May 10 Demo Believed to Have Sponsors

The demonstration plan against the New Autonomous Region and the rejection of Otsus Volume II initiated by the Papuan People's Petition (PRP) group on May 10 is predicted to continue. It's just that the police are being asked to be more firm in enforcing the law, not only to the coordinators or participants of the action, but also to those behind the scenes.

Socio-political observer at Cenderawasih University, Marinus Yaung, is of the opinion that actions involving large numbers of people and being carried out on a massive scale are difficult to carry out without supporting parties. It is the parties behind the scenes that need to be investigated.

Yaung said that the rejection of Papua New Guinea was actually the main issue pushed by local elites. The elite, according to him, is afraid of losing political power from what has been obtained at this time. According to Yaung, local Papuan elites only borrow the voices of students and activists to voice their personal interests.
 
“I believe that students and activists are being ridiculed by the interests of local Papuan elites who are ultimately inconsistent in voicing the agenda for the demonstration later. It is inconsistent because it always plays with the double standard pattern that is included in the demo issue," Yaung explained to Ceposonline.com, Sunday (8/5).

They sometimes voiced issues criticizing the new autonomous regions and Papua Special Autonomy policies, but on the other hand they also voiced the issue of the Papuan referendum.

According to the Uncen Fisip Lecturer, the issue of DOB and Otsus Papua has its own agenda and goals. On the other hand, the issue of the Papuan referendum has a different agenda and objectives. “So, if the demo is a double standard and inconsistent model like this, it can be ascertained that it is a paid demo. There are donors behind the demonstrations against the DOB and Otsus Papua," he quipped.

And the way to stop these paid demonstrations, Yaung suggested, is to enforce strict laws, especially tracing the flow of funds that were allegedly handed down from the local Papuan elite to the coordinator of the demonstration. “I believe that local elites are involved in being the dealer for demonstrations on the issue of the new autonomous regions and Special Autonomy for Papua. The security forces should have been able to uncover the source of the funds that flowed into the wallets of the protesters. The issue of Papua New Guinea and Papua Special Autonomy is a strategic issue of the state in Papua at this time and it takes great political power with large financial support to fight against the country's policies," he added.

He mentioned that rationally, students and activists in Papua do not have the political capital and large funding to mobilize their actions. Political capital and big money are actually in the hands of local elites and the security forces are predicted to already know this, they just need to reveal it to the public. In line with Yaung, a social activist in Jayapura City, Gunawan also believes that the coordinators of the demonstration, including the spokesman for the PRP, have received "tributes" for carrying out the action.

“I don't think there's a free lunch. Where there are young people today who are willing to be hot on the streets and then beaten by the authorities without being promised anything, at least eat. Now, where to prepare water and eat that much, if not someone to prepare it," said Gunawan.
 
"I'm also curious because I heard that there are political elites who fund everything," concluded Gunawan.

SOURCE: https://www.ceposonline.com/2022/05/08/demo-10-mei-dibelii-punya-sponsor/