THE PAPUA COUNCIL PACIFIC PANEL PETITION 

ON BEHALF OF 14 OTHER PANELS IN WEST PAPUA 

A PETITION 

Prepared in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary celebration of 1st December (1961 - 2001) West Papua's Independence Day
in Port Moresby - Papua New Guinea 

for presentation to 

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS THROUGH ITS FOREIGN MINISTER VIA MS. RENEE JONES - BOS 
AMBASSADOR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

* 

SEKRETARIAT PANEL PACIFIC 
PORT MORESBY - PAPUA NEW GUINEA
FRIDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2001. 

PREAMBLE 

1. WHEREAS all member states of the United Nations put an end to the subjection of peoples to allien subjugation, domination and exploitation, the Indonesian Government as a member of the United Nations is still exercising the 'Iron Hand Policy' in every shape and form including terror tactic in West Papua. 

2. WHEREAS the Papuan people have, under their stewardship of over 40 (forty) thousand years, been successfully managing the ecosystem of their island/environment, the Indonesian Government and her associates have in the space of 38 years devastated the ecosystem by their quest for mining of minerals and oil, logging and fishing. 

3. WHEREAS the Papuan people wished to be independent and have full sovereignty over their ancestral land, the Indonesian Government, the United Nations (UN) and the Government of the United States of America had denied them this right. 

4. WHEREAS the Charter for the Granting of Independence to non-Governing Nations and Territories was enacted by UN in 1961, the same body saw fit to plunge West Papuans into one of the worst Colonial regimes of modern time within a year of the enactment of the Charter. 

5. WHEREAS the Netherlands during the 1950s and early 1960s as the then colonial administering power with a genuine effort to nurture West Papua (then West New Guinea) towards full nation hood in harmony with the UN decolonization policy, the process was undemocratically derailed by Jakarta's communist backed expansionist regime. 

6. NOTING that the cradle of Papuan Nationalism was the product of the Dutch instituted boarding school system which began in the 1920s and continued till the Indonesian took over in 1963. 

7. NOTING further that Indonesia's harsh policies over the last 37 years did not annihilate the spirit of Papuan nationalism instead they added fuel to the fire. Her action, in fact, helped strengthening the resolve of the ordinary Papuans in the street who form the bulk of the population. 

8. NOTING also that the August 1962 New York Agreement between the Dutch and Indonesia, a product of a tutelage of United State of America (USA) was a blatant slave trade . . . ["NO RIGHT ANYWHERE EXIST, TO HAND PEOPLE ABOUT FROM SOVEREIGNTY TO SOVEREIGNTY AS IF THEY WERE PROPERTY" Thomas Woodrow Wilson 28th US President, 11 February 1918]; and the so-called the "Act of Free Choice" [PEPERA] was adding insult to injuries to Papuans; 

9. NOTING also the emergence of OPM [an acronym for several entities: Oras Papua Merdeka (Time for Free Papua), Operasi Papua Merdeka (Operation Free Papua), and Organisasi Papua Merdeka (Free Papua Organization) and since 1970's popularly recognized as the Free Papua Movement as a slogan verbalizing Papuan people's aspiration for freedom; 

10. WHEREAS "on the surface, the Indonesian forces appear to be in control, having forcibly subdued the broad independence movement that emerged into public view in West Papua after the fall of regime of Suharto in May 1998; below the surface however, Papuan sentiment remains over-whelmingly opposed to the rule from Jakarta" [ Human Rights Watch, Volume 13 No.2 (c), July 2001 ]. 

11. WHEREAS the aspirations of all peoples are to live in peace, to be free of persecution on the basis of either their race, ethnic origin, religious believes, cultural practices and enjoy the security of their persons are firmly guaranteed in the letter and spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and whereas Principle 5 of the 1995 Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of statement and Access to Information stating that "NO ONE MAY BE SUBJECTED TO ANY SORT OF RESTRUINT, DISANDVANTAGE OR SANCTION BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER OPINION OR BELIEFS [Human Rights Watch Report, July 2001] Melanesians in West Papua have been, and still being, denied these basic rights. 

12. NOTING the Resolution of Congress Papua - II/2000 urging the United Nations, the governments of the Republic of Indonesia, the Netherlands and USA . . . to jointly and severally to, among others revoke the UN-Resolution 2504 of 19 November 1969; facilitate recognition of the aspiration of the people of West Papua for truth, peace and self-determination; facilitate the establishment of a framework for peaceful negotiation with Indonesia, the Netherlands, USA under the auspices of the United Nations; and investigate thoroughly the crimes against humanity and bring the perpetrators before a competent international tribunal. 

THE IMPACT OF NEO-COLONIALISM

[ West Papua Accuses - Papua Barat Menggugat ] 

That the presence of Indonesia following the decisions by foreign powers including Indonesia, have made the Melanesian people of West Papua to continuously live under oppression, tortures and downright genocide as well as causing damage to the ecosystem of their ancestral lands. 

1. Human Right Abuses

Since 1963 a Pogrom/Genocide either directly or indirectly had been waged against the Papuans. Hundreds of thousands of Papuans had disappeared without trace. Many had been murdered in some of the most gruesome manners. Women after having been raped are murdered and their genitalia filled with dirt and sweet potato tubes . . . men have their genitalia severed and thrust into their mouths. Many people were jailed without trial and kept in prison, some even died there. The world only heard of the death of Arnold Ap and Eddy Mofu (1984), Dr. Thomas Wainggai (1996), Willem Onde and John Tumin (10 September 2001) and Theys Hiyo Eluay (November 2001). But there had been many more unaccounted for. We can forgive the Indonesian atrocities, but we can never forget our grand parents or brothers who have been raped and or killed in the past 38 years. 

2. Deteriorating Health Conditions of the people.

Since the arrival of the Indonesians in 1963, new diseases have been deliberately or carelessly introduced (cholera in 1962 and pork tape worm/ cysticercosis in late 1960s and early 1970s) with devastating effect particularly the cysticercosis; major endemic infectious diseases (malaria and tuberculosis) were allowed to spread rampantly claiming even more lives. If (i) above is direct genocide, allowing the health system to deteriorate, introduction of new diseases (cholera, cysticercosis and HIV/AIDS, the later in the late 1960s) and neglecting endemic diseases is indirect genocide. Pork tape worm with the resultant cyisticercosis could be labeled 'Biological War Fare' because only Melanesians and Christians consume pork, Indonesian and Moslems do not. Highlands people with no resistance to malaria were forcefully relocated to lowland areas eg. Amungme clans at Freeport Mc Moran Mine to Timika in the coast. 

3. Theft and Plundering of Natural Resources

West Papua has been and is being plundered in mammoth proportions and it begun by the dismantling by Indonesians, of State and public properties and shipped to Indonesia during the first 10 to 15 years of their occupation. "They were so greedy that even empty bottles and hinges for doors and windows were robbed out too. Even trade stores were emptied", said Acub Zainal, a retired Indonesian National Army (TNI) Brigadier General and former Governor of the territory in the mid of 1970s, in an interview with Jakarta based weekly 'MUTIARA', 30 January - 5 February 1996 edition, p.3. Freeport made an overall earning of 94 trillion Rupiah (1996); the Indonesian State Budget (1997) was 97 trillion Rupiah [Litohe in '10 Big Sins of Suharto (1998): 57 - 8]. This earning excluded earnings made from other natural resources eg. the Biak Cannery $US 350 million (ref: Evening TVRI -News October 1, 1998, retelecast by Australian SBS-TV October 2, 1998, 11 am). "Irian Jaya is rich in resources such as mineral, oil, forestry products, but Suharto and his conglomerates enjoyed the profit, while the people, thousands of them (ref: 1997 drought in the Highlands) died from hunger" [Litohe Op.Cit:58]. 

Another Indonesian added " . . . we forget, that Irian, if she wishes to sustain herself from her own resources, she could do so quite easily. The profit from Freeport alone is abundance" [Zainal op.cit.14]. 

4. Destruction of the Ecosystem

West Papua's pristine and delicate ecosystem has been brought closer to collapse. The rivers and the streams in the Freeport mining area have been grossly silted and toxically polluted by indiscriminately dumping of the mine's tailing waste. Freeport mine has provided the world with 3 billion pound of copper, the gunung bijih (ore mountain) which harbored 33 million metric tones of ore has been exhausted and all that remains a pit [Irian Jaya, Indonesian New Guinea David Pichell Ed., Perliphis (HK) Ltd, 4th edition 1996:52]. Pristine forests, hills and mountains (eg. in and around cities of Jayapura and Sorong, have been denuded by indiscriminate logging and road and housing construction companies in their guests for hard wood logs and the so-called 'urban and rural' development. This include logging of mangroves in the estuaries and coastal inlets. Read builders paid scant regard to the ravages of fire and soil erosions. The reefs, coastal seas, rivers and lakes have been over fished. Introduction of exotic plant diseases and predatory fresh water fish (eg Sentani Lake) have the added potential of destroying the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Predatory fresh water fish could wipe out the local fresh water fish stocks and other fresh water life not just in West Papua but of the whole island. 

