Papuan activists and scholars have called on the government to allow the use of the region’s traditional symbols and stop prosecuting locals who promote them.
Franz-Magnis Suseno, a Catholic priest and philosophy professor at the
Driyarkara School of Philosophy, said that the Indonesian government
should stop treating the hoisting of the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star)
flag as an act of treason. The flag has long been associated with the
Papuan separatist movement.
“Why not let Papuans fly the flag as a
symbol of their land? We must also allow them to express their opinions
in an assembly,” he said.
Papuan peace activist Neles Tebay said
that the close association between the flag and the Papuan separatist
movement had often been used as an excuse to abuse the human rights of
native Papuans.
Neles also said that the central government should drop its security approach and start a dialogue with the locals.
“All
elements in Papua from the local governments, the natives, and the
business community, must sit down and start a dialogue. Dialogue is the
key to end what has been happening there,” he said.
Farid
Hussein, a former mediator in the talks between the Indonesian
government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said that the dialogue
should also include discussion about the flag.
“One of the most arduous issues [in the Aceh talks] concerned the GAM logo,” he said.
Papuan
activist Filep Karma is serving a 15-year prison sentence for promoting
separatism. Filep was first detained in 1998 when he led a ceremony to
raise the Bintang Kejora flag in Biak.
In the United Nations
Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review last week,
Germany in particular challenged the government on whether it intended
to release Filep and other political detainees who have been held
arbitrarily and accused Indonesia of violating Article 20 of the
Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which states that “everyone has
the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association”.
Foreign
Minister Marty Natalegawa told members of the House of Representatives
on Wednesday that Indonesia continued to promote and protect human
rights in the country, including in Papua, and that some foreign
governments had changed their views on the issue.
“Several
countries have changed their stance regarding our policies in Papua. The
Republic of Vanuatu, for example, has encouraged us to continue
implementing the special autonomy program there,” he said.