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Global fight against racism: Papuan lives also matter
For Papuans who have been living within systemic racism and oppression for decades, Floyd’s death resonates deeply, showing they have brothers and sisters on the other side of the world enduring similar injustices.
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Marginalized: Wearing traditional headdress, Papuan human rights activists Dano Tabuni (right) and Ambrosius Mulait wait for the start of their trial at the Central Jakarta District Court. The two faced charges of treason for flying the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag during a rally outside the State Palace last August. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he death of George Floyd, an African-American who was brutally murdered by a policeman in an American city, is not an isolated incident but a sign of deeply entrenched and normalized outright racism.
Structural and institutionalized societies and systems that project whiteness as superior and dominant, while portraying blackness as the exact opposite, continue to build a racial boundary that resonates throughout the world.
The video of Floyd’s daylight murder, which went viral globally, shows the white officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck, ignoring his pleas that he could not breathe.
Floyd’s tragic death, which sparked widespread outrage and demonstrations despite the pandemic, has been deeply felt by the people of Papua who relate to Floyd’s killing, connected through a sense of common oppression and painful personal and collective memories.
One was the story of Obby Kogoya, a Papuan student who was dragged to the ground and continuously stepped on by Indonesian police in Yogyakarta on July 15, 2016, following student rallies commemorating the undemocratic 1969 referendum leading to Papua’s integration into Indonesia.
Obby’s body was dragged on asphalt, kicked and punched while one officer pushed his fingers into Obby’s nostrils. Another officer stepped on Obby’s head and continued stepping on his back too. He was an unarmed student posing no threat to the officers or the bystanders yet they treated him as if he was a common criminal. Obby survived but was sentenced to four months for resisting and assaulting two police officers, even though he was the victim.
For Papuans, both Floyd and Obby represent their own stories and struggles, similarly fighting for justice, dignity and respect. While Indonesians also took to social media platforms to support the “Black Lives Matter” campaign, Papuans perceive the case even more deeply. For Papuans who have been living within systemic racism and oppression for decades, Floyd’s death resonates deeply, showing they have brothers and sisters on the other side of the world enduring similar injustices.
