By: Sabby Kosay) *
Indonesia is a pluralistic country consisting of various ethnicities and cultures. One such ethnic group is the Papuan people who live in the eastern tip of Indonesia. Even though they live in areas far from the national capital, Papua still receives the attention of the government. Apart from being an integral part of the Republic of Indonesia, Papua strengthens Indonesia’s diversity.
Physical and racial differences are often used by separatists to submit demands for independence. However, this was considered just a trick because it did not mean that physical differences became a reason to separate from Indonesia, because Indonesia had fought until there was bloodshed when it captured Papua (then Irian Jaya) from the Dutch colonial government.
In fact, in almost every speech by Ir Soekarno that was broadcast through RRI, sentences from Sabang to Merauke were often echoed as proof of the Republic of Indonesia’s sovereignty.
Asvi Warman Adam as a historian of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), with or without the allure of his natural wealth, Sukarno will still fight for Papua. Because the region is within the scope of national sovereignty.
There are various cultures stored in Bumi Cenderawasih ranging from dance, food to language. This means that Papua is very rich in ancestral heritage.
Various cultures in Papua such as Bakar Batu party, cut finger tradition, delivery of dowry, tradition of stamped plates (Mansorandak), to traditional musical instruments. Of course it is an excuse for the government and the community to protect Papua as part of the Republic of Indonesia.
Sandra Charlotte as Chairman of The Legen Community ’98 said, Papua is part of Indonesia. Therefore, Papuans are entitled to the same rights as other Indonesian citizens.
Sandra said that all this united Indonesia was Pancasila. Although Indonesia consists of many tribes and many islands, with Pancasila all can be united.
In addition, Sandra also reminded the public not to forget the Indonesian founding fathers. Because, it was the Founding Fathers who had fought bloody to liberate and build this nation.
He also stated emphatically that the Unitary Price of Homeland, Papua is Us. So there is no place for anyone who wants to split the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Regarding the separatist movement in Papua, in fact it was completed with the Determination of the Opinion of the People (Pepera) in 1969 which concluded that Papua remained the territory of Indonesia.
In addition, the founding of a new country will be difficult to obtain international recognition. In addition, there is also no guarantee that the condition of Papua will increase welfare after independence.
Of course, one of the options that can be taken to Indonesianize Papua is to improve the welfare and treatment of the people of Papua like humans in general. Involve them with programs that build state awareness while moving their economies.
If this method is carried out on a massive scale, the problems in Papua will be resolved slowly, including the problem of separatist movements.
We certainly cannot be too naive and trapped in sectarianism, naive and even chauvinistic exclusivism, as if we are the owners of this country, we are the heroes while the other groups are not fighters.
Though not a few Papuans who took part in the effort to develop Indonesia, that some Papuans were also appointed as Ministers in the Presidential Government Cabinet.
If this is so, do we have to doubt their existence in Indonesia. The problem of migrants and Indigenous people, all kinds of differences do not need sharp fragmentation, because all of us in the archipelago are migrants.
In the past the archipelago was only inhabited by Homo Soloensis, Homo Wajakensis, Homo Phitecantropus Erectus, Homo Floresiensia who were eventually known as Ebugogo humans.
They are human Pigmeus or pigments that are modern humans who have extinct the archipelago in the past, including those that went extinct along with the ice age that divides Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, Nusa Java, Bali, Lombok, Nusa Nipa to East Timor, Sulawesi and Kalimantan, Papua and Australia. At that time the pulala native population who inhabited the archipelago became extinct.
This means that we are all migrant nations, not native peoples. The country of Indonesia is inhabited by immigrant nations, which contain a diverse group of islands. In this case the Papuan people entered the Melanesoid Race that inhabits the South Pacific. When referring to history like this, of course there is no doubt, we must recognize that the Papuans are Indonesians.
) * The writer is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta
