Author: Abepura Prison,
Sentani, West Papua,
25 April 2013
Brothers and Sisters of one nation and one country of West Papua, who are now moving between and under trees, in the deep and wide forests of Papua, on the coastal areas, down the valleys and in the swamps, who are now fighting for our rights openly or in a clandestine manner, even to the diasporas and around the globe (Pacific, Europe, America, Australia, Africa and Asia).
It has been 50 years since the 1st of May 1963 when the people of West Papua and the Land of West Papua were integrated into the Republic of Indonesia by means of military invasion after the TRIKORA (Tri Komando Rakyat, “People’s Triple Command”) speech by President Soekarno on the 19th of December 1961. Since then the people and the land of West Papua have been experiencing human calamities resulting from a conflict without a peaceful and fair resolution. Hundreds of thousands of the indigenous West Papuans have been murdered, slaughtered and imprisoned by the Republic of Indonesia.
Our land of abundance in natural resources has been exploited for the sake of capitalism and development. The capitalism only brings up colonialism. That is why the development for the people of West Papua is always under the operation of the militaristic intelligence (services). So, when our people demand a fair compensation due to the use of their traditional land for development, they are always named as the members of Free Papua Organization (OPM) or separatists. Such a condition sets a fire of revolt, Free Papua ideology, which is never put down.
Today, our history of the long-lasting Free Papua struggle is added to a long list of the sufferings of the people of West Papua. We should all reflect on this. Why did Xanana Gusmao, Ramos Horta and Bishop Belo end the sufferings of the people of Timor Leste within a period of 24 years integration with Indonesia? Why has it been 50 years that the Free Papua Organizations has not shown any sign of accomplishment? Is this because our egocentric attitude is weakening us? Or has our loving God not been on our side yet?
From our Christian perspective, a 50-year (anniversary) is a jubilant year. It is a year of freedom, a year of recovery for a nation. However, the period from the 1st of May 1963 to the 1st of May 2013 has not materialized as expected. Therefore, let us crucify our egoisms, our faction-centered views, our primordial attitudes in order that the pulse of the Papuan nationalism is beating freely to unite a resolution agenda between civil revolt institutions, guerrilla fighters, and diplomats.
Now, the bargaining position of the people of West Papua is the declaration of the Federated Republic of West Papua (NRFPB) at the conclusion of the Third Papuan Congress on 19th October 2011. May this bargaining position become a juridical foundation for the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to accept us as a member. And then, with this recognition, the NRFPB may enter into a regional resolution with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) which has sixteen members, and so bring our case to the United Nations.
Finally, United We Stand Divided We Fall! Therefore, let us join hands and bring the people of West Papua to a peaceful, free and full sovereignty.
The Jayapura Five
Abepura Prison
25 April 2013
