Letter: Government attitude toward Papua
| Wed, 02/02/2011 10:22 AM
I refer to an article titled “What hope is there left for the betterment
of Papua?” (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 28, p. 6) by Vidhyandika D Perkasa
of Jakarta.
There is an ignorant attitude from the central government. Papuans are
not the governor, vice governor, and other provincial authorities.
Toward the end of 2010, President SBY and a number of ministers visited
Papua but their visit was worth nothing for Papuans.
They did not manage to have a meeting with the MRP, religious leaders,
Papua Customary Council (DAP), and NGOs in Papua. They also did not meet
the DPRP. SBY did not raise the hot issues of human rights abuses and
the failure of special autonomy at all with the governor.
It is no wonder that Papuans considered the visit an “expensive picnic”.
They came to see Jayapura and returned to Jakarta with the rest of
their pocket money. Papuans did not understand why such a big group had
no intention at all of talking with Papuans.
But, at last they understand through President SBY’s own statement a
week ago which implicitly means that each problem in Papua is “minor”.
Demand for dialogue with the central government is “minor”.
Handing back
Special Autonomy Law symbolically to the central government via the
Papua Local Legislative Council (DPRP) last year was also considered
“minor”.
International outcry for the release of Filep Karma is also “minor”.
Church leaders’ demand to talk with SBY may be considered “minor” as
well. Complaints and demos by the Marind ethnics in Merauke due to a
giant national food supply project is also “minor”. Cutting down all the
“sago palms” planted by God for the Marind people in Merauke and
replacing them with soybean, corn, etc was also “minor”.
Scientific
research on how to develop Papua by Muridan and friends from the
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) was also “minor”.
In short, everything is minor in the eyes of President SBY, his
ministers and military. Thus, if the central government authorities will
never change the way they see each problem in Papua they will never
embrace Papuans by working hand in hand to develop a better future for
Papua.
Izak Morin
Jayapura, Papua
