Comments: Debate on Papua's independence

Papuan independence from the Republic of Indonesia remains a hot topic among Papuans, with many still struggling for a separate state, a discussion heard Tuesday. The issue emerged again during a discussion in Merauke on a book entitled Integrasi Telah Selesai (Integration Is Complete) published by the Nusantara Study Center and edited by Agus E. Santoso and Yosep Rizal.

Those who advocate separation, the discussion heard, do not acknowledge the 1969 Pepera (Act of Free Choice) poll, which resulted in Papua being included in the Republic of Indonesia. Such separatists allege the petition procedure was riddled with violations and claim it was not conducted according to the New York Agreement of one man one vote, but used a representative system in which Papuans were only represented by 1,025 people.

Your comments:

Bung Karno (former president Sukarno), the great hero, freedom fighter and founding father of the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) made an important statement in the 1930s: "Freedom from colonization is the absolute basic rights of all nations".

This phrase was popular as the main motivation to fight and demand independence from colonial rulers, not only for Indonesians but the rest of Asia and African nations as well.

This created a burning spirit within our founding fathers to fight and they bravely proclaimed NKRI's independence on Aug. 17, 1945.

Then, the phrase was adopted as the very first words of the preamble to NKRI's Constitution (UUD 1945).

Bung Karno also said that a group of people were qualified to be called an independent nation if they had their own land, their own people and their own government.

Now, how about the Papuans?

Do the Papuans meet these qualifications as an independent nation?Papua has its own vast and very rich land. They have people with their own local dialect and they can very easily elect their own government. Besides which, Papuans are Polynesians, which are different in ethnicity and culture to most Indonesian people.

Do they meet the requirements of an independent nation?

Robby Kaware
Jakarta