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Vigil finds people know little about Wamena incident
The authorities failed to anticipate the Papua-related incident especially since the first incident in August in Surabaya, East Java, which was not handled properly and led to a series of incidents that claimed lives.
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Residents reopen their businesses in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency, Papua on Sept. 26. Local people resumed activities after a deadly riot on Sept. 23 that claimed at least 33 lives. (Antara/Iwan Adisaputra)
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solemn atmosphere unfolded early Tuesday evening at Taman Aspirasi park near the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, when around 30 activists held a candlelight vigil, bringing black umbrellas and red and white roses.
The activists, from a forum called Indonesia’s Family for Wamena, organized the vigil in observance of those who were killed during the riot that broke out in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency, Papua.
In the middle of the event, when some activists dramatically gave their roses to some police officers and journalists after a short prayer, a Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officer approached The Jakarta Post and frantically asked, “What is this ritual for?” and after it was explained to him, he responded with confusion, “Wamena?”
The head-scratching officer's reply may simply represent how much the country's attention has split amid all the ongoing incidents, such as the forest and land fires, the Ambon earthquake and the mass protests against some controversial bills and the new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law, which many say will weaken the antigraft body.
Avianti Armand, one of the forum's initiators, said that with such massive problems and incidents occurring in some parts of the country, there was not enough initiative and time to put out all the public anger and to grieve properly for victims in Wamena.
“Amid the chaos and conflicts that have occurred lately, amid all the hoaxes and dirty political contestation, we invite fellow countrymen and women to just pause for a while and pray for Papua,” Avianti said.
“We know that today, the new members of our House of Representatives are inaugurated and in a few days, the president [and vice president] will also be inaugurated. We hope they can truly embrace the remote regions in the country.”
