Indigenous Indonesians Stand Up Against ‘Silent Genocide’ Promoted by Government
ASIA--PACIFIC, 15 Sep 2014
Christina Sarich – Nation of Change
Although the Indonesian government wants to be seen as a leader and supporter of human rights, the brutality of its military force in West Papua undermines its efforts. Tactics such as rape, torture, and ‘disappearing’ are used by the military to suppress dissent.
The Indonesian government has banned foreign journalists from airing their dirty laundry, but over 750,000 of more than 245 million individuals that call Indonesia home are classified as indigenous, living primarily in West Papua, and through groups like the Free Papua Movement (OPM), they are standing up to brutal military force. Without political clout, special interest groups, or corporate cash, these brave people are bringing needed attention to what is being called the ‘silent genocide.’
In the past 50 years, it is estimated that more than 1 million Papuans have been murdered. (In comparison, approximately 100,000 American service members died in Iraq, with Obama and Bush’s blessing and almost the same number of US civilians died in all of WWII).
Indigenous people tell tales of rape, torture, and ‘disappearing’ a tactic used by the military to squash dissent. There is also a far-reaching policy of forced Java resettlement into camps that the Indonesian State has carved out of Papuan forest.
Benny Wenda, a West Papuan leader who peacefully demonstrated to bring independence to his nation, occupied by Indonesia, was arrested, tortured and threatened with death for his ‘crime.’ His story is one of many.
Apartheid in Papua is akin to the atrocities that happened in South Africa before Nelson Mandela’s historic jail stint. After peaceful meetings, civilians are led away to work camps against their will. The killers of a twelve-year-old girl are treated like heroes by the colonial influences of the State.
A paper published by the Yale Law School for the Indonesian Human Rights Campaign in 2004 found “in the available evidence a strong indication that the Indonesian government has committed genocide against the West Papuans,” yet ten years later, the problem remains. All the while, our government tries to start wars in the name of ‘democracy’ with false flag events, ignoring true humanitarian crises in other parts of the world.
There is no freedom of expression in West Papua, and the gag-order placed on International journalists allows the problem to fester.
Noam Chomsky has said of the Papua crisis:
“The crimes committed against the people of West Papua are some of the most shameful of the past years. The Western powers have much to answer for, and at the very least should use their ample means to bring about the withdrawal of the occupying Indonesian army and termination of the shameful exploitation of resources and destruction of the environment and the lives and societies of the people of West Papua, who have suffered far too much.”
And why are colonial interests bombarding the indigenous people with violence and stripping them of their human rights? They’re trading human rights for mineral rights. The land is full of what Richard Nixon has called “the richest hoard of natural resources, the greatest prize in South-east Asia.”
In the same manner the US has carpet-bombed and droned the Middle East in search of oil dominance, Indonesia has been coveting the over $33 billion in estimated mineral wealth of a people who don’t even have basic health facilities.
In what the Indonesian government called a ‘free act of choice,’ 1026 hand-picked West Papuans were escorted to Jakarta in 1969 to basically give over their rights to freedom, and their burgeoning mineral wealth. Despite this, the Free Papua Movement has endured to this day, despite almost impossible odds.
Partly due to the ongoing efforts of the OPM, young voters in Indonesia are paying attention to the candidates up for election that have the power to resolve the conflict in West Papua, and the Pacific Churches (along with other NGOs) plan to raise the question of West Papua with government officials.
Sadly, the effort to reduce media attention rages on. Two French journalists are currently being held by the Indonesian government, and Asian media organizations are urging their release.
Amnesty International campaigner, Josef Benedict says:
“The Indonesian government wants to play a major role in the region. They want to be seen as a country which respects human rights. They’ve taken the lead on many human rights issues in the region, particularly within the ASEAN movement. So it actually does a disservice to them when they take on or act in this manner in the Papuan region.” (Josef Benedict).”
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