Former OPM leader Daniel Kogoya (center) turning over his weapon to law enforcement authorities in Jayapura on Friday. Behind him are more than 200 rebels under his command who police say have all surrendered as well. (JG Photo/Banjir Ambarita)Jayapura/Jakarta. Indonesian authorities have announced the surrender of more than 200 members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), but human rights activists aired doubts about the claim.
The guerrillas, totaling 212, were said to have been fighting in Wutung, the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea under the command of Daniel Kogoya, who has reportedly claimed responsibility for several spouts of violence and shooting incidents in the restive region.
Kogoya was arrested in September 2012 with two other members of the OPM, Sony Kosay and Petrus Kosay, after they tried to escape during an ambush.
The 212 men along with Kogoya appeared at the Muara Tami district office in Jayapura on Friday, turned over their weapons and pledged their allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia in the presence of members of the media and military and police leaders, including Papua Military Commander Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua, Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw and Papua government secretary Elia Loupatty.
“Indonesia is open to all of its citizens who have been in the opposition, as long as they return sincerely and stop carrying out illegal activities,” Christian said. “If some of your friends dislike your decision to rejoin Indonesia, our soldiers are ready to protect you.”
Paulus said surrendering was the best solution to solve differences, rather than continuing to ask for independence.
“This is the time to build communications to create good relations in Papua. Let's build this land, we're ready to serve you who have seen the error of your ways, the government is sure to pay attention [to you],” Paulus said. “There is no use to keep on fighting for something that is uncertain. Special autonomy is a certainty that will benefit Papua's people.”
Daniel said he decided to rejoin Indonesia because he saw two Papuan natives rise to become law enforcement leaders — Inf. Col. Joppye Onesimus Wayangkau, who serves as Jayapura Military Resort Commander, and Papua Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw.
“They're among our successful children, and we don't want to wage war against our own brothers,” Daniel said as quoted by Papuapos.com. “We will work together to build Papua.”
He also apologized for the actions of his troops that victimized ordinary people.
Papuan human rights activist Markus Haluk, however, doubted the surrender, saying that most of those who claimed to be OPM members were actually refugees who had been living in Papua New Guinea. He also said that Daniel did not fight in the border areas, but in Papua's central mountainous area.
“This was fabricated by certain institutions to create an impression that Papua is now peaceful as the OPM members have rejoined Indonesia,” Markus told the Jakarta Globe on Saturday. “Thousands of Papuans have sought refuge in Papua New Guinea and they lived near the border. They're not members [of OPM], only refugees.”
Markus said even if it was true that these rebels rejoined Indonesia, it would not solve the problem of rampant human rights violations.
“The issue isn't whether they surrender or not; the government should address the root of the violence, marginalization and discrimination,” he said. “That [surrender] does not solve anything."
Comments
Maspanji .
Every Indonesian was sworn to preserve and defend it.... that would be no..
My dear chap, most Indonesians could not care less what is happening in the next town, let alone thousands of miles away.
@Wong Edan
Sukarno was a courageous man indeed. He was crushed between the armed forces and political dynamics. The armed forces got the upper hand and allowed genocide.
Yes, Sukarno was not a good president, but history is not allowed to play a role in unravelling this country's past.
@Maspanji: Sukarno was a courageous fighter for independence, but an incompetent meglomanic president. Had he not been deposed by the military coup, he would have continued his absurd economic policies and Indonesia would now be like North Korea, not South
Every nation has the right to manage their own land. Regardless if they want to bring it back to ancestral and traditional way of life.
Including Papuans. They have the right to be independent and not have their land grabbed, cleared and inhabited by Javanese/Sumatrans/anyone non native.
How do you feel if the European return to colonize Indonesia? Their argument would be: well, the native Indonesians can't manage their own country anyway. Look at this mess.
If you think Indonesians have the right to plunder Papua, then that also means the Kingdom of the Netherlands has the right to return and manage this country. Because we native Indonesians are too corrupt and intellectually challenged to do so.
Tell me where I am wrong.
@ fellow bloggers, Indonesia, from Sabang to Merauke is done deal no and, if, but, or. Every Indonesian was sworn to preserve and defend it.
There will be no Indonesia without Java, it made up the bulk of the population and its principal defender( 60% of it ).
The notion that Indonesia " butchered " 30 % of Timor Leste population was preposterous and I have confronted Ramos Horta in the UN forum about the lies attributed to TNI, which in fact is his own Fretilin Lefties is the principal butcher of pro Indonesia and pro Independence Timor Lesteans, but he was supported by Brooklyn romantics who called themselves the Nation/ State Midwives who convinced the farcical Nobel Commission to grant him the Peace Prize to augment his resume.
If Soekarno was not engineered to go down in the mid 60s, Indonesia today will be at par with ROK or even better.Today Indonesia predicaments was " Designed " but we no longer stupid nor ignorant and will reclaim what was left under Soekarno.
@Maspanji: yes, there are Papuans who work for Indonesia in the same way Indonesians worked for the Dutch colonial administration. Also remember that Timor Leste's problems were largely caused by the brutal occupation, durimg which the Indonesian "army" killed a third of the population and terrororized the rest. Also if you'd like to compare Papua with PNG, how about comparing Indonesia with other countries that have left it behind sich as Malaysia and India...
Indonesia is a failed country full stop.
Look at this headline:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/23/man-gets-5-years-insulting-islam-facebook.html
@maspanji
Yes, Timur Leste might become a failed State.
But Java would become a failed State too, if Indonesia one day breaks apart. While Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Irian Jaya most likely would have a big boost.
Right now Java got nearly no natural resources except a huge population. But Java let all the others provinces bleeding. Exporting their natural resources and putting the money in their own pocket.
Not only this, Jakarta had a huge construction boom using Aceh Tsunamy relief donations.
Or simple example, 'Dua Kelinci' the peanuts aren't from Java, but they will packed in Java and sold for good money to the other provinces.
Many provinces would be better of as independent countries. But the government (located in Java) wouldn't let them go. To much resources and money to loose.
I guess if Indonesia breaks apart, Java will become the poorest country in the world.
@maspanji
what particular history are you referring to? The USSR? Yugoslavia? The British empire? Indonesia?
If there is one thing that history teaches us it is that the people's right to self-determination will never be extinguished. The sooner Indonesia recognizes this, the sooner Indonesia will be a peaceful place.
Long live Indonesia and long live an independent Papua
Life in PNG is certainly miserable compared to the Indonesian part of Papua,the OPM just doing the bidding of " Agent Provocateurs " who wil shaft them in the end, look at Timor Leste today is on the verge of becoming a failed state.
Countless Papuan natives ahve rose to the ranks in the Indonesian Goverments in all capacities.
Indonesian hate mongers and Balkanization dreamers were stoking hatred that Indonesia will disintegrate one day is just a pure dream out of sucking a hollow pipe, never forget the lesson of history.
Long live Papua and long live Indonesia.