WEST PAPUA NATIONALISM

by Moses Werror

West Papuan nationalism doctrine is based on the land as property, and the belief in Melanesia for the land as life and death. That for the old age would like to return home before they die. When the land is taken away by the other people without consent, it must be recovered either peacefully or by force. This belief was handed down through from generations.

The value of the land can be seen by the many landowners claims today, demanding compensation for the land used by governments and privates sectors. It has became a political issues appearing on the daily news headlines that the governments in Melanesia are seriously facing compensation demands.

This basic right was not applied in West Papua where the land was taken away by force under Indonesian rule without any means of compensation to the landowners.
In general Pan-Melanesian nationalism doctrine was developed and rooted inside the mind of the people and became an ideology's struggle to establisha way of life in Melanesia.
The West Papua nationalism struggle was started in 1930s at the Dutch Protestant Missionary Teachers College in Mei Wondama, Manokwari, West Papua.

Reverend Izaak Samuel Kijne, the Principal of the Teachers College, had taught the students on the Pan-Papuan nationalism and also composed the Hai Tanahku Papua-Oh My Land Papua to inspire the Melanesian folk. This song was adopted as the national anthem in 1961 by the Dutch New Guinea 

Council-RAAD

The teachers who graduated from the college became the source and piomeers of Pan-Papuan nationalism. When the Indonesian Government took over the territory from the Dutch Govenment, through United Nations sponsored agreement, the teachers were the first targets and victims of the Indonesian security forces.

The Pacific war had opened the eyes of many Melanesian leaders to see the outside world. They had witnessed the changes and learnt many things from the war which helped them to pursue the struggle for freedom and independence. As a result most of the territories achieved peaceful independence. 

This was an exception to the West Papua territory which the people were forced against their basic human rights to remain with Indonesia.

After the Pacific war the West Papuan Leaders were split due to the many Indonesian promises. One group had agreed to go against the Dutch position, and the other group remained with the Dutch to support the 10-year Papuanization plan.

Under President Soeharto's regime people had no right to talk about their future.The violation of human rights and killing of people was a routine by the security forces. The Authority always exercised tight security on the people's freedom of movement and contact with the outside world. However the guerrilla warfare and the kidnapping of hostages brought back the West Papuan People's plight on the world news, and was very successful.
When President Soeharto was forced out on May 21,1998, and the beginning of political reformation, the West Papuan Leaders used the opportunity to approach the Indonesian Government for the peaceful dialogue on West Papua.

The Team-100, of West Papuan representatives elected by the people met with President B J. Habibie and his Cabinet Ministers at the President Palace on February 26, 1999. Thomas Beanal, the leader told the President and his Ministers about the people's genuine wish to separate ties with Indonesia and set-up an independence state of Papua in the year 2000.
It was followed up with the democratic elected President, Abdurrahman Wahid, who adopted a flexible approach toward the West Papuan Leaders. He changed the provincial name Irian Jaya to Papua and allowed the Morning Star flag to be flown side by side with the Indonesian White and Red flag. He also financed the People's Convention and the Congress Papua-II.
The Congress passed a resolution to separate ties wth Indonesia which later caused the Indeonsian Government to order the security to pull down the Morning Star flag and banned Papuan symbols from the public.

The honeymoon period was over as the situation returned to the previous position where the security was tight on the people's movement of freedom. New reinforcement troops arrived to crack down on the pro-independence, causing fresh fighting to erupt between the OPM-Fighters and the Indonesian Security Forces.

The many innoncent civillians became targets and victims of the brutality from the security forces. This didn't deter the OPM fighters who were prepared to fight for freedom and independence, and die as heroes rather than to remain as slaves for the rest of their lives. No one would know and no one could tell what will happen ahead on the road to freedom. 

ends