5. Alienation of Tribal Land

"Land is the beginning and the end for a New Guinean. It is upon the land that he chiefly depends for his security and also sanctuary for his atavistic beliefs . . . Land sold becomes land stolen. Land taken by conquest must be recovered, if necessary by violence. For so long as the spirits of his ancestors continue to dwell in the tribal lands, the New Guinean has a duty and emotional compulsion to return to his tribal home before he dies" [Ian Downs in : The Stolen Land, Wren Publishing Pty. Ltd. Melbourne, 1970]. Original inhabitants be they Melanesians, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maoris, Hopi Indians, Amerindians understand the forces of nature that regulates the ecosystem: the forest, the streams and rivers, the sea, the animals on land in water in the sea, etc. 

Land right and land tenure system of the Melanesian of West Papua have been deeply eroded since the encroachment of Indonesians (particularly Javanese and Sulawesians) in 1963. They have no respect for local land tenure system including customary rights and customary laws. Indonesia's Basic Forestry Law 1967, article 17 which states that the " implementation of community rights, community laws and its members and individual rights . . . should not hinder the fulfillment of aims referred to in this law" [Survival International: "The Struggle for Land by Tribal People in the face of Transmigration; Colchester M; Ecologist 1986, 16 2/3: 105]

Indonesian Government has changed the land tenure system to suit her guest for riches of the land, oil and mineral, the forest for logs, sea for her fish. This has led to a large number of Melanesians being alienated from their tribal land. For Indonesia compensation is a taboo terminology. Those who oppose the land acquisition drive were labeled separatists, members of OPM and are jailed or liquidated. 

6. Transmigration

Transmigration have added an extreme burden to land acquisition and alienation. In 30 years three quarters of a million people have been moved under officially sponsored programme to Irian Jaya. 

At the current rate of migration the Melanesians will become a minority in their country by the year 2010. [ Kilvert A in 'South Pacific Killing Field' ] in the September 1998 issue of South Pacific Islands Monthly p.36. 

This poses a real threat to our existence as a Melanesian race. 

7. The gradual outnumbering of Papuans 

Indonesia's transmigration policy and its legal and administrative framework and strategies is the principal catalyst of this process. 

In 1961, the West Papuan population was recorded at 728,000, excluding 16,580 Asians and 15,505 Europeans (Pacific Islands' Year Book WHO's WHO, Pacific publications Pty. Ltd. 9th Edition (1963) 398). Roscoe in our Neighbors in Netherlands New Guinea (1967): 50-51 indicated that the 17,000 or so Asians included 8,000 Mollucans and 3,000 Chinese. 

The Mollucans were recruited before and after World War II by Protestant and Catholic Churches as lay and missionary workers mainly as Primary school teachers. Today their offsprings are regarded as Papuans and Papua is their home. Thirty years later (1991), the Papuan population was estimated at 1,000,000. This was based on an extensive Linguistic study in Irian Jaya (Index of Irian Jaya Languages, Silzer P.J and Clouse H.H, published jointly by Universitas Cenderawasih and the Summer Institute of Linguistics, 2nd edition 1991:2) with a cumulative increase of 272,000.

The official Provincial statistics for 1995 and 1998 indicates the total population for West Papua for those two years were 1,942,627 and 2,111,500 respectively (Pemerintah Provinsi Daerah Tk. I Irian Jaya, Neraca Kwalitas Linkungan Hidup Buku II Rangkuman Deskriptif 1998:4). No break-up however was made for Papuan and non-Papuan figures. However, for the 1998 figure a reliable source was from the Catholic Church Justice and Peace Commission in Jayapura suggested that figure (2,111,500) included 1,000,000 Melanesians. Accepting this as the most reliable source we can then assume that the Papuan population for 1998 was 1 million. Thus between 1961 and 1998 the overall increase was 382,000 or around 400,000 while the Indonesian figure grew basically from zero to 1,000,000 or 600,000 more for the corresponding period. 

The bulk of the in coming migrants originated from Java, Sulawesi and Maluku. For example, in 1990 the percentages for the incoming migrants for these three regions were 51.82, 27.39 and 11.73 compared with 3.70 from Sumatra, 3.33 and 0.7 from Bali/ Nusa Tenggara and Kalimantan respectively. The percentage for foreigners (Chinese, Europeans etc.) was a mere 1.34 (Pemerintah Daerah Tk. I Irian Jaya Op. Cit:33). 

Though these data are very crude but in the absence of any refined analytical data, one can however use them to establish some tentative but important assertions. 
And these are first, that the non-Papuan component (mainly Indonesians) is growing at a much faster rate than the Papuan component. Less than 4 decades (1963-1998) the Indonesian population grew from virtually zero to one million whereas the Papuans during the corresponding period (1961-1998) increased by around 400,000 a difference of 600,000. The rapid growth for the Indonesian (i.e. non-Papuan) population was attributed largely to 'program transmigrasi' especially the uncontrolled or deliberately State Stimulated Spontaneous Migrants. Second, the population ratio between the two components i.e. Papuans : non-Papuans now stands at 1.1 : 1

Third, based on the current trend of the inward flow of migrants from Java, Sulawesi and Maluku as the big tree compared with other regions within 5 year (1998 - 2003) the ratio could be at par. And by the year 2010 the Papuan population will be overtaken or swamped in their own land unless some drastic policy measures are instituted and effectively carried out to reverse the trend. 

Fourth, what are the measures needed to be taken to protect Papuans from being swamped and to avoid racial tension as happening in Fiji between indigenous Melanesians (Fijians) and Indo-Fijians. 

First, the spontaneous movement of people from outside West Papua must be stopped. Legislative measures both at national and provincial level on the flow of people in and out of West Papua while respecting the freedom of movement must be instituted to enforce such as policy. Second, the international community must be called upon particularly the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia (IGGI) as major financial backers for Indonesia's annual budgetary requirements should exert pressure on Indonesia to take positive measures to safeguard Papuans from being swamped in their homeland. Third, actions must start now in Reaction to (1) and (2) above. The time is running out.

8. Education: Migrant children over represented 

There is a lot that can be discussed on this issue eg. the negative impact brought about by the so-called INPRES Schools on Church agency schools in West Papua. (The INPRES Schools are those established next to Protestant and Catholic Schools under a special Presidential Instruction (Instruksi Presiden hence 'INPRES' for short). 

Briefly, the Dutch colonial regime's strategic efforts were to establish a broad based education to cater for the needs of all Papuans. 


Church education agencies played a major role on this particularly at primary and secondary (academic and vocational streams inclusive). Papuans were educated and trained both at home and abroad under a Papuanization programme, a programme designed to prepare the populace for eventual nationhood. With the arrival of Indonesians, however, the Papuanization policy came to a complete halt. It was replaced by an Indonesianization policy designed through communist style indoctrination and curriculum re-orientation to ensure Papuans no longer think as Papuans but Indonesians. This was a "cultural genocide in disguise". No wonder why Papuans who stood up openly for the Papuan cultures and folklores like Arnold Ap, Eddy Mofu, Berth Tanawani, Sam Kapisa and many others had to be tortured and killed mysteriously. Of course Indonesia have built up infrastructures of various kinds for educational establishments. Papuans have benefited from this but as part of the 'cultural genocide in disguise programme'. Further more to whose benefit of all those infra-structures: roads, school buildings (including the INPRES School buildings)? From secondary (of all types) up to tertiary level institutions in major centres in West Papua, classrooms are heavily dominated by Indonesian (migrant) students. The late Ayomi thesis for Masters degree at the Flinders University of South Australia under the heading 'Migration to Irian Jaya and its impact on Demographic and Economic Activities, 1989: 37 confirmed this ". . . migrants are over represented in enrolment at junior and senior high school as well as university". 

REASSERTION 

We, the undersigned on behalf of our other colleagues of the 14 Panels the Papua Council and the Papuan people at large: 

1. Reassert our existence as Papuan and God created people on our ancestral home land 

2. Reaffirm the Political Manifesto of 1961 issued by Komite National Papua in Hollandia (Port Numbay/Jayapura) which among others states: "… We the Papuan people reassert our existence as a free and sovereign nation co-existing among other nations and wish to live in peace and contributing our part towards maintaining world peace". 

