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| Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman speaking at a consultation on human rights and peace for Papua at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva. |
A consultation in Geneva termed political dialogue as
the only way towards peace and stability in Tanah Papua, a province of
Indonesia. The region has remained the focus of tensions between the
Indonesian authorities and the Papuan indigenous people for years –
resulting in grave human rights violations.
Hosted by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the consultation
titled “Human Rights and Peace for Papua” was organized by the
International Coalition for Papua (ICP), a group of faith-based and
civil society organizations.
The event brought together a number of faith-based and civil society
organizations, church leaders from Tanah Papua, peace activists and
United Nations officials, from 23 to 24 September in Geneva,
Switzerland.
Participants in the consultation discussed various aspects of the
crisis in Tanah Papua, stressing the need for institutional reforms to
protect civil, political, socio-economic and cultural rights of the
people. They noted the need to promote freedom of expression to avoid
Papua becoming isolated from international support.
Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman from the Communion of Baptist Churches in
Papua and a keynote speaker at the consultation, expressed deep distress
over state violence in Tanah Papua.
“Papuans want peace and have always respected other human beings throughout the ages.”
“A lengthy struggle will be needed to change the government policies
which have been implemented for the last five decades,” said Yoman
referring to on-going violence in the province.
He added that finding a political solution also needs “patience and
total commitment to achieve lasting justice, reform and final victory”.
Tanah Papua has a prominent Christian presence, with more than 45 diverse denominations.
Ending violence in Papua
Leonard Imbiri, general secretary of the Papua Customary Council,
shared concern over the silencing of human right activists in Tanah
Papua. Explaining the situation in the province, he called exploitation
of natural resources, military interests in the region and demographic
changes as only some of the sources of the problem.
“Extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, poor health and
education infrastructure, child mortality and high HIV/AIDS rates, land
grabbing and deforestation are a few examples of human rights
violation, indicating inability of the national government to deliver,”
Imbiri added.
WCC’s programme executive for human rights and global advocacy,
Christina Papazoglou, referred to the long-standing support of the WCC
to the struggle of the indigenous people of Tanah Papua and for an end
to the on-going violence and impunity. She highlighted the need
for a Jakarta-Papua dialogue as a means to address the root causes of
the present problems, leading to peace with justice in the region.
“It is sad and worrisome to see that after all these years, nothing has really changed,” added Papazoglou.
Mentioning the WCC Executive Committee statement issued in February
2012, Papazoglou said that the Indonesian authorities were requested to
take necessary steps to release political prisoners, to lift the ban on
peaceful assembly of Papuans and to demilitarize Tanah Papua.
“The WCC Executive Committee urged the Indonesian government to
initiate necessary steps to enter into dialogue with indigenous Papuan
people and to take adequate measures to protect their rights,” she said.
The international consultation was followed by a side-event on “Human
Rights and Indigenous Peoples in Asia: Cases in West Papua” organized
jointly by the Asia Human Rights Commission, the WCC’s Commission of
Churches on International Affairs, Franciscans International, Geneva for
Human Rights, the International Coalition for Papua, Tapol and
the World Organisation against Torture. The consultation took place on
25 September at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
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