By: Rebeca Marian )*
The anniversary of the Papuan independence organization on 1 December is an exciting date, because they have a tradition of presenting themselves in public. They also provoked the people of Cendrawasih Earth to support OPM and no longer obey the government. The public was asked to raise awareness.
Papua is the youngest province to join Indonesia, but it is still part of the country. Civilians on Earth of Cendrawasih also love NKRI. Especially in the era of President Jokowi. Papua is given so much attention, in fact he is listed as the president who visits there the most. PON will also be held in Papua and this trust proves the love of the government.
But unfortunately there are elements who do not like the closeness of Papuan civilians to the central government. The Free Papua Organization continues to try to provoke the people of Cendrawasih Earth. They still insist on forming a federal state for West Papua and separating from Indonesia. And consider the results of pepera (the determination of people’s opinion) to be invalid.
The OPM statement is certainly ridiculous because the war happened more than 30 years ago. How can they protest something that is legal under national and international law? If there are OPM members who say that, then they may not see the pepera event with their own eyes.
The OPM also provoked the Papuan people to fly their flag, namely the one with the Morning Star image, on their birthday, December 1. People certainly don’t want to fly it because they prefer the red and white flag. The raising of the Morning Star flag is an insult to the sanctity of the red and white saka.
Apart from the Morning Star flag issue, OPM also influences the community through the issue of SARA. On a page on social media Facebook, an OPM member named Nathan Maryuana plotted the attack on December 1. They invited Papuan civilians to fight against the authorities, in the Sorong to Merauke areas.
Nathan reasoned that if there was no attack, it was feared that the melanesian race in Papua would be destroyed by other tribes. In that sense, he accused the security forces and other people in the Cendrawasih Earth who came from the Javanese, Sundanese, and so on tribes of being colonizers. This statement is very inconsequential and he purposely stirred up anger by taking up the issue of racism.
The accusation of this OPM member is completely unfounded, because the government has never made regulations to eradicate the melanesian race. Wasn’t it since the beginning of Indonesia, because they were singular? Different tribes but still one. If there are baseless accusations like this it could lead to slander and he could be subject to the ITE Law.
OPM members also cunningly brainwash teenagers who drop out of school. They were rewarded with rifles and the promise of heaven that guerrilla with armed criminal groups is fun. It’s like being a cool hero and being able to come out of the forest and mountains bravely.
Mothers and fathers should be vigilant if children and adolescents are being seduced by OPM members, either directly or through social media. Do not let them fall and their lives are in vain because they are seduced to rebel. And want to attack the authorities on December 1.
Beware of OPM provocations that continue to influence Papuan civilians to join in the rebellion. When they have their birthday, don’t let anyone fly the Morning Star flag. The federal state of West Papua is illegitimate in the eyes of the law, because Papua is a province of Indonesia and remains a part of this country.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Jakarta