Aryo Wisanggeni

Last updated: January 29, 2025 2:35 pm

Author: Larius Kogoya

Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan people have continued to be victims of militarism practices carried out by the Indonesian government since 1963. This was stated by the First Chairman of the West Papua National Committee, Warius Sampari Wetipo at a national seminar entitled “Realizing the Spirit of People’s Resistance for the Right to Self-Determination for the West Papuan People” which took place in Makassar City, South Sulawesi Province, on Monday (27/1/2025).

Warius Sampari Wetipo said that the KNPB was born because of militarism in the Land of Papua which has never stopped since May 1, 1963. According to him, in practice, military operations in the Land of Papua have never stopped since May 1, 1963, when the West Papuan nation was annexed by Indonesia.

Since then, massive and structured military operations have occurred throughout Papua. Although the Indonesian government has not officially announced the implementation of martial law in Papua, the security forces have continued to carry out various military operations there.

“The state committed crimes through Operation Trikora, Operation Mandala, Operation Wibawa, Operation, Tumpas, Operation Sadar, Operation Ketupat, Operation Senyap, Operation Koteka. Until now we still hear about Operation [Peace] Cartenz, Operation Nemangkawi, Operation Elang, and so on. Papua is a military emergency zone or Military Operation Area,” said Warpo Wetipo when interviewed further via the WhatsApp application service on Tuesday (28/1/2025).

Wetipo stated that since 2018 there have been sweeps of residents’ homes, burning of churches, schools, shootings of civilians by TNI/Polri officers in various regions of Papua. Mass evacuations occurred in Nduga Regency. After that, armed conflict between the TNI/Polri apparatus and the armed group of the West Papua National Liberation Army or TPNPB occurred and spread to various regions in Papua.

“The armed conflict between the TPNPB and the TNI/Polri continues to spread in various regions in our homeland, such as in Intan Jaya Regency, Yahukimo, Pegunungan Bintang, Maybrat, Puncak Jaya, Timika, Paniai, Dogiyai, Lanny Jaya, Puncak Jaya, and most recently in Yalimo and Tambrauw Regencies. The Papuan people are the main victims,” ​​said Wetipo.

The large-scale evacuation caused civilians to lose their homes, lose their relatives. A number of elderly people and babies who died in the middle of the forest died. The refugees also lost their livestock, could not farm, and lost their livelihoods.

The Central Executive Board of BPP KNPB together with the KNPB Makassar Regional Consulate held a national seminar entitled “Realizing the Spirit of People’s Resistance for the Right to Self-Determination for the West Papuan People” in Makassar City, South Sulawesi Province, on Monday. The seminar was attended by students, university students, youth, and KNPB delegates from Manado, Gorontalo, and Tomohon.

The seminar was also attended by representatives of student organizations that are members of the Cipayung Group, human rights and democracy activists, LBH Makassar, FRI-WP, KNPB activists, AMPTPI and AMP.

Activist of the Indonesian People’s Front for the Liberation of West Papua (FRI-WP) Makassar Region, Arul reviewed the history of President Soekarno issuing the Trikora Declaration in the Yogyakarta Square on December 19, 1961, one of the contents of which was the dissolution of the Dutch puppet state of Papua. The decree also ordered a general mobilization led by Soekarno.

“The impact was a massive military invasion in the West Irian region (West Papua). The independence of the West Papuan nation was castrated on December 19, 1961,” he said.

According to Arul, the political economic conspiracy of America, the Netherlands, and Indonesia during the struggle for West Irian has sacrificed the people and nation of West Papua, because the people and nation of West Papua were never involved in the negotiations. “That indicates that the meeting was only carried out by the devil, the devil, and witnessed by ghosts,” said Arul.

Another FRI-WP Makassar activist, Nyora, said that the problem in West Papua, his party saw not only genocide, ecocide and ethnocide. According to him, the main problems faced by the Papuan people are colonialism, racism, and capitalism in the Land of Papua.

“In short, Indonesia practiced colonialism in West Papua. The next, racism is very fertile in Indonesia. The practice of racism has been implemented since the beginning, since the West Papuan Nation was annexed into the Republic of Indonesia,” said Nyora.

Nyora revealed that the Indonesian nation as a new colonial nation feels superior to the Papuan nation. In every decision regarding political, economic, legal, social, and cultural status, the Papuan Indigenous People are never involved as subjects.

“That’s where racism is embedded. Indonesia considers the Papuan nation to be backward, ancient, primitive, stupid, weak, poor. That’s the nature of colonialism,” he said.

The condition of the people in Papua is getting worse, because of the problem of capitalism. Nyora said that Papua is economically controlled by foreign capitalism and Indonesia is only a errand dog. This condition often causes indigenous people to experience agrarian conflicts which become serious problems and give rise to new conflicts.

“Indonesia is only a errand dog for foreign capitalists. Even customary land is capitalized by local capitalists and bourgeoisie,” said Nyora.

Public advocate LBH Makassar, Rasak said that LBH exists to advocate and provide legal protection for victims, especially the weak who need legal assistance. LBH Makassar accompanies victims on various issues, including Papuan activists who express their opinions and protest in the form of demonstrations.

“We were once interrogated by Indonesian security forces, ‘why are you advocating for Papuan issues and so on’. For LBH Makassar, advocating for the weak, the oppressed/colonized is necessary, [they] have their fundamental rights protected,” said Rasak. (*)