The Referendum for Papua is Only Hoax

On September 29, 2017 there was an information saying that a number of persons introducing as the Papuan representative identifying  as the ULMWP (United Liberation Movement of West Papua) led by Beny Wenda on September 26,  2017 had handed a petition  for the Referendum of Papua to the United Nation Committee 24 dealing on the de-colonization.

The Petition handed by ULMWP demanded the country of Papua should be returned as the de-colonization region as it was before 1963 and a referendum to be held in order to give the Papuan  people deciding their choice  whether or not Papua to be the Indonesian territory or to separate from Indonesia becoming the Independent State. It is said this Petition was signed by 1,8 million people or 70 %  of the  Papuan people on behalf of all  the Papuan people in Papua and also supported by  another group  of non-Papuan people living in Papua.

The information on this  political  evidence  was informed to the BBC Indonesia by Beny Wenda  by phone but not any evidence this information is distribute to the media. Beny Wenda said this activity to be done by limited number of person for the sake  of the  security.

General (Ret) Wiranto the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law, Human Right and Security Affairs said the political  activities  on the struggle for the  freedom  of Papua is an old political issue and concurrently  is the national threat against the unity of the  country of The Republic of Indonesia.

The ending goal of the Referendum of Papua is definitely to separate Papua from Indonesia declaring as  the independent  state  of  Papua. This is definitely against the fact that Papua is a part of the Indonesian territory.

As it was nationally agreed there were four principles for the straight up of the State of Republic of Indonesia namely : Pancasila Philosophy; The Constitution of 1945; The Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia; The Unity in Diversity of  the Nation base on Bhineka Tunggal Ika. The activity of  ULMWP is definitely against the four principles of the Country of Indonesia, accordingly  it should be eradicated. ULMWP is definitely a traitor.

The  information  on  the  activity  of ULMWP was strongly rejected by the Director of  the Committee 24  of the United Nation who is incidentally  chaired by the Ambassador  Rafael Ramirez from the  Republic of Venezuela which definitely maintained a close diplomatic relation with the Republic of Indonesia.

General (Ret) Wiranto is  definitely true the information on a Petition handed by someone name Beny Wenda of ULMWP is a hoax intended to create confuse among the Papuan people in Papua and an effort to disintegrate the country of Indonesia.

The Director of Committee   24 of the United Nations in New York Ambassador Rafael Ramirez told the Indonesian Representative to the United Nations that  Committee 24 had never received officially or un-officially any petition of the so called ULMWP (the United Liberation Movement of West Papua. The Committee 24 of the United Nations will definitely reject such petition because the Papuan base  on  the result  of  the Act of the `Free Choice in 1962  had decide  Papua to become the territory of The Republic of Indonesia and since 1963 Papua became a part of the Indonesian territory.  Definitely the information on the handing over of the petition by a number of persons of ULMWP on Referendum of Papua is only a hoax. This hoax was definitely intended to wake up the idea of separatism of Papua to have been  buried both in the international community and in Papua.

ULMWP led by Beny Wenda had been rejected by the Forum of the Meeting of Pacific Countries because ULMWP is considered as only the name of NGO which is not existing in Papua, but it to be active in London. Unluckily the British government gives Beny Wenda to stay in London as a refugee supported likely by some British NGO. Beny Wenda was apparently  the political prisoner who was successful to escape from prison in Papua some years ago. He was then supported by some Australian politician went to London.

In the United Nations, the problem of Papua is still recorded  not because of its legal status  but Papua to be  reported  because of  its human right violations record done by the Security Apparatus of the Government of Indonesia.

The name Beny Wenda is popular among the Papuan in 2016 but this name to have been buried  since  Beny Wenda was rejected by the Meeting Forum among the Pacific Countries in  end of 2016 to act as the representative of Papua. But apparently he should be put on the List of Wanted Persons for being send to Court of Justice.

Referendum is definitely no more the idea of among the majority of Papuan. Lenis Kogoya one  intellectual  and social leader of Papua expresses he fully believes  and to be convincing Papua  is really freedom country, run by the Papuan and it is developed for the sake of the benefit of Papuan. Papua is definitely in fortune to be  under the Indonesian umbrella since geopolitically Papua needs the capability to face the possible various impact of the open Pacific Ocean and to develop Papua is not easy one. Papua is definitely rich with national resources such as Tembaga Pura but to gain foreign capital and technology is not easy one. To get 51% of share is not easy one. Papua to be in the Indonesian umbrella is definitely strong to face foreign power needed to explore  the natural  resources. Now all the Government  apparatus from the Governor until the lower Government employee are Papuan elected among the  capable Papuan by the Papuan in the Regional Election and General Election.

Now Papua is really led by the Papuan and Papua will be developed for the sake of Papuan interest. Papua is definitely needs the strong umbrella and Indonesia  is  a country the Papua belong to and represented by a group of Papuan joining various Indonesian Political Parties, social and traditional  leaders to become the members of the national House of Representative and the Regional Representative Council. The Central Government asked me-Kogaya said- to organize the capable Papuan to design the  regional development  of Papua that the  Central Government  will decide its solution.

Definitely Papua needs the transportation infra structure   comprise  of  roads, bridges and the  cheap price of  oil.  All  of  those problem have been gradually solved and now the Papuan people start to enjoy the result. Home, daily food, health and school are definitely the prime needs of the people  are  always  becoming the priority efforts  to be fulfilled continuously.

Indonesian is definitely strong and rich country and all of those infra structure and the daily needs given to Papua   are  not just tactics to attract the heart and mind  of Papua, but the State Philosophy and its Constitution are clearly designs the culture of practicing  the  social and justice.

Accordingly referendum  of Papua as demanded by Beny Wenda is no use, the activity of Beny Wenda is useless.  The idea that is formulated by  ULMWP now is on  track.

Unfortunately there is also small group of Papuan who still think and  imagine the freedom, the democracy and human right, the prosperity and the welfare   would  be materialized only with referendum. This group of people are definitely dreaming.

Fadal Al Hamid, the Chief II of Cultural Council is of the opinion that  the Papuan does not satisfy with the Result of the  Act of the Free Choice in 1962 and considers  it  is  the crucial  problem in the history and  life of  the Papuan people. This crucial problem should be definitely solved either  through  the way of the  people of Aceh solve its problem in the  Helsinki  Meeting  or through  another democratic and  peaceful way  the Referendum.

This kind of group is definitely influence by the imagination if the Act of the Free Choice did not decide to integrate to Indonesia, Papua  will definitely become  the  independent  country.  The Papuan of today  do not definitely  realizing if the Papuan did not decide  to integrate  into Indonesia  the Dutch colonialism  supported by  the liberalist  Australian will return and control again Papua.

In Papua another supporting group on ULMWP is the National Committee on West Papua (KNPB) but it is not definitely a part of ULMWP. Until end of September2017 KNPB does not made any response to the hoax created by the MLWP.

The hoax of the ULMWP recently definitely  awake us the national agenda to strengthen Papua should not be  decreasing. The Indonesian nationality  in  the  heart and mind among the  Papuan should be strengthen  and the welfare and  the  prosperity of the Papuan  life should be increased.

*)  Toni Ervianto, The Political and Security Observer