3. Reaffirm our National Symbols ( Flag - MORNING STAR, National Anthem - HAI TANAHKU PAPUA/O MY LAND PAPUA, Coat of Arms - CROWNED PIGEON ) and the name of the territory as PAPUA and its people as PAPUANS. 

4. Reaffirm the existence of the Papua Council and its Presidium re-instituted and enlarged by MUBES Papua 2000 and reaffirmed by KONGRES PAPUA - II/2000 in February and May/June respectively. 

PETITION 

Considering what has been stated above, we, having reaffirmed our resolve to stand together and to continue pressing for our case and our wishes to be heard by the international community, hereby petition the Dutch Government with the following : 

1. Knowing that the Dutch, the former colonial ruler of West Papua, did not abandon the territory in October 1962 but due to international sanctions imposed upon her, inspite of her noble intention to prepare and accelerate Papuans along the path of self-determination towards nationhood, it is now time, given the current geopolitical changes worldwide we call upon the Dutch Government to re-examine its role with the view to: 
a. reverting back to its position in the 1950s and early 1960s; 

b. assist Papuans [morally, politically, economically and 
financially ] in their guest for freedom and independence; 

2. To collaborate with the USA in mounting an international campaign both within and outside the United Nations towards the revocation of UN-Resolution 2504 of November 19, 1969; 
3. To mount a peaceful international campaign towards putting an end to: 

a. the subjection of Melanesian people in West Papua to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation; 

b. the transmigration programme in whatever form, shape or pretext as it is a major catalyst for decline and eventual disappearance of Melanesian people in their homeland; 

4. To pursue ways with the US and the UN-Secretary General to: 

(a) facilitate the recognition of the West Papuan aspiration for independence via the UN decolonization process. 

a. facilitate the establishment of a framework for peaceful negotiation for a solution on the independence issue between the Papua Council Presidium (PCP) and the Government of Indonesia under the auspices of United Nations; 

b. mount an investigation on crimes against humanity in West Papua since 1963 and the perpetrators be brought before a competent international tribunal; 

c. pressurize Indonesia for a REFERENDUM in West Papua under the auspices of United Nations; 
d. exert pressure on Indonesia especially the State Security Apparatus so to not harm, intimidate, arrest or kill, or using disguised tactics towards West Papuan Indepen-dence advocates especially its leaders at Presidium and Panel level; 

5. To pressurize Indonesia to, in dealing with West Papuan inde-pendence advocates, abide by Principle 5 of the 1995 UN Johannesburg Principles on National Security, freedom of statement and Access to Information. 

6. To pressurize Indonesia in order to implement series of recommendations put to Indonesia by the Human Rights Watch Report [Vol.13 No.2 (c) of July 2001] concerning human rights abuses in West Papua; 

7. To establish and maintain regular dialogue with the Papua Council Presidium (PCP) as the official voice of the Papuan people; 

8. To collaborate with or urge Indonesian authorities to mount a more comprehensive census in West Papua with one of the prime objectives being a proper identification of population as distinct from non-Papuans. 

Port Moresby, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 1st December, 2001. 

THE PAPUA COUNCIL PACIFIC PANEL
PORT MORESBY - PAPUA NEW GUINEA 


FRANZALBERT JOKU WILHELM BRABAR
Chairman. Deputy Chairman. 



CLEMENS RUNAWERY CONSTANT. P.RUHUKAIL
Secretary General. First Secretary. 


MEMBERS OF THE PANEL: 
1. Elly Marjen 
2. Paul Zonggonau 
3. Henky Cenawatme 
4. Teri Yawa 
5. Alex R. Kambuaya 
6. Pastor Bas Fairio 
7. Nelly Korwa 
8. Alvina Joku 
9. Rosje Joku 
10. John A. Norotouw 
11. Dan Ford Itaar 
12. Ringgo Suwae 
13. Dr. A. Saweri 
14. Adolf Hanasbey 
15. Moses Werror 
16. Andy Ayamiseba 
17. Rex Rumakiek 
18. Robby E. Itaar 
19. Wilhelm Zonggonau (Presidium Member) 
20. Dr. John O. Ondoame (Presidium Member) 
21. Moses Safkaur 
22. Ronny Pangkali 
23. August Numberi 
24. Bernard Marjen 
25. Fritz Mambrasar 
26. John A. Wakum 
27. Harry Namaweng 
28. Jimmy Wawar 
29. Anthony Wangbon 
30. Peter Ajamiseba 

© 2002 The Diary of Online Papua Mouthpiece