By: Rebecca Marian) *
Papua is the easternmost island of Indonesia. The international community also recognizes Papua as an inseparable part of Indonesia. Claims of separatist groups who want to free themselves from Indonesia are considered absurd.
As a Friend country, New Zealand stressed that it supports the sovereignty of Indonesia including Papua in order to remain part of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, New Zealand also explained a handful of elements from the country which declared Papuan independence support referred to as mere opinion.
Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Tantowi Yahya said, New Zealand always supports Indonesian sovereignty, they always respect Indonesia’s territorial territory from Sabang to Merauke.
Mahfud MD also emphasized that New Zealand is a Friend of Indonesia country which strongly supports the integration or territorial integrity of Indonesia, including strongly supporting the question of Papua as part of Indonesia.
He also added that support from New Zealand regarding the integrity of Papua as part of the Homeland is needed not only politically, but also constitutionally. This is in order to maintain what has become an international decision. Because international law has stated that Papua is a legitimate part of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia and all regions that have become a legal part must be defended by the country concerned in any way.
Mahfud also straightened out related to the alleged issue of human rights violations in Papua that had been developing. On one occasion, he explained to New Zealand lawmakers that what happened in Papua was a separatist movement.
Indonesia has laws that guarantee the right of the state to take security-related measures. Mahfud stressed that if there were alleged violations that occurred, it was the effect of horizontal conflicts between groups.
We need to know that Papua is an integral part of Indonesia since the meeting of the Indonesian Independence Preparatory Committee (PPKI) on 18 August 1945, a day after Soekarno-Hatta proclaimed Indonesia’s Independence, on 17 August 1945. The Papua region in general is a region rich in biodiversity, with stormy natural resources, ethnicity and language.
From the geopolitical position, Papua borders countries that have potential global economic strength, starting from the Philippines in the north, then spread to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, to the Pacific islands and the American continent in the east while in the south facing Australia.
However, in reality the condition of the Papua region is still not fully developed, this is due to the unstable social and security conditions due to the continued development of separatist groups in the region.
Even groups who want Papua to separate from Indonesia, often engage in exchanges of fire with TNI / Polri officers, this security disturbance has hampered development of various sectors.
Meanwhile, the people of Papua have not lost their enthusiasm in expressing their loyalty to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. They consciously rejected the referendum and foreign intervention on the Papua problem which could divide Indonesian brotherhood and unity.
Until whenever Papua is part of the Homeland and can not be separated. All citizens must comply with the law and if there are people who are guilty, they must get a punishment in accordance with applicable law.
NKRI and Pancasila are final and cannot be changed, it is an obligation for all nations to protect Indonesia from all disunity efforts.
Last September, a number of Papuans living in various regions staged a demonstration on the streets and said they would not separate themselves from the Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, they hope for the support of all parties so that Bumi Cenderawasih will soon be peaceful again.
The Alliance of the Concerned Papuan Community when holding such a peaceful action is nothing but a form of support for the people of Papua as their countrymen and fellow citizens.
He stressed that Papua is part of diversity that must be maintained and nurtured by its cultural noble values. Values that can unite the regions of the archipelago from Sabang to Merauke.
They also stressed that there was no desire from the Papuan people to separate themselves from the Republic of Indonesia. Basically Papuans are peaceful-loving people who do not like commotion or riots, let alone division.
Therefore, we should maintain the spirit of Indonesian unity to keep the Papua region from separating from Indonesia, especially with the support of friendly countries and even indigenous Papuans themselves who remain firm in their stance that Papua will continue to join the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
) * The writer is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta
