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West Papua Declares
Independence
By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press Writer
Sunday June 4 7:50 AM ET
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (AP): After 37 years of repressive
rule, a landmark congress of West Papua activists
defied a warning from Indonesia's government and
publicly declared independence Sunday.
In a statement hammered out during an extra day
of the weeklong congress, the 501 delegates unanimously
called on the world to recognize West Papua's rights
as a sovereign state and claimed that the half-island
territory on the western side of New Guinea island
was never legally integrated into Indonesia.
The southeast Asian nation annexed West Papua, also
known as Irian Jaya, in 1963, a process formalized
by the United Nations in 1969 following a vote by
community leaders. Independence activists now say
that the process was a sham and should be overturned.
"We have passed a resolution stating our independence
from Indonesia. We have been independent since 1961,
when the Dutch left,'' congress organizer Willy
Mandoen said in a phone interview.
" The United Nations must now review the political
status of West Papua.''
He said the congress also called on the Netherlands,
Indonesia and the United States to recognize West
Papua's independence. The United States, led by
former President John Kennedy, pressured the Netherlands
to hand over its former colonial territory to Indonesia
in the early 1960s.
Free Papua Movement rebels have been battling Indonesian
rule ever since. Until last year, Indonesia's army
controlled the resource-rich province with an iron
hand, and torture and murder were reportedly common.
Many of West Papua's people still live a near-Stone
Age existence in the mountainous interior. The tribesmen
traditionally use poison arrows and spears in their
conflicts.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has said
he will reject any calls for secession. Wahid, who
came to power as a democratic reformer last October,
has criticized the congress as not truly representing
West Papua's 2 million people.
On Sunday, Indonesia's parliamentary speaker Akbar
Tanjung called on Wahid and the armed forces commander
``to take firm measures to ensure the unity of the
Republic of Indonesia``, the official Antara news
agency reported.
While flouting Wahid's warning, the congress does
not want the secessionist movement to descend again
into violence, Mandoen said.
"We want to proceed peacefully,'' he said.
"I hope Indonesia's government will be willing
to meet for a political dialogue.''
Mandoen said more than 20,000 people in and around
the congress cheered and clapped when the resolution
was passed.
But hundreds in the capital of Jayapura, 2,000 miles
east of Jakarta, had already begun to flee, expecting
an outbreak of violence. Most of those to go are
reportedly Indonesians from other parts of this
vast archipelago who had moved to West Papua in
search of a better life.
The call for independence in West Papua is the latest
challenge to Indonesia's national unity as the country
struggles to redefine itself after three rdecades
of authoritarian ule under ex-President Suharto.
Wahid has provinces greater powers of autonomy.
But he has repeatedly stressed that he will not
allow the breakup of Indonesia, a huge archipelago
grappling with massive social and economic problems.
**********
Jakarta Post.com -
Editorial and Opinion - June 05, 2000
Papuan aspirations
The chorus for independence during the week-long
Papuan Congress which wound up in Jayapura on Sunday
sent the loudest and clearest message to date about
the extent to which many people in the region, which
is still officially called Irian Jaya, feel about
their place in the republic.
Before the congress, the aspirations for a separate
West Papua state had been dismissed by Jakarta as
small and sporadic at best. The Free Papua Organization
(OPM), for example, is actually shorthand for several
armed rebel groups, scattered in jungles across
the expansive territory. They have no link to one
another and the only thing they have in common is
their goal. Dealing with low level insurgency has,
therefore, been relatively easy for the Jakarta
government and the Indonesian Military.
The Papuan Congress has changed all that. For the
first time, a wider cross section of the West Papuan
people, including the urban intelligentsia, has
presented a united front in calling for secession
from Indonesia. The congress articulated their demand
by first "correcting" the history of the territory's
incorporation into the Republic of Indonesia in
the 1960s, and then reviewing the unhappy experience
of being ruled by Jakarta, including the endless
human rights abuses by the military. When presented
in such a way, naturally they came to the conclusion
that they no longer wanted to be part of Indonesia.
From now on, Jakarta can expect a more coherent
and organized movement for independence from West
Papua.
Judging by the reactions in Jakarta, however, the
message from the congress has not fully registered
with top government officials. President Abdurrahman
Wahid believes that the aspirations came from a
minority of the Papuans, while Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, during her visit there last month,
said the majority of Papuans only wanted more prosperity
and justice without leaving the republic. House
of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung, meanwhile,
has called on the government and the military to
deal harshly with the proindependence Papuans, ignoring
the fact that the military has been the biggest
part of the problem all along. A military option,
therefore, is clearly not the answer.
How long is Jakarta going to stay aloof and maintain
this denial mode, which clearly will not solve anything
at all? The Papuan Congress was real and the aspirations
echoed there were also real. In the absence of a
referendum -- something that Jakarta is not likely
going to allow to take place in any case -- it is
difficult to gauge the extent to which these independence
aspirations reflect the will of the people. But
the congress showed that these aspirations are significantly
large enough for Jakarta to start taking them seriously.
The West Papuans have President Abdurrahman to thank,
because consistent with his own democratic principles,
he has let them voice their aspirations in the open,
something which they had not been able to do previously.
But what good is letting these independence aspirations
come out in the open if they cannot be channeled
through the existing political system?
Since all political parties in Indonesia by law
must be based in Jakarta and must support the unitary
state of Indonesia, these independence aspirations
will never be taken up by any of the political parties.
Not finding any accommodation, their aspirations
will look for outlets outside the system. Therefore,
we cannot rule out the use of force. We have seen
this happen in East Timor, Aceh and to a lesser
extent in Irian Jaya.
For better or worse, the Papuan Congress is a rude
wake-up call for Jakarta to rethink its approach
toward the regions, and toward the aspirations that
exist there, not just in Irian Jaya, but also Aceh
and all the other provinces. At the core of this
problem is the concept of the unitary state itself,
which is so rigid that it allows no room for regional
aspirations.
If the Abdurrahman administration is consistent
with its own democratic principles, then it should
go the full distance and provide legitimate channels
for these regional aspirations within the system.
Let them form their regional parties, and let them
fight whatever cause they pick -- be it independence,
autonomy, special status or whatever -- at the ballots
against the national parties. Even if they eventually
prevail, at least they will leave the republic in
an honorable and peaceful manner.
**********
Jakarta Post - June
5, 2000 - National News
Government 'to get tough with Papuans'
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid and Indonesian
Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. have pledged
to take stern measures against the Irianese for
declaring independence, House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on Sunday.
Speaking during a visit to Pangkalpinang, South
Sumatra, Akbar said the House would support every
means sought by the government to maintain the state's
unity, Antara reported.
"I have phoned Gus Dur and asked him not to hesitate
in taking strict action to keep the country's territorial
integrity," Akbar said referring to Abdurrahman's
popular nickname.
Akbar said the President as the head of state is
mandated to uphold the 1945 Constitution and to
defend the unitary state of Indonesia.
"If the independence demand remains a discourse,
it's okay. But if it is followed by action, the
TNI chief will take stern measures," Akbar said.
Akbar said Abdurrahman had spoken to the American,
Dutch, British and Australian ambassadors about
the government's commitment to maintaining Indonesia's
territorial unity.
Akbar blamed the government's failure to quickly
address the growing disappointment among people
in the easternmost province for the growing independence
demand.
Constitutional law expert from Bandung-based Padjadjaran
University Sri Sumantri labeled the independence
declaration a separatist movement.
TNI is entitled to take action against it, he said.
"The integration of Irian into Indonesia in 1963
is acknowledged by the United Nations, so don't
be afraid about the government not obtaining international
support," he said.
He quickly added that the secession mood had escalated
due to Jakarta's exploitation of the province's
natural resources without improving the social welfare
of the Irianese people.
He said the government should take the independence
demand in Irian Jaya as a costly lesson to avoid
similar mistakes in the future.
Politicians were unperturbed by the news from Jayapura,
describing it as a mere political maneuver to gain
greater government consideration over the province's
fate.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post over the weekend, legislator
Effendy Choiri of the National Awakening Party (PKB)
and Burhan Djabir Magenda of the Golkar Party expressed
guarded confidence that the concluded congress was
a passing phenomenon that would not lead to actual
separation.
"This (the declaration) was a maneuver to gain more
serious attention from the central government,"
Effendy said.
He said the declaration did not represent the real
wishes of the Papuan people, because, although they
asked for freedom, they also asked the central government
for various things.
"They said they wanted freedom, but they also urged
the central government to deal with problems in
the region, in line with their demands," he remarked.
"I bet they are quite concerned about the reality
that the international community would not recognize
West Papua nor agree to the presence of an international
contingent, which might infringe upon the territorial
integrity of Indonesia," he said.
Burhan said Irian Jaya shared no similarities with
East Timor and its separatists were even less dangerous
than those in Aceh.
"The Papuan separatist movement is very small and
we (Indonesia) have international support," he remarked.
"If we can handle the separatist movement in Aceh,
this should be more easy to cope with, because,
physically, they are not a threat."
He said that the fact remained that the international
community recognized the territory as an Indonesian
province.
Political observer and columnist Soedjati Jiwandono
however said Papuans had a right to choose independence
if they wished.
"Unity is something that you cannot force and everybody
should have the right to determine what they want,
including the right to be free," Soedjati said.
He said ultimately unity should bring prosperity
to the people, and thus it might be better if Indonesia
split into three or four prosperous countries, rather
than forcing a single unity that is not thriving
and costing the people even more.
To solve these problems, the government should first
establish a mechanism similar to a self-determination
ballot and provide choices for the Papuans.
"We should stop offering them regional autonomy,
but give them a real choice to be free," he added.
(25/bby/dja/jun)
**********
BBC World News - Asia-Pacific
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_776000/776911.stm
Activists in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya
have declared the region independent, ending what
they say is 37 years of oppressive rule.
At the end of a week-long conference in the capital,
Jayapura, more than 2,500 delegates representing
250 tribal groups called on the world to recognise
West Papua - as they term the region - as a sovereign
state.
Gold and copper-rich West Papua was annexed in 1963
by Indonesia and renamed Irian Jaya, a process formalised
by the United Nations six years later.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has said
he will reject any calls for secession by Irian
Jaya and riot squads have been deployed in the capital.
Leaders of the congress have been charged with opening
negotiations with the government in Jakarta as well
as with the United Nations, the former colonial
power, Holland, and the United States.
Separatist pressure in Irian Jaya and Aceh has been
one of the biggest challenges facing Mr Wahid since
he became Indonesia's first democratically elected
president in October last year.
East Timor's break from Jakarta's rule last year,
after an independence ballot which sparked a bloody
backlash from pro-Jakarta militias and the Indonesian
security forces, has fanned the separatist pressure.
'Sham vote'
But the Irian Jaya activists said that a 1969 UN-run
vote in favour of joining Indonesia was a sham and
that West Papua has been independent since 1961
when the former colonial ruler, the Netherlands,
handed over the territory to Jakarta.
Pro-independence leader Theys Eluay said West Papua
would aim to seek independence through negotiation
and peaceful means. The remote province includes
one of the world's largest copper and gold mines,
the Grasberg mine in which US-based Freeport McMoRan
Copper & Gold has a majority stake.
But many of its people remain poor, and separatist
leaders say Jakarta has plundered its resources
with little given in return.
Like Aceh province in Sumatra, Irian Jaya has long
had a low-level guerrilla movement against Jakarta
rule.
