Asia-Pacific Network: 15 September 1999
POLITICS: NOW EAST TIMOR, NEXT WEST PAPUA
East Timor's vote for independence is the beginning of the road to freedom for Indonesia's "colonies." The events of 30 August 1999 will undoubtedly inspire others struggling to disentangle themselves from the Indonesian regime, in particular West Papua.
By OTTO ONDAWAME
EAST TIMOR'S vote for independence is the beginning of the road to freedom for Indonesia's "colonies." The events of 30 August
1999 will undoubtedly inspire others struggling to disentangle themselves
from the Indonesian regime, in particular West Papua (the western half of
the island of New Guinea which the Indonesians call Irian Jaya).
I know
there are some who would prefer to call West Papua a "territory" rather
than a "colony." But, whatever the semantics, one thing is obvious:
Indonesia's annexation of West Papua in 1962 will increasingly be
scrutinised by the international community in the near future.
It is also conspicuous that regardless of what Jakarta and the
international community says, the balkanisastion of the Indonesian
archipelago seems inevitable.
The reasons are obvious. In many ways the
nation-state of Indonesia is an artificial construction of the post World
War era.
Secondly, because of the oppression, exploitation and genocide
propagated by a Javanese-dominated centralised power structure, civil
society is bound to react. In a way, in the last 50 years, the
Indonesian state has been digging its own grave.
On the issue of independence, despite the indifference of the
international community, West Papua has always resisted against Indonesian
rule. Unfortunately our struggle has been long ignored by the rest of the
world because it serves their political, strategic and economic interest to
do so. Indeed the people of West Papua have been victims of international
political conspiracy dictated by the cold war era.
Australia, the USA and
their Western allies denied West Papuans' right of self-determination and
independence because of their attempts to prevent the spread of communism
through Indonesia and to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Consequently,
West Papuans had to pay the price for the interests of Western countries.
The underlying interests of these countries have been exposed in SBS's Dateline program on 26 August 1999.
Because of pressure from Western countries (especially Australia
and the USA) and with the knowledge of the United Nations, the Dutch
government - the former colonial power in West Papua - was forced to
transfer West Papua to Indonesia.
This was made official by the New York
Agreement of 15 August 1962, signed by the Dutch and the Indonesians and
blessed by the USA and the UN.
Six years later, West Papua's annexation was
completed by the administration of the Act of Free Choice of 1969 -
musyawarah (consultation) as it is referred to by the Indonesians.
For West
Papuans this was an act "free of choice" and a mockery of internationally
accepted norms. Only 1025 Indonesian-appointed "representatives" voted on
behalf of a population of more than 800,000 Papuans.
Administered under gunpoint, the participants in the Act of Free Choice voted to be a part of
Indonesia. Through this process West Papuans were denied their right to
have one-person-one-vote as accepted by international practices. In effect,
there was never a proper referendum to allow West Papuans to choose their
political status.
But, despite the fact that the international community knew that
musyawarah - a Javanese village tradition for consultation, not a
referendum - was unlawful and violated the people's right to have
one-person-one vote, they endorsed it because it served their political
interests. Hence, the people of West Papua were never given the
opportunity to vote for independence. Instead they were merely "consulted"
about their integration with Indonesia. This means that the international
community contributed to West Papua's forceful integration with Indonesia.
This for West Papuans was the beginning of a new era of colonialism.
In today's world, colonialism, as a political tool, is out of
place. East Timor has proven that in spite of Jakarta and the global
community's propaganda, the struggle against Indonesian colonialism will
end in victory for the colonised. East Timor's independence brings to an
end one of the most painful, oppressive and exploitative colonial legacies
of our region. Jakarta is defeated by the people at the ballot box. East
Timorese in voting for independence have confirmed what the world has
always known, but chosen to deny.
Now that you have seen East Timor through the ballot box, give us,
the people of West Papua, the same opportunity to determine our political
status - a right denied to us in the 1960s. We want to be a people free
from Indonesia's colonial grasp and enjoy peace, democracy, freedom and
social progress.
Our questions have to be answered: what can the
international community, especially Western countries, do to set right the
wrongs done during the cold war era?
Has the political and strategic
interests of the cold war now overtaken by economic interests manifested in
western multinational companies' exploitation of our natural resources? Are
we, as a people, of less importance to you than our minerals and forests?
Is there any morality in today's globalised world? Are the lives of black
Papuans of less value than that of white Europeans?
Answers to these questions are indeed not simple. The simple truth,
however, is that the governments of Australia, the USA, Holland, and the UN
have a moral responsibility to end the colonial subjugation of West Papua.
They owe that to us. It is an issue they cannot continue to side step,
ignore and pretend they did not have anything to do with it. We have been
victims of a political pawn by the international community in the 1960s.
That same international community has a responsibility to assist us.
Canberra and its allies must apologise to the people of West Papua for the
past mistakes and take moral accountability for their future.
Australia's commitment to bring peace and order to east timor is a
good beginning. There is more to come. As a powerful member of the region,
and torn between the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, Australia will not
escape the obligations to bring peace to the region.
It is in Australia's
interest to do so. Dotted along its strategic buffer line are the issues of
Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Bougainville in PNG, West Papua and
East Timor. West Papua is equally important and will soon become a torn on
Australia's side if it is not addressed quickly. It is an issue Canberra
cannot afford to ignore. As Michelle Gratin wrote in the sydney morning
herald of 14 september 1999, "Australia may be faced in a few years with
questions of what attitude it should adopt to an East Timor situation in
Irian Jaya" (refers to West Papua). The people of Australia must realise
that Canberra has a moral obligation to help end Indonesian colonialism in
West Papua. Today its East Timor, tomorrow it will be West Papua.
If the West Papuan cause and that of other colonised peoples in
Indonesia are ignored, there will be serious strategic, political and
economic problems for Australia in the near future. Australia and
international community must recognise that the presences of Indonesia and
the role of its armed forces in the region will be a cause for instability.
It is therefore pertinent that the international community finds a
mechanism to end Indonesian colonialism.
We, the people of West Papua, will not sit and watch. We will
continue to fight against Indonesian colonialism. We will continue to
struggle for our rights to determine our future and to be respected. For
the best interest of all of us, Australia must respond now. Not tomorrow.
We do not want to repeat in West Papua what occurred in East Timor in the
post referendum period.
Concerned with the escalation of conflict and violence in West
Papua, i call the governments of Australia, the USA, the Dutch and the UN
to pressure the Habibie government into starting a peaceful dialogue,
organising referendum on special autonomy or independence for West Papua
under the supervision of the un. Such a process must use a formula that
satisfies the conflicting parties. Jakarta must also allow international
independent humanitarian organisations, journalists and un observers into
West Papua.
Trade and military ties and assistance to indonesia must be
stopped. Indonesian troops must also be withdrawn from West Papua. Members
of the South Pacific Forum must address the issue of West Papua.
And, most
importantly, initiate to reopen the legal and political discussions on the
act of free choice of 1969. The stability, security and progress of the
region cannot be guaranteed unless these issues are dealt with.