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Weaving tapestry of hope for Papua
Human rights is not an easy topic of discussion, especially when the issue of past injustice continues to linger in collective memory in Papua. Yet, this is the very issue Indonesia has been trying to deal with constructively since the start of the Reform Era in the late 1990s.
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Hundreds of people march in Surabaya under the banner of the Papuan Students Alliance (AMP) to commemorate Dec. 1, the day they consider the West Papua Liberation Day. (JP/Sigit Pamungkas)
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s I took off from Sentani Airport in Jayapura last July 4, I was overwhelmed by the beautiful landscape seen from the plane window. It was such a magnificent view and I praised God for giving Indonesian people and the government a long chain of islands, stretching from Aceh’s Sabang in the west to Papua’s Merauke in the east.
I was also elated for an opportunity to meet with Papuan brothers and sisters during my two-day visit to Jayapura for a discussion on human rights with various stakeholders there.
Human rights is not an easy topic of discussion, especially when the issue of past injustice continues to linger in collective memory in Papua. Yet, this is the very issue Indonesia has been trying to deal with constructively since the start of the Reform Era in the late 1990s.
No country has unblemished human rights records. Then again, the Indonesian government has been seriously addressing some of the basic rights in Papua and West Papua provinces, such as the right to education, access to health and infrastructure. Moreover, as mandated by the Special Autonomy Law, elected officials from among Papuans are authorized to regulate and manage the interests of locals.
Having said that, the government was caught by surprise and has difficulty in grasping the unprecedented scale of recent unrest in some cities in West Papua and Papua, and cities outside Papua. The unrest was triggered by an isolated incident in Surabaya.
Upon learning that the symbol of the nation, the red-and-white flag was desecrated in front of a Papuan student dormitory in Surabaya, some individuals took the law into their own hands. In the process, they mocked their Papuan brothers and sisters with derogatory slurs.
Such behavior is unacceptable and has no place in Indonesia, where pluralism serves as the backbone of our nation. Every single person in Indonesia— regardless of their background, ethnicity and even creed — and in line with Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) as the national motto, must have their dignity respected.
