The Courier Mail (Australia) : Yudhoyono backs brutal Papua role
January 29, 2008 Tuesday
Marianne Kearney IN JAKARTA
INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday gave extraordinary praise for former dictator Suharto’s role in the brutal military operation in Papua which killed thousands of tribesman.
Leading yesterday’s state funeral for Suharto in Solo, Mr Yudhoyono called on all Indonesians to remember the achievements of his 32-year rule, which was punctuated by massive human rights abuses.
The President commended Suharto for leading Operation Mandala, the early 1960s military operation aimed at intimidating the local population and pressuring then colonial ruler, The Netherlands, into handing the territory to Indonesia.
“In 1962, he led the forces which bravely struggled for West Irian (Papua),” said Mr Yudhoyono.
The operation paved the way for Indonesia to formally take control of the territory in 1969.
Human rights groups say up to 100,000 Papuans have died as a result of actions by the Indonesian military and security forces.
Before Operation Mandala, the Dutch had been preparing West Irian for independence.
But the US — fearing Indonesia might move further to the left — pressured The Netherlands into allowing West Irian to be put under United Nations control.
The UN ceded the territory to Indonesia and held a much criticised Act of Free Choice in 1969, in which a handful of tribal chiefs were intimidated into voting to join Indonesia.
Mr Yudhoyono’s comment is a signal to both Papuans and Australia that the current administration will not tolerate dissent in the province, where the Free Papua Movement has waged a low-level guerilla war since 1969.
A diplomatic tussle between Canberra and Jakarta flared in 2006 when Australia granted political asylum to a boatload of Papuans who said they were fleeing military persecution because of their peaceful support for independence.
Indonesia suspected Australia was covertly supporting independence activists, despite repeated official statements on Canberra’s support for Indonesian territorial integrity.
Papua’s guerilla movement has kept a low profile over the past few years.
But church groups, activists and students have continued to campaign peacefully for independence or demanded the expulsion of the Indonesian military from the jungle-clad province. Analysts say Jakarta now fears that these activists, especially the overseas campaigners, could garner international sympathy for their cause, just as exiled East Timorese successfully campaigned for independence.
East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao flew from Dili to Solo yesterday to attend the Suharto funeral.
Mr Gusmao, who led a guerilla struggle against Indonesia’s 1975-99 occupation of East Timor, said Timorese should pay tribute to the man who helped develop their country.
“Thank God, Pak Harto did many things to develop this country over the 24 years, although he also did a lot of terrible things. But we must forgive his sins,” he said.
100,000 was the minimum number killed. Dr. Kees Lagerberg in the 1980’s estimated 300,000 West Papuan people had been killed by Indonesian forces. There is no way of knowing how many people have been born or killed since Indonesia became the colonial master.
Suharto’s military was a joke and had nothing to do with Indonesia getting West Papua; it was the Freeport corporation inside the U.S. White House who got Kennedy to write the New York Agreement trading West Papua to Indonesia for America’s benefit that got Indonesian hands on West Papua.
Andrew
Januari 30, 2008
As one of those escaped from Indonesia military brutality in 1981, escaping and hiding for hours in the jungles, seeing my uncled being cut into pieces, and thrown into a hole, deep inside, keeping an eye on his dead body, and reporting to my mother, …etc.etc., I can’t see why Indonesians are praising this dictator and killer.
Yes, I can see clearly rght now, that this has more to do with the USA’s interests on the natural resources in West Papua than mere Indonesian ambition, which would have been stopped if the Dutch and the allied forces or the western block wanted to do so. In fact not, they just wanted the rights of ours, “cannibals” who were not counted that much at that time, to be set aside, and put the economic interest ahead. We are one of the best examples of how the USA government turn a blind eye when it comes to benefiting it economically.
papuapost
Februari 1, 2008
The government of the centre could not close again the failure of special Papua autonomy. Already eight years but, not there is perubahaan that was visible in Papua. Available in the autonomy era of the people papua in slaughtered in bunuh,di kidnapped. In this problem the application of autonomy failed, was applied. Kemudian,pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia continued to happen. ASk,wether Papua the country personally so as to want to face Papua with all the strengths? . We Rakyat Papua the traditional council, masyarakat,mahasiswa the church refused all the forms of the violence and wanted the freedom so that the people papua lived like the other nation without campura the hands from siapapun.Sudah much group menjadikorban, the violence from the Indonesian military and his government sendiri.Maka, not there is bargained independence was the FIXED PRICE.. INDEPENDENT
Amoleee
Desember 3, 2008
Humanity and Human Rights here, as long as if it is done for the sake of nationality, it is regarded heroic and patriotic.
That is really why Indonesia always says, “Human Rights standards should be done according to each state’s socio-political and socio-cultural contexts.” This approach was applied in the Act of Free Choice 1969 in West Irian when the universally accepted “one-man-one-vote” was replaced by “consultation” *musyawarah* method which does not apply at the national democracy but normally only applies to village and family levels.
papuapost
Mei 26, 2009