The Police Commander for Papua Province said "Sorry!" to Satgas Papua and Proposed Dialogue in resolving West Papua Issue (November 2, The CEB Reporting from Port Numbay) Back to This Month's Index

Mr. Wenas, the Police Commander for Papua Province said "Sorry!" to the Papuans when he was visiting the gathering of Papuans waiting for Mr. Sihombing (the Jayapura Resort Police Commander) and his troops to remove the Satgas Papua office. Mr. Wenas came and directly entered Satgas Office and joined the Prayer Group praying for the safety of the Papuans and security for all people in West Papua. He came in and joined and prayed. Members of the prayer group came around him and put their hands on him and praised the Lord and thanked the Lord that He is the Father of Peace for the Papuans.

After saying, "Sorry!" to the people, Mr. Wenas left the office accompanied by his guard. Off he went into his car, waving his hand and left the office.

Meanwhile, the Penis Gourds people were ready to response to any action from the Police. When they were gathering all day, shop owners and public passing the Park contributed what they have, i.e., cigarette, ice-cream, water, tea, coffee, cakes, meal and others. Both Policemen and Koteka troops were sitting and eating, smoking, drinking and talking together. Sometimes they cheered and laughed. It was just like a party, no tension whatsoever.

Yesterday, 1 November 2000 was another day of victory for the Papuans in the struggle in defending the Morning Star Flag in West Papua. In response to the threat from the Police Commander of Jayapura Resort, Drs. D. Sihombing, SH, the Papuans already filled up the Imbi Park and Jl. Irian, in front of the office of Satgas Papua. Mr. Sihombing gave a dateline 1 November 2000 to remove Satgas office. The people, represented by the Commander of Satgas Papua for Port Numbay and the Penis Gourds People's Assembly Council (Demmak) gathered their troops peacefully flooded the Imbi Park and they started sitting in front the Satgas Office, while the Prayer Team members were praying inside the office.

In his statement after meeting the Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Mr. Wenas said there is no more deadline to lower down the Papuan Flag but further steps will be taken put putting dialogue, dialogue and dialogue first. "This is the best way forward," he was quoted by a local paper here.

If the Indonesian government really chooses dialogue as the way forward to resolve West Papua political issue, then this is the way that the Papuans have been demanding. Dialogue will, for sure, objectively give clear answers to the questions such as: (1) Why does West Papua  stay within Indonesia?, (2) Why did the the UN Security Council approve the unlawful Act of Free Choice in 1969?, (3) Why did the Netherlands give away West Papua to Indonesia? These questions and others should be addressed through dialogues between Papuans and foreigners (including Indonesians).

The Papuans have been urging Indonesian government to open a Dialogue between Papuans and the Indonesians since the last 2 years. The 100-Team, the 10-Team, The Presidium Council, the TPN/OPM and other organisations based in Papua have been urging Jakarta to open dialogue with the Papuans. However, unfortunately, Jakarta has been denying the voice of the Papuans. Murder and exploitation all over West Papua have been normal so far for the Indonesians. The cry for help to the international community have been blocked. If their voice has ever heard, it has been just rumors from the jungles. These people are just primitive, stone-age people, illiterate, undeveloped, and cannibals anyway. Just ignore them, let them extinct from their land. We have done so in Australia, America and Africa anyway. We can do it successfully in Papua. Is this the reason why the world does not have a care heart and humane ears? (CEB)