Bintang Papua, 23 June 2011
Pastor Jonga: ‘MRP has now become a mechanism for the government’s splitting tactics.’
The controversy about the setting up of an MRP for West Papua had
continued to rumble on and is likely to last for a long time. There are
people who now claim that having two MRPs will threaten the existence
of the indigenous Papuan people.
This was the theme of a seminar held by the Students Executive Council
(BEM) on Wednesday this week.
The controversy emerged when the governor of West Papua, acting on
behalf of the Minister of the Interior, announced the creation of the
West Papua MRP. The seminar was held at the auditorium of the
Cenderawasih University, and was attended by about a hundred people.The
main speakers were Fadhal Alhamid of the Papuan Customary Council (DAP)
and Pastor Jong Jonga, representing the religious community The
moderator was Laus Rumayon.
Fadhal Alhamid said that the danger posed by MRP dualism was that the
standard set for basic human rights of Papuans living in the province
of West Papua would be different from those set in the province of
Papua. In addition, the creation of the West Papua MRP was to promote
certain vested interests, part of a conspiracy between the governor and
the vice-governor of West Papua. ‘The MRP reached an agreement
regarding cultural and economic unity.But if there are now two MRPs,
there is the danger that this unity will disappear.’
He also said that responsibility for creating the second MRP rests with
the MRP itself. ‘We should raise the question of whether they were the
ones responsible for creating the second MRP.’
He also drew attention to the position of people in the leaderhip of
the Papua MRP and the West Papua MRP. ‘The fact that Ibu Dorkas is the
chairman of the Papua MRP and is also the vice-chairman of the West
Papua MRP has led to a great deal of confusion.
The other speaker, Pastor Jong Jonga, dealt more specifically with his
own experiences with congregations living in the district of Keerom. ‘In
my opinion, special autonomy (OTSUS) has failed to provide protection,
tranquillity and security indigenous because its benefits are only
being enjoyed by people living in the vicinity of the district capital.
‘These were precisely the regions where the percentage of indigenous
Papuans is very low as compared to the percentage of newcomers or
migrants.’ What they were hoping for, he said, was that the MRP which
had been intended as a unifying body would now become a means for
splitting the Papuan people.’
During questions and answers that followed the speeches, the students
focused primarily on OTSUS. Many said that OTSUS had become nothing
more than a mechanism to prolong the sufferings of the Papuan people.
OTSUS has become the long arm of the central government. ‘What was
needed now,’ the one questioner said, ‘was for the DPRP to take action
to disband the West Papua MRP.’ Many in the audience shared these views.
Related articles
- Central Highlands parliamentary group reject new MRP (westpapuamedia.info)
- Bintang Papua on death and funeral of Agus Alua (westpapuamedia.info)
- West Papuans in KRPBK determined to reject OTSUS (westpapuamedia.info)
- Magai: ‘Papuan officials are destroying Papua.’ (westpapuamedia.info)
- Papuan people’s coalition refuses to recognise new MRP (westpapuamedia.info)
Filed under: News alert Tagged: BEM, Cenderawasih University, civil resistance, colonialism, corruption, demographic genocide, Dual MRP, economic marginalisation, genocide, human rights, Illegitimate MRP, lack of effective representation, MRP, MRP election, Otsus Gagal, Papuan marginalisation, Pastor John Jonga, Rejection of Special autonomy
