By Marie Agatha Yembise )*
Separatist movements in Papua, such as those carried out by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), have been a source of tension and chaos in the Land of Papua for decades. They often claim that their struggle is for the people. However, behind this narrative, there is a bitter reality that is often hidden a movement that benefits a handful of elites who live in luxury abroad, while the Papuan people are left in suffering and conflict.
Tabi indigenous youth figure, Kundrath Tukayo, firmly rejects all forms of activities carried out by the ULMWP in Papua, especially in the Tabi region. Kundrath said that the Papuan people currently long for prosperity, not independence which would only prolong conflict and suffering. He also emphasized that political lobbying carried out by the ULMWP and other separatist groups would only worsen the situation, especially in Papua which is still facing development challenges.
Kundrath acknowledged that development in Papua is not only the responsibility of the central government, but also the Papuan people themselves. According to him, the Papuan people need to be aware that even though the government has disbursed a large budget for development, the demands for independence that continue to be carried by a handful of parties will only harm Papua as a whole.
The activities of the ULMWP group, including their support for the International Parliament for West Papua (IPWP) meeting in the British Parliament attended by Benny Wenda, show that they are more focused on the international political agenda than listening to the voices of the majority of the Papuan people. Kundrath emphasized that actions carried out abroad, such as their call to urge the Indonesian government to open access for the UN high commissioner for human rights to Papua, do not reflect the true interests of the Papuan people.
Kundrath also emphasized that Papuan separatist groups abroad continue to do this for personal and group interests, but in the name of the Papuan people. Kundrath also appealed to the Papuan people not to be provoked by the activities of the ULMWP, which often uses the rhetoric of independence to cover up their hidden agenda. The Papuan people, according to Kundrath, only want prosperity and development, not just promises of independence that do not provide real results.
This is in line with the confession of Krisyanto Yen Oni, a native Papuan man who through a viral video on YouTube exposed the dark side of the OPM which has been claiming to be fighting for Papuan independence. In the video, Krisyanto revealed that OPM leaders often exploit Papuan society, especially young people, for their own personal interests. They direct civilians to engage in violent actions, while they themselves live luxuriously and safely abroad.
Krisyanto firmly stated that OPM leaders manipulated the narrative of the independence struggle to gain financial and moral support from certain parties, both domestically and abroad. However, in reality, the Papuan people are the main victims of this prolonged conflict. Krisyanto’s confession has highlighted how the cunning tactics of OPM leaders only worsen conditions in Papua, while they themselves enjoy comfort and security far from the conflict zone.
Krisyanto’s confession video, which has been viewed more than 465,000 times since it was first uploaded in April 2023, has provided a shocking insight for many. In the video, he explains how many Papuan youths were forced to take part in the fighting without fully understanding the goals of the struggle propagated by the OPM. Krisyanto also emphasized that the OPM does not represent all Papuan people. On the contrary, many indigenous Papuans yearn for peace and development, without having to engage in endless violence.
This recognition provides a more realistic perspective on the situation in Papua. The OPM and other separatist groups often use manipulative tactics to gain international sympathy and support, but in the end, the ones who suffer the most are the Papuan people themselves. The prolonged armed conflict has not only damaged the social and cultural order of the Papuan people, but has also hampered development efforts carried out by the government.
Kundrath Tukayo and Krisyanto Yen Oni are examples of voices from the Papuan people who strongly reject separatist movements that harm the people. They realize that independence is not the solution to achieving the prosperity desired by the Papuan people. Instead of following detrimental separatist narratives, they encourage the Papuan people to focus on development and prosperity, working together with the central government to create a peaceful and prosperous Papua.
The Papuan people, as voiced by Kundrath and Krisyanto, yearn for a peaceful future, where they can actively participate in development without having to be involved in conflicts imposed by separatist groups. With the increasing openness of recognition from the Papuan people themselves, as expressed by Krisyanto in his viral video, the world can see more clearly that the struggles of separatist groups do not always represent the true interests of the Papuan people.
)* The author is a student from Papua in Surabaya
