Feb. 25, p. 12
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should use his visit to Papua New Guinea next month to discuss ways to work with Pacific nations to solve the issue of Papuan separatism, say experts.
“Foreign countries scrutinize Indonesia over how it could solve
the insurgency problem because they regard Papua as an international concern.
The more we shut down, the more suspicious they become and it doesn’t help in efforts to embrace Papua,” said Adriana Elisabeth, a researcher from the Indonesian Institute for Sciences (LIPI).
Your comments:
It is certainly an honor to sit and speak with the President of Indonesia in regards to the international issue of West Papua.
The West Papua New Guinea National Congress, which is based in Papua New Guinea and has its branches overseas, supports Adriana Elisabeth’s comments from the Indonesian Institute of Science.
It is about time for Indonesia to open up and speak. West Papua’s independence is an international issue and not a domestic issue as Indonesians tend to regard it. Since when was West Papua a Republic of Indonesia or since when was it part of Indonesia?
We are a Melanesian race, a separate island, culture and identity and an island in the Pacific as it links up with Papua New Guinea.
Can’t we question that? Can we get the facts right, Mr. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and honestly declare the truth and get rid of this political jargon?
Felomero
Papua New Guinea
Felomero, would you ever recommend that the Europeans in Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, New Caledonia, and many more around
the world, return land to their rightful owners?
If you wouldn’t, how dare you demand that the government of Indonesia return Papua to the rightful owner? Your comment is not funny or amusing at all.
You are silly to suggest that Papuan independence is an international issue, not a domestic one. That is laughable and ludicrous crap.
My answer to you is that the rightful owner of Irian Jaya/Papua is the United Republic of Indonesia, which been recognized by the international community, and first of all by the most important organization in the world, The United Nations in New York a long time ago, now and forever, as an irrevocable part of Indonesian territory.
Furthermore, there is no historical link between PNG and Irian Jaya/Papua, the two territories have a completely different history and background then and now.
The people of Irian Jaya/Papua are Indonesians’ brothers and sisters, we speak the same language and that is a fact, and we shared the same Dutch colonialist history.
Riem Hemmat
United States
Riem Hemmat (not verified), USA — Mon, 03/29/2010 - 10:40pm
Dear Dayanara Memosaki, my pray for you and your family, your love one, and to all my brothers and sisters in Papua Indonesia, for their daily struggle for a better future. May God bless you, and thanks for your beautiful comments that came from your heart. I'm really touched by emotion to read your comments, and learn something from you, and I hoped, that my articles were not offended my brothers and sisters in Papua. I love them and I love Indonesia our beautiful contry.Dayanara Meimosaki (not verified), Australia — Wed, 03/24/2010 - 1:14pm
@Riem Hemmat: One thing for sure, my question for you is, if people speak English, (comparing to your case of West Papuan's case speaking Indonesia), let's say in India, Singapore, United States, Philippine and other countries which consider English as the official language or the second language, can we consider them as "English people"? or it is a heritage of 'colonialism' and language planning in those countries? ^__^Dayanara Meimosaki (not verified), Australia — Wed, 03/24/2010 - 1:10pm
@Riem Hemmat: I bet that you never lived in West Papua, don't you? Or never ever put your shoes in other west Papuans' shoes. Your argument to some extent might be true but my questions are if West Papuans WERE/ ARE the part of Indonesia, why the West Papuans never share the same history as other Indonesians? Why since integration in 1963, the central government keep send additional troops to West Papua. No bombing or attacks as in Acheh in the past. Come on, I was brought up as the the product of Javanese - Papuan and has lived in West Papua for more than 25 years and for me, for whatever reasons, the central government has a mismanagement of West Papua's issue, it's not right. If we are the part of Indonesia, treat us fairly, by using such elegant manner called diplomacy and dialog but the truth remains same, the gun and military operation are the choice employed. If the central government wants the best thing, give the access to humanitarian aids to West Papua, give the access to the international journalists to report. The fact is the government is too afraid that people will tell the bitter story. Anyway, you have to spend to many years in Papua and live in two cultures to have a better understanding about West Papua's issue. Btw, West Papuans have definitely different history with other Indonesians, you should bear in mind that we were never involved in any prominent historical moment of NKRI nor share the same 'nationalism'. If we are the Indonesians, why the gun is kept pointing at us? If we are the Indonesians, why the stereotype labelled when we are in other parts of Indonesia are derogative? Your comments about Indonesian language, you should learn the history about language planning in Indonesia and also learn about some study cases found in Laos for comparison when the role of politics has sets up the language to different ethnics and force people to use that language. Another fact is before integration, some tribes in northern part of West Papua and also in some parts in Southern Papua had trading with Mollucans, and they spoke bazaar Malay. In fact, the way West Papuans speak are a kind of creole language, and influence mostly by the Ambon Malay, portuguese, Dutch and tribal languages (cf. similar to the way the indigenous Australians speak 'kriol'),it's a result of contacts over centuries. Wake up and smell the coffee. Don't judge a book by its cover. If you had my life, you'll see something different!Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/15/issues-%E2%80%98sby-must-woo-pacific-papua%E2%80%99s-sake%E2%80%99.html