A truce with rebels in Aceh, aimed at ending violence
there, came into effect on Friday and there have
been no reports of major unrest in the province
since then.
**********
Sunday, June 4 12:08
AM SGT
West Papua is not part of Indonesia: people's congress
JAYAPURA, Indonesia, June 3 (AFP)
Some 3,000 delegates at a landmark conference
here on the future of Irian Jaya on Saturday enthusiastically
adopted a political statement affirming their independence
from Indonesia.
"West Papua is not a part of Indonesia," the final
point of the five-point statement of the political
affairs committee of the Papuan Peoples' Congress
said.
The declaration constitutes a challenge to the Indonesian
authorities, who have pledged never to surrender
the province of Irian Jaya, the name they gave the
western half of the island of New Guinea which they
formally incorporated in 1969.
The eastern half of the island had several colonial
masters before gaining full independence in 1975
as Papua New Guinea.
The statement represents, according to sources close
to the organizers, the basis of a final declaration
expected to be debated and adopted at the closing
session on Sunday.
The congress, which opened in a sports complex here
in the provincial capital, Jayapura, on Monday,
was to have closed Saturday, but was extended 24
hours to allow more dialogue and debate, organizers
said.
Read to the wild cheers of the delegates -- dressed
in anything from business suits and ties to feathered
head-dresses and penis gourds -- the statement gives
a "complete mandate" to the 31-man congress presidium
to adopt a strategy to discuss independence in international
forums to restore the "rights of the Papuan people."
It said West Papua, whose "political status must
be reviewed," has enjoyed de facto independence
since December 1, 1961. The arrival of Jakarta's
troops the following year and the region's formal
incorporation into Indonesia in 1969 must be reviewed,
it added.
Formerly Dutch New Guinea, Irian Jaya had expected
independence within a decade but then-Indonesian
president Sukarno argued that as a colony it should
join Indonesia, which gained its own independence
from the Dutch after World War II.
The United Nations approved Irian Jaya's incorporation
into Indonesia in 1969 after a UN-organized act
of free choice which Papuans say was flawed.
"All we want is to get Jakarta to the negotiating
table," Willy Mandowen, the congress' moderator,
told AFP in response to a question on whether they
were provoking Jakarta.
The congress in fact took shape following an offer
for a dialogue extended by former president Yusuf
Habibie last February, but this week Indonesia's
leaders have been alarmed by the way the meeting
was unfolding.
Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab earlier this week slammed
the congress as "illegitimate," saying it was not
representative of the people of Irian Jaya.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has also
said Irian Jaya will never be authorized to separate
from his country.
Indonesian riot police in full riot gear, who were
seen for the first time Saturday morning patrolling
the city in four trucks, were nowhere to be seen
after the political declaration was adopted, an
AFP reporter said.
This immense province, located more than 2,500 kilometres
from the capital, is home to some 2.5 million people,
a quarter of whom have come to the resource-rich
land from other Indonesian islands.
Before the conference closed, a surprise decision
was taken to elect independence advocate Theys Eluay
as the president of the congress presidium "in the
name of national unity and of our struggle."
Jakarta considers Eluay, the leader and traditional
chief of an major ethnic people in the Jayapura
region, an "extremist."
Tom Beanal, the leader of the Amungmen from the
northern Timika region, accepted the vice-presidency,
he said, to "safeguard the unity of the people and
to fight for independence."
Beanal is probably the best known local leader outside
Indonesia for his struggle since the late 1980s
to protect the region's environment and the rights
of indigenous peoples against mining company Freeport
McMoran Copper and Gold.
The US firm has a giant copper and gold mine near
Timika considered one of the richest in the world.
From AWPA - Australia West Papua Association
**********
Jakarta Post 4/6/00
Draft political resolution adopted at Papuan Congress
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): The Papuan Congress has
officially adopted a draft political resolution
that affirms the province's determination to separate
from Indonesia.
