The Alliance of Papuan Students Ridden by Separatist Groups Publish Calls for 1 December Celebration

A long narrative published on partisan online media, suaraapiperlawan.com and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) social media account, relates to plans to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the West Papua Declaration of Independence on December 1. In the article which is divided into several points, it is explained that according to him the raising of the Morning Star flag in Hollandia (currently Jayapura) on December 1, 1961 was the moment of declaration of independence for West Papua, both de facto and de jure.

The Papuan people are also said to have not taken part in the Indonesian Youth Pledge on 28 October 1928. Because of this, they have never recognized one nation, one language and one homeland. This includes the Proclamation of August 17, 1945, that West Papua had nothing to do with Indonesian independence. Likewise, after the inauguration of the West Irian Struggle, West Papua remained a disputed area between Indonesia and the Netherlands. In order to seize West Papua into the Republic of Indonesia, the state launched a number of military operations in Papua. Departing from this, at the momentum towards the 61st anniversary of the independence of the West Papuan nation, students, farmers, workers, urban poor, fishermen, street children and all Papuan warriors and solidarity people are urged to prepare lines of fire resistance to rebel.

The emergence of this appeal was openly provocative in nature trying to influence and invite the public to carry out rebellion on behalf of the nation of West Papua. Despite the long history that has been repeatedly conveyed, the Papua region is part of Indonesia, not independent.

The Recurring Debate on the Issue of Papuan Independence

Recognizing one of the characteristics of a movement with the pure aim of building society or only being ridden by certain interests is at the end of the narrative which is usually also contained in the last point of the demands. Fire resistance for rebellion is the strong diction chosen by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) to illustrate that the land of Papua is not part of Indonesia. As if in a pattern, every issue and momentum that occurs, whether in the form of a policy or a warning, always ends with this conclusion. One of them is in an appeal to celebrate the 61st anniversary of West Papua's independence on December 1.

A political journal from Padjadjaran University in Bandung examines the AMP movement's relationship with propaganda carried out through social media. Starting from the anti-racist demonstration riots in 2019, it was concluded that AMP gave a signal of support for separatist and terrorist movements in Papua through demonstration movements using symbols of an independent Papua, such as the Morning Star flag. Based on the study, it was also broken down that the AMP communication center was massively integrated with Papuan pro-democracy elite interest groups. This can be seen from the process of allowing the AMP movement to occur in every city. For example, Papuan student dormitories are financed by the regional budget, but in practice these places are used as the center of the movement for an independent Papua. Then, strategically the propaganda carried out by AMP is considered to be quite systematic and organized, utilizing social media networks to spread and campaign for negative framing of a number of government policies with the ultimate goal of creating opinions and creating conditions so as to gain public sympathy, both at home and abroad. With the issue of commemorating West Papua's independence on December 1, AMP has made preparations in advance, including publishing narratives to influence the public that Papua must be independent from Indonesia.

The government through the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD has repeatedly emphasized that Papua cannot stand as an independent country. Papua has been final and legally part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia since the 1969 UN referendum. Papuan independence from Indonesia will also not happen, the UN will no longer be able to make a referendum decision.

The commemoration of December 1 is Propaganda of the Papuan Separatist Group

It is like repeating that every time December 1 approaches, the public is always instigated and provoked to revive false memories about West Papua's independence celebrations as a legal and factual event. This has been going on in the land of Papua for years.

Facts from historical documents only state that on November 18, 1961, after an extraordinary meeting of the Papuan Council, or previously called the Nieuw Guinea Raad in Dutch, only decided the rules regarding the regional flag and national anthem. Where the rules are stipulated by the Governor General PJ. Platteel. However, illegally and illegally, on December 1, 1961 there were a handful of parties who raised the flag in onderafdeling / the city of Hollandia (currently called Jayapura). With these facts, actually legally or legally December 1, 1961 can not be claimed as the Independence Day of New-Guinea.

Included in politics, a process that only involved a handful of elites who existed at that time could not be called having high legitimacy. There is no historical evidence of a political process involving the people at large for the 1 December event. AMP's claim is clearly one-sided without political legitimacy. However, in the midst of poor historical evidence and legal correctness, they continue to try to make public lies by calling December 1 as its historic day. Even though what they did was purely for the sake of separating themselves from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

Those who deny this fact used to say that the Pepera was a trick by Indonesia to control Papua, to arrange the outcome so that the Papuan people chose to join Indonesia. This is a heinous and baseless accusation. Indonesia actually helped liberate Papua to be free from Dutch colonialism through the 1962 New York Agreement, to then give the Papuan people the opportunity to make their own decisions through the Act with a more legitimate process. The integration of Papua into Indonesia is legal, approved and ratified by the United Nations. In fact, they carried out direct supervision when the Pepera was held in 1969. The UN sent 50 people to oversee the implementation of the Pepera which was carried out in 8 districts attended by 1026 members of the Pepera Deliberative Council (DMP), representing 809,327 Papuans at that time. The results of the Pepera in the 8 districts absolutely chose and determined that Papua would become part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The results were then agreed upon and approved by affixing the signatures of all those present at the meeting. So that de facto the Papuan people have chosen to integrate and become part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

Opposing Indonesian sovereignty in Papua is not only an act against our own national law, but also a violation of international law in the form of a resolution. Then, UN resolutions are also a small part of the UN Charter which has been recognized by all UN members as many as 193 countries in the world.

In essence, there is no Papuan independence day, whether it be December 1, July 1, or any other day. The news circulating is only provocation and lies by a number of separatist groups, including from AMP to call for an independent Papua. These provocations and incitement are often deliberately directed to create political clashes that are detrimental to the Papuan people, both indigenous Papuans, descendants and immigrants.

SOURCE : https://timenya.online/2022/11/28/13265/