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ov. 24, p. 6

The call by Eni F. H. Faleomavaega and Donald M. Payne in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 18 on Indonesia to “Step up and end systematic abuses in ‘West Papua’” is another example of one those apparently eloquent opinion pieces, full of emotion but short on facts, produced by supporters of secession of the Indonesian part of the island of Papua.

Let’s try to deal with Faleomavaega’s and Payne’s arguments, where emotion and misinformation, either due to ignorance or as a deliberate move, have replaced the facts. (By Puguh Sadadi, London)

Your comments:

Since World War II, the modern ideal of freedom and liberty from colonialism has been the main theme throughout the world. Many polyglot nations have been broken down into their ethnic, religious or racial groups. This trend must extend to the Papuan people of West Irian.

The Papuans are anthropologically a different race. Indonesia is not the legitimate sovereign successor to this territory.

Furthermore, to compare the use of a flag by a freedom-seeking group to the symbol of a maniacal murderous regime like the Nazis is ludicrous and an insult even to the mentality of a halfwit.

Brad

The West Papua separatist supporters fail to see the reality of demographics. A large percentage of Papua’s population are the offspring of transmigrants nowadays. No matter what you think of them, many have made a living in Papua, many were born there and all of them have a right to stay there.

Any scenarios of Papuan independence will have to deal with a huge number of non-Papuans living in that country. So what to do then?

Mass deportation: A Malaysian-style bumiputera system for ethnic Papuans? Racial conflicts on the scale we’ve seen in Ambon?

Even if the Indonesian government would leave today, ethnic Papuans would still have a huge social and economic disadvantage compared to their transmigrant fellow countrymen.

Even after 10 years of Papuan independence, people would still be complaining about ‘Javanese domination’. Mark my words.

The time that an independent West Papua was feasible is over. So keep on dreaming and keep writing your commentaries from the safety of your home. The real Papuan heroes are the Papuans that try to achieve success and fortune within the framework of the Republic of Indonesia. Such as the talented Papuan soccer players who got Indonesia into the SEA games final.

Donny

So long as Indonesians continue to hold on to this harga mati of Indonesian territorial integrity, the problem will persist.

I’m not holding my breath because the Indonesian consensus around Papua was created largely through indoctrination under the auspices of two dictatorships. It will take generations to undo the
damage.

Dancy Andrews

The demand of West Papuans for a referendum is legitimate. Perhaps the referendum could be enlarged to the non-ethnic Papuans who were born in West Papua. This has to be discussed between their representatives and the West Papuan representatives. If West Papua chooses independence, those transmigrants who really love West Papua will stay. The others can go back to their kampungs in Indonesia if they want.

Filippo Giancarlo

Any Indonesian would know that Indonesia right now is different from Indonesia 13 years ago. Back then, I could not vote for anything other than Golkar.

Now, there are so many choices that sometimes I scratch my head.

Papuans are Indonesians, so you should mention them as Indonesians, not Papuans. As an Indonesian, I love our brothers and sisters there and there is nothing more that I would like to see but peace and prosperity there.

Antonius

Regretfully, people can be victims in the name of security even in developed countries like the UK.

Here is the news from The Guardian. “The Guardian obtained this footage of Ian Tomlinson at a G20 protest in London, shortly before he died. It shows Tomlinson, who was not part of the demonstration, being assaulted from behind and pushed to the ground by a baton–wielding police officer in riot gear.”

Mario

It is inappropriate to compare the Nazi flag with the Papuan Morning Star flag. The Nazis were perpetrators of genocide, while the Papuans are victims of genocide. Over the last 4,000 years ethnic Papuans have gradually been wiped out from Western Indonesia and confined to a “last refuge” in Papua.

The author’s criticism of Indonesia’s “media and public relations” is also incongruous. An especially egregious feature of Indonesian PR on Papua, as previously in East Timor, is the denial by diplomats of the gravity of abuse, thus demeaning the dignity of victims, prolonging impunity and giving cover for torture and murder.

John Hargreaves

Antonius, never, ever assume that all Indonesians share your viewpoint.

I do not believe that the indigenous people of Papua are Indonesians — they are not Indonesians.

Furthermore, how many people from Papua do you know who regard themselves as Indonesian?

Job