"The Offices of Papua Presidium Council and FORERI were locked by the OPM: The keys are passed to Gen. TPN PB Mathias Wenda" was the headline of today's local paper in Port Numbay. (August 30^th 2000, Collective Editorial Board of the OPM,, Reporting from Port Numbay)  

A car was parked outside the offices of the Papua Presidium Council and FORERI (Forum for Reconciliation of Irian Jaya People). When the OPM Editorial Board met them, the spokesperson for Regional Commander III (KODAP III) of the West Papua Liberation Army (TPN) Free Papua Movement (OPM), Mr. Linde Kogoya gave the following responses to the questions from the Collective Editorial Board (CEB).

CEB: Good afternoon.

OPM: Good afternoon. What can I do for you?

CEB: We heard from our source that you are now here to lock the office. Is that correct?

OPM: Yes, we are here to tell the Papua Presidium Council (the Council) to lock the doors of both FORERI and the Council. These two offices should be locked at the moment.

CEB: We know that the Council was formed democratically by all people in West Papua.

OPM: No it was not at all. The people were appointed by both Thom Beanal and Theys Eluway and Theys Eluway in fact elected himself as the Chairman at the congress. There was no vote at all. He came to the altar and said, "I am now the chairman. You can find another person as my vice-chairman. I now appoint. Thom Beanal as my vice chairman, but if he does not agree, we can find out another person from this meeting." This is the voice of dictatorship. We are now fighting corruption, collusion and nepotism created by dictatorial regime of Suharto. We do not want to allow a Papuan-Suharto to be born and grow up in this land. Suharto is the symbol of murder, exploitation, intimidation, brutalities, bombings, corruption, collusion and nepotism. Theys must not become his follower in West Papua.

CEB: You are right about the process of selection. But as you know, all people in West Papua believe that the Council represents the aspiration of the people for West Papua independence. And that the people in the Council are doing their best to achieve the goal. Don't you think?

OPM: Free Papua Movement (OPM) is the only organisation so far fighting for the independence of West Papua. You will be surprise, the agenda for independence will then turn into special autonomy for about ten years, and then federated state for another ten years and then IF POSSIBLE, independence after another 25 years of development in West Papua. You must remember that the 25-Year Development Plan was already signed between the Dutch and Indonesian. The term ended in 1995, that was why one of our political elites, Dr. Thom Wanggai Wapai declared independence but then he was killed in jail in Jakarta. You must be careful on judging people. The Council is a tool of the Indonesian government to isolate the issue of independence as a local and national issue. The council is now fighting as it can to prevent the internationalisation of the issue. It is helping the Indonesians, not the Papuans. The OPM is the only organisation standing for independence, there is no compromise. Many have sacrificed what they have even their souls for it. We cannot just take it easy and let it into a wrong place.

CEB: You said the OPM is the organisation fighting for independence, but why don't common people say or think on that way?

OPM: They do think on that way. And you will see that they will do as I am telling you now. Just in matter of time. When time comes, all will turn to the OPM.

CEB: Yes, but the OPM is an outlawed freedom fighters in West Papua?

OPM: Indonesia is actually an outlawed nation. The invasion into WP was unlawful. They cannot justify their unlawful status in this land. From the beginning, they are thieves, liars, killers, oppressors and violators of human rights.

CEB: Have you got any estimate of when you are going to put a heavy pressure on the personnel in the Council to step down?

OPM: December 2000 is the end of their history. They will not enter year 2001 as Chairman, vice-chairman or members of the Presidium Council. They must be replaced. They elected themselves as core people and members in the Council and now we must give chance to the people to put their own people into the Council so that the struggle for independence follows the correct path, not into a package of autonomy, federacy or special autonomy status.

CEB: If you replace the people, then will you replace the Presidium Council with the OPM?

OPM: The OPM will never join any organisation in West Papua that is not clear in its mission. If finally the Council becomes the organisation that fights for independence of West Papua, then the OPM will join. 

CEB: Now what can you tell me about FORERI.

OPM: The name means Reconciliation Forum of the Irian Jaya People. First, the name Irian Jaya is already wrong. It indicates their approval to the Indonesian invasion and occupation with brutalities in this island. Secondly, it is not a political organisation. It must function to reconcile various components of the independence movement organisations like the two factions of the OPM, the four days of independence declaration (December 1st, 1961, July 1st 1971, December 14th, 1995 and another one I cannot remember now.) FORERI must reconcile these factions to become one OPM, under one command for one goal. It is not to reconcile Thom and Theys because they are not the independence fighters. Thom is a tribal activist fighting against the mining operations and exploitation in West Papua. Theys is a tribal leader, fighting for the recognition of traditional customs in Papua. The purpose of reconciling them was not clear, to turn the aspiration for independence to an autonomy status is the most probable guess.

CEB: But as we know, FORERI is good for mediating and facilitating dialogues between various organisations in WP and with Indonesia. 

OPM: It should reconcile internally first and then externally with Indonesia. If FORERI starts with Indonesia, it means it recognises the Indonesian presence in WP. This indicates where FORERI stands, it stands to help Indonesia to be reconciled with the Melanesians and Austronesians in WP. This is funny because what it does is different from its name. A villager in the jungle will definitely say that FORERI is for Indonesia. That is why it should not work as if it is for us here.

CEB: If you implying that the OPM should replace the Council, then what will replace FORERI?

OPM: Do not worry. We are talking because we already know who will do what. Just wait and see.

CEB: Before I stop, when do you think you will return the keys?

OPM: If you read the local paper (Cenderawasih Post), it says "the keys are passed to Mathias Wenda, Gen. TPN PB. And that the Chairman of the Council and FORERI must go there and take they keys themselves. There is no other way. If they are fighting for independence, then person to meet is Mathias Wenda because he is the Commander in Chief of the OPM (organisation fighting for WP independence since 1963).

CEB: Thanks very much for your time. We will come and talk more.

OPM: You are welcome. Thanks for your time and your decision to meet us.