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New banknote to feature image of Papuan hero
Frans Kaisiepo - Biografi pahlawan
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Frans Kaisiepo - Biografi pahlawan.com
For the first time since Papua and West Papua provinces (then collectively called Irian Jaya) became an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia in 1963, a picture of a hero from the country’s easternmost region will soon grace banknotes issued by Bank Indonesia.
“The image of Papuan hero Frans Kaisiepo has been set as the main image on the front of the Rp 10,000 [75 US cents] bill and this is the first time the face of a hero from Papua will be the main image of a rupiah banknote,” the head of BI’s Papua office, Joko Supratikto, said in provincial capital Jayapura on Thursday.
The announcement was made to coincide with National Heroes Day, which falls on Nov. 10.
He added that pictures of 12 national heroes had been chosen to be the main images of new rupiah banknotes and coins. “BI will issue seven rupiah bills and four coins,” he said.
The process leading to the decision to use the picture of Frans Kaisiepo on the Rp 10,000 banknote, according to Ricardo, took about six months.
“It took time because we also sought consent from his heirs, but they eventually gave their consent and he became the main image,” said Joko.
Joko said 147 pictures of national heroes had been proposed by all BI representative offices in Indonesia. Only 12 of the heroes images were selected, including Kaisiepo, who was chosen to represent Papua and West Papua.
In addition to Kaisiepo, Papua and West Papua BI representative offices previously proposed three other heroes from the region, namely Marthen Indey, Silas Papare and Johannas Abraham Dimara.
Born in Biak in 1921, Frans died in 1963. He was the first Papuan to become the governor of Papua, or Irian Jaya, from 1964 to 1973. “During his leadership, Irian Jaya organized the controversial referendum, called Pepera [Act of Free Choice] in 1969,” said Joko.
“Heroes from Papua are not widely known in Indonesia, so using a picture of Frans Kaisiepo as a main banknote image is also aimed at introducing a Papuan hero to all Indonesians,” he added.
A son of Korinus Krey, an Indonesian freedom fighter from Biak, Papua, Max Krey, said Kaisiepo’s banknote image made Papuans feel proud and valued as part of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
“Pak Frans Kaisiepo deserves the accolade as he was the first Papuan governor and Papuans feel their presence in NKRI being appreciated,” Krey told The Jakarta Post.
According to Krey, such state recognition of the people of Papua would strengthen their patriotism and sense of national unity.
The Frans Kaisiepo Airport on Biak Island in Papua is also named after the hero.
Jayapura resident Lina Umasugi said she was proud and happy with the picture of Kaisiepo on the Rp 10,000 bill because people were not familiar with the national hero from Papua.
“I myself was born in Jayapura, but I’m not that familiar with the face of Pak Frans Kaisiepo, so with his image on the banknote, we can look at his face every time and he will become more widely known in Indonesia,” said Lina.