The five-point statement, approved by the congress'
political affairs committe on Saturday, states that
West Papua has been an independent state since Dec.1,
1961, when Irian Jaya separatist leaders declared
the territory's independence from the Netherlands.
"West Papua is not a part of Indonesia," the statement
said. The independence declaration is expected to
be formally proclaimed by the congress presidium
on Sunday. The six-day congress was initially scheduled
to be closed on Saturday but participants agreed
to extend it till Sunday to enable more of the 2,700
participants to make a statement.
The 31-member Papuan Presidium Council has also
been tasked to seek recognition from the international
community for West Papua's statehood. The congress
is also expected to endorse Theys H. Eluay as chairman
and Amungme tribal leader Tom Beanal as vice chairman
of the presidium when it ends on Sunday.
In March, Irian Jaya police officially named Theys
along with eight local leaders as suspects for plotting
against the state. Tom, who is also a commissioner
of giant copper and gold mining company PT Freeport
Indonesia, was also called as a witness in the case
but not a suspect.
However, at the time, he refused to be questioned
by police. "This declaration does not mean Papua
is separating from Indonesia because legally, and
according to our history, Papua never became part
of Indonesia," Theys said in his speech, which was
received with huge applause.
"Papuan people are different from Indonesians,"
Theys asserted. But Theys affirmed that Papuans
would stick to dialogs and other peaceful means
to achieve their independence goal.
Ambassador
To facilitate efforts to gain international recognition,
the congress agreed to appoint a special ambassador-at-large
to conduct a worldwide campaign. Spokesman for Papuan
natives from Europe, Victor Kaisiepo, said his delegation
would convey the results of the congress to international
bodies and countries. The congress plenary session
also officially chose Papua as the name of the state.
It also adopted My Land Papua as its national anthem,
and the Mambruk bird as its state symbol. Its official
currency will be called the New Guinea golden. "The
Morning Star flag will rise forever in our motherland,"
shouted Thaha Alhamid, moderator of the plenary
session.
The congress in its final declaration also assured
the rights of the minority and nonindigenous people
and vowed to protect the activities of various enterprises,
but would require them to pay taxes to finance the
struggle of the Papuan people.
Meanwhile, donning their traditional costumes and
carrying spears and arrows, hundreds of Irianese
from remote areas, mostly from the Dani tribe, arrived
in Jayapura on Saturday to celebrate the congress.
Their arrival sparked some concern among non-Irianese
residents in the city. Many residents fled their
homes and took refuge at a nearby military base.
Hundreds of police officers patrolled strategic
places in the city but kept their distance from
the congress venue, the Cendrawasih Sports Hall.
Irian Jaya Police Chief Brig. Gen. S.Y. Wenas expressed
his confidence that the congress task force itself
would be able to maintain security over the congress.
"The situation is relatively conducive here," Wenas
said.
President Abdurrahman Wahid has warned that the
government will not hesitate to take harsh action
if the people in the province take concrete measures
to realize their independence aspiration. In 1963,
then president Sukarno led Indonesia's fight to
regain the mineral-rich territory from the Netherlands.
It was officially integrated into Indonesia after
a UN-sponsored plebiscite in 1969. Abdurrahman has
assigned Sukarno's daughter Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri to lead efforts in taming the rebellious
province. Megawati described social and welfare
problems as the root of separatist movements.
On Saturday during a visit to Tomohon, North Sulawesi,
the president expressed confidence that a majority
of people in Irian Jaya still wanted to remain with
Indonesia, while only a small number, those represented
in the congress, desired an independent state. Separately
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
called on the government to remain alert towards
the growing aspirations of independence in the province.
"We should remain alert, Irian Jaya could separate
like East Timor," he said during a visit to Pangkal
Pinang, South Sumatra. "We can not tolerate a part
of the unitary state to separate".
Fwd by Icra International Belgium - Indonesian commission
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