Papua Ablaze! The Need for a Touch of Hearts

“In Syria hundreds of civilians are dead from a suspected attack with poison gas on Wednesday 21 August 2013 at a location close to the Syrian capital of Damascus. Meanwhile in Papua hundreds of thousands of Papuan citizens are also dead, having been killed over the time frame of the last 50 years. Killed as a result of military operations both covert and overt, undertaken in a planned, systematic and measurable way since the 1960’s until this time. (For further information see www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1303/S00152/annihilation-of-indigenous-west-papuans-challenge-and-hope.htm).

The United Nations (UN) Security Council held a sudden meeting to discuss the suspected use of poison gas in Syria and to find out who was responsible and acted swiftly to organise a Fact Finding Team. As the use of any weapon to annihilate people in mass numbers such as a poison gas falls within the category of ‘humanitarian evils’. Meanwhile the USA is considering a military attack against the Syrian Government if it is proven without doubt that they in fact used a weapon of mass destruction was used by the Syrian Government’s military. (Sumber: www.voaindonesia.com).

The incident in Syria is shocking beyond words. However what about the humanitarian evil that has been continuing for over 50 years now against the people of Papua by the Republic of Indonesia? What is the attitude and actions of the UN towards the situation on Papua? Every hour there are Papuans being killed due to a range of causes that all form part of a systematic and measurable plan of the Indonesian Government that is planned to annihilate the ethnic people of Papua. Are member states of the UN and other countries of the world going to stand-by forever and allow Indonesia to continue to carry out brutal acts of colonial domination until such time that the ethnic people of Papua are wiped out from the land of their ancestors? (For supporting evidence see: www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1308/S00090/genocide-of-ethnic-papuans-for-whom-what-was-un-created.htm).

Perhaps the UN and those other countries are of the opinion that the problem of Papua is not as complicated as the humanitarian problem in Syria so doesn’t need their involvement. However that can only mean that they have not yet looked closely and carefully enough at the situation there. As Papua has already become a humanitarian emergency. A hidden and horrifying humanitarian emergency that is systemic, planned and measurable.

Papua is ablaze and the first and primary source of that fire is the annexation of the nation of Papua into Indonesia through a military and political invasion in the 1960’s. There were four parties involved in that annexation, four parties that were responsible for ‘turning on the fire of conflict’ in Papua. Namely Indonesia as the initiator and primary actor in the annexation; the Dutch as both an actor and a victim of aggression; the USA as the designer and primary supporter of the annexation; and the UN as the executeur. Whilst Papua is the unceasing victim of those four parties conspiracy of economic, political and security interests.

The fire of the ideological political conflict between the Papuan Mabruk way of looking at the world and the Indonesian Pancasila ideology creaps through and destroys the very joints of what holds life together for the nation of Papua. A fire of conflict that in turn has led to a range of smaller fires sparked by the first. This raging fire has burnt through the most basic rights of the indigenous Papuan community, including the very right to life.

A dense smoke has constantly billowed forth from the centre of the fire in the land of Papua. A number of parties have seen that thick smoke but there’s been no response. Of course as we all know where there is smoke there is also fire and conversely where there is fire we know there will be smoke. Similarly where there is conflict of course there are victims and conversely where there are victims we know there is conflict behind that. Until now a number of means have been used by Papuans and the international community in solidarity to try and put out the raging fire of the primary conflict and also the smaller fires that have been sparked. However the flame of conflict has continued to spread relentlessly due to Indonesia together with the support of its various allies continuing to defend its hold on Papua. In fact they have caused the fire to spread even wider.

To extinguish this fire in the land of Papua will need the involvement of all parties and particularly those four primary actors being Indonesia, the Netherlands, USA and the UN together with Papua as the unceasing victim of the conspiracy of interests. The main and first fire that must be extinguished is that of the conflict around the political history of the nation of Papua. For it was this that gave rise to the other fires. If the primary fire can be extinguished then the smaller fires will also be able to be extinguished. However if the main fire is not extinguished then so the other smaller fires will also continue to blaze. Until ethnic Papuans are scorched – that is annihilated - in the land of their ancestors.

All those parties of good heart and which hold in high esteem those values which are worthy, have a moral responsibility whether by direct or indirect means to take control of and extinguish the fire of conflict between the supporters of the Pancasila ideology (those who are pro Indonesia) and the supporters of the Mabruk ideology (those who are pro Papuan independence).

For as long as the fire of conflict continues to blaze between the followers and supporters of the two ideologies, so the innocent human community of Papua is being burnt. For as long as this continues the tears of blood of the nation of Papua will continue to drip. Indigenous Papuans must continue despite the cost of lives to redeem the situation and bring about total liberation of Papua; and the voices of liberation crying out from the people of Papua will without ceasing to fill the air until that moment when the faith revolution is realized in the land of Papua.

The nation of Papua has not asked for anything that is the possession of another. We just ask for the acknowledgment of the basic political rights of our people, the nation of Papua. As a nation state with full independence. Just as other nations and states of the world have already had their independence recognised. This is the faith, the hope and the longing of the nation of Papua.

With all limitations and capabilities that exist within us, the nation of Papua will continue to struggle until that revolution of faith is realized. Then with those same existing limitations and capacities we will develop our own country of Papua, standing on our own two feet.

It is dearly hoped that the voice of the nation of Papua will be heard and will be responded to by actions of all parties wherever you may be, in order to uphold the values of justice, trueth, democracy, honesty, human rights and peace for all.

The prayers and tears of the nation of Papua without ceasing accompany all of those amongst you who care for our situation, wherever you may be located and working to support us.

Solidarity without limits!

Selpius Bobii is the General Chairperson of The United Front of the Struggle of the Nation of Papua. He is a Papuan Freedom Political Detainee in Abepura State prison, Jayapura.

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