Calls for the Indonesian government to settle the long-standing conflict in Papua through dialogue with representatives of local people are no longer relevant.
The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has publicly admitted the need to hold a dialogue with Papuans in order to seek better solutions and options to settle the issue.
The government has already taken the initiative to realize the much-awaited dialogue. Demonstrating his commitment to developing a prosperous and peaceful Papua, the President has taken two progressive initiatives. First, he has appointed Lt. Gen. (ret) Bambang Darmono as the head of the Special Unit for Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B).
Looking from the Papuan perspective, Darmono’s appointment is very meaningful — not only for Papua but also for Jakarta. The central government and the local governments of Papua and West Papua now know and should recognize Darmono as the man who is fully in charge of development in the country’s easternmost territory.
Darmono is the one who will coordinate activities related to the acceleration of development in the two natural resource-rich provinces. He will also be playing a mediating role between central and local governments by conveying messages from Jakarta to Papua and vice versa.
Second, the President has appointed Farid Husein, an Indonesian negotiator in the Aceh peace process six years ago, as his special envoy in the dialogue with the Papuans.
The Papuans understand that Farid is assigned not to deal with issues related to development. Rather, he is representing the President in initiating talks with various groups, including leaders of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), a rebel separatist group.
The OPM is composed of a political and armed wing. Leaders of the political wing are scattered across Papua and West Papua provinces, as well as overseas such as in Australia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the US, the UK and the Netherlands. They are persistently campaigning for an independent state in West Papua.
Meanwhile, commanders of the armed wing live in the jungles of Papua. They adopt hit-and-run tactics in their resistance against the Indonesian government, which is represented by the police and military.
Therefore, as the President’s special envoy Farid should visit all the OPM’s leaders, both in Papua and overseas. He will then communicate to them Jakarta’s commitment to the dialogue and at the same time tap into their opinions of the dialogue. By so doing, both parties can develop a better understanding of each other and mutual trust, which are required if the dialogue is to proceed.
It is good to know that Farid has already started to visit some of the Papuan leaders (The Jakarta Post, Nov. 17).
Under President Yudhoyono, the government has opened up wider possibilities and demonstrated a commitment to talks that will settle the Papua issue through peaceful means.
All parties in Papua and Jakarta have to support this commitment.
To show their good will to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, Papuan leaders, both in Papua and abroad, as well as commanders of the OPM armed wing, should welcome the visit of Farid.
Genuine support should also come from other related parties, such as local and central governments, the police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), regional and provincial legislative councils in Papua and West Papua provinces, the House of Representatives, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the Papua People’s Assembly (MRP) by creating a favorable atmosphere on the ground for the talks.
This government’s initiative also requires full support from the international community. The US and the UK have already manifested their respective support for the Indonesian initiative to settle the Papua conflict through dialogue with the Papuans.
It is also important to have similar support from all Melanesian states in the Melanesian Spearhead Group: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island Forum, the European Union and ASEAN countries. Their support can be manifested through a variety of ways and means.
For the sake of peace and prosperity in the territory, all parties can contribute to the settlement of the Papua issue by giving the government’s initiative a chance.
The writer is a lecturer at the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology in Abepura, Papua.
Comments (4)
Kobe Oser | Fri, 25/11/2011 - 14:11pm
The Melanesian Spearhead Group, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island Forum, the European Union and ASEAN countries have to monitor negotiations on neutral UN-soil to finalize the Republic of West Papua Melanesia.
To what extend does West Papua needs to be a part of the thief-RI state? It is only with US-backing, that RI maintains its stance in the ever since 1961 declared West Papuan Nation-State.The West Papua's Melanesian territorial borders were declared with the 1947 Caberra Agreement: RI violated this and lives in denyal by considering West Papua as its territory
The Morning Star flag has been presented to the international community in 1961 by the installed provisional governement of the new Republic of West Papua, the New Guinea Council.Along with the National Anthem, and the PVK Papuan Volunteer Corps (Corps device "Persevero").
The Papua-development plan begun and was postponed with two international agreements: the 1947 Canberra Agreement and the 1962 New York Agreement. The development of an independent Republic of West Papua Melanesia has been a cliffhanger ever since.
See link: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB128/
See link: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/08/201182814172453998.html
How RI organises its nation is of NO CONCERN WHATHOWEVER to the people of West Papua Melanesia. Under international
law and standard, and with a UN in function, with active participation of EU-channelled funds and ASEAN development
funding, we believe that the world community can actively take a stand in the re-establishing of the West Papua Melanesia state. 40 more years of autonomy-promises under RI's barbaric military regime is NO OPTION.
The US should withdraw its carte blanche to Indonesia on the Papua- territory and step up to its responsibility (also for US-Freeport's sake), by taking back West Papua with help of the UN-C24, furthermore re-implement the 1962 New York Agreement on its merites and purpose (the Referendum-obligation).
Setia Djudjur Mesra, Persevero!
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Rafael di Rupo | Fri, 25/11/2011 - 18:11pm
Why does the West need to be involved in Papua issue? Will Papua people support the Roma or Gipsy people in EU, aborigin in Australia, Indian in America, Basque in Spain, Kurdish in Turkey?
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Bart van de Graeve | Fri, 25/11/2011 - 19:11pm
In European Union, separatism is considered as terrorism. Europol reported that in 2011 there were 237 separatist terrorist in EU. Is OPM peaceful or is it terrorist like ETA or similar separatist groups in EU?
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Job | Sat, 26/11/2011 - 00:11am
Bart - please tell me in which country in Europe separatism is illegal? Acts of violence are illegal - but there are other ways to express the desire for autonomy c.f Catalonia, where separatism from Spain is expressed at every election. trying to brand all people desiring self determination as criminals is simply foolish.