Monday (3/04/2017).
They demand for Papua Working Group (Pokja Papua) under Judith Dipodiputro who based in Jakarta, to leave out permanent market of Mama-mama Papua.
Mama-mama question the necessity of Papua Working Group. They said Pokja Papua is only want to dominate the market of Mama-mama indigenous traders. Even the Working Group will use the fourth floor of the newly built market building as their office.
Yuliana Douw, one of the Mama-mama Papua indigenous traders told Jubi that she rejects the existence of the Working Group and their programs.
“We do not want to. All these time Solpap, student’s activists and organizations, and many other activists who fight for us. There’s no Pokja, that is why it should be out of the market,” said Yuliana Douw.
She considered Pokja Papua is only want to use them to get projects from government and investors. “They only want to use us as project to make money. But for 15 years we have been fighting on the street to demand Papuan market development, and Pokja Papua is nothing to the struggle, “said Yuliana.
Pokja Papua intervention
Judith Dipodiputro has been famous among Mama-Mama Papua and Solpap for her stubborn intervention and effort in order to have connection with Mama-Mama Papua traders.
In December 2015 representatives of Mama-mama Papua went to Jakarta to demand the Ministry of State Owned Company (BUMN) to clear the bureaucracy to build the market without any help from Judith who considered herself work for BUMN Ministry.
In the end, through Mama-mama consistent struggle, President Joko Widodo through Precidential Staff Committee (KSP) cut the government bureaucracy down to build four stories building of Mama-mama Papua Market in Jayapura Papua.
But still, Judith role is quite mysterious, as well as Pokja Papua which is not an official body relate to the government but somehow have capacity to intervene.
Judith is considered an outside intervention, especially with the latest training program she held to Mama-mama Papua without coordination. “It’s arbitrarily intervention,” said Franki Warer, the protest action coordinator.
“We joined three days training organised by Judith of Pokja Papua, we were shown pictures of vegetables and stuffs. We were taught how to clean our body. We are not taught how to sell or how to manage. Mama-mama were asked to give signatures. They took us home by bus and gave us toiletries, ” said Yuliana.
Franki Warer said lot of programs planned and organised by Pokja Papua, “but those are not to accomodate what do Mama-mama Papua traders really need. And Pokja Papua up until now makes no coordination with Solpap and Mama-mama Papua.”
Cintya Warwe, another Solpap organiser in her speech during the protest action firmly stated that Pokja Papua has used Mama-mama Papua for their project. “They make proposal out of Mama-mama Papua to BUMN and other parties without our say. They live in a hotel here for two months to try to intervene us. They even want to use the fourth level of the market for their office. That’s why we refuse their presence. This market was a result of 15 years struggle with bloodshed, sweat, even lives,” said Cintya.
The protest action end with a statement read by the coordinator. In the statement they demand for Pokja Papua to back off, not to bring in commodities from outside which will affect local prices and the income of Mama-mama Papua. They also not allowed Pokja to use the fourth level of the newly built market.
“We have to sit together. Regional government, Solpap and Pokja Papua to find respectable solution,” said Frangki.(*)
Reporter : Arjuna Pedemme
Editor : Zely Ariane
