Jayapura, Jubi – The union of West Papua political forces is a significant variable to determine the future of Papua in Indonesia and in Pacific as well, researcher Cahyo Pamungkas from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences said .
Speaking at the national seminar held by the Indonesian Institute of Science in Jakarta last week, he said now it depends on the Indonesian Government to response the Papua political movement. Indonesia should not avoid talking to Papua Diaspora because they are representatives of indigenous Papuans whose aspirations and desires have not been listened to and recognized in the Indonesian history.
“Politically, they have been elected in Papua Peace Conference 2011 or appointed as negotiator representing the people of Papua. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and Indonesia are members of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). If Indonesia is still claiming to be MSG member, consequently it must recognize ULMWP and invite it for dialogue,” said Cahyo.
He also considered it is necessary to assess whether some members of Free Papua Movement which had been reportedly to be surrender are members of West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL), which is part of ULMWP or OPMs in question mark were established by certain parties.
“I think it needs a study whether it was real OPM that affiliated to OPM in the past. Additionally, accusing each violation in Papua is part of Diaspora political campaign is useless. Could no longer lie to the world what is happening in Papua. The ways to accuse without rational argument could not be accepted in the international world,” he said.
He said if Indonesia is still emphasizing the ‘military and racist approaches’ would harm its position in the political course in the international world. Indonesia should conduct dialogue and negotiation with West Papua Diaspora. “They are real aspirations of Papuans and leading the struggle of West Papuan people though they are in exile,” he said.
At the same place, the Indonesian legislator Tantowi Yahya warned the Indonesian Government to not discourage the Papua issues which is always becoming a warm discussion of Pacific countries that are members of MSG. MSG is not a cultural forum but a political forum. “The internationalization of Papua issues is something very worried. Not the result has seen. The countries whose interest to support Papua to be separated from the Republic of Indonesia,” he said.
At the same place, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Political, Legal and Defense Affairs for Domestic Political Affairs, Major General Yoedhi Swastono said ULMWP is the representative of Indonesian-Melanesian abroad while in the country the Indonesian Melanesian Community Brotherhood has been declared on 6 October 2015 in Ambon by five governors of Papua, Papua Barat, Maluku, North Maluku and East Nusa Tenggara.
“The Indonesian Melanesian Community Brotherhood is the cultural organization under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. So, it’s not true if said the Papua Diaspora abroad only representing the indigenous Papuans,” he said.
In general, it’s all about distrust of Papuans towards Jakarta and vice versa. “Jakarta doesn’t know how to create a grand design. It is said its key is dialogue. I agree with it,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
