November 16, 1999
by Ottis Simopiaref
Position of Yorris Raweyai and Theys Eluay
Yorris Raweyai was appointed by Theys Eluay to represent the Irian Jayans
Traditional Council Assembly (Lembaga Musyawarah Adat Irian Jaya) in
Jakarta.
Theys Eluay himself was appointed by the Indonesian government during
the
Suharto era to be the chairman of the Irian Jayans Traditional Council
Assembly in West Papua. Those two leaders were not democratically elected
by
the Papuans. Therefore, the Papuans seem reluctant to recognise Theys
Eluay
and Yorris Raweyai as legitimate leaders. Moreover, Yorris Raweyai
is still
the chairman of the Pemuda Pancasila (Youth of Pancasila) based in
Jakarta.
Pancasila is the state philosophy of Indonesia. Pemuda Pancasila was
the
strongest and the most radical youth movement in Indonesia that still
supports
Suharto, the former Indonesian dictator. Pemuda Pancasila is now the
most
provocative element in the communal phisycal clashes in Sambas (West
Kalimantan), Ambon (Moluccas), Halmahera (North Moluccas), Jakarta,
Aceh and
other regions in Indonesia.
By destabilising the security the government of Abdurachman Wahid and
the
whole society will pay more attention to the communal clashes than
to bring
Suharto to court. Yorris Rawejay is now used by Suharto in an effort
to
generate communal clashes in West Papua as it has happened in other
regions.
The peaceful actions by the Papuans for freedom will turn into violent
ones in
which it will no longer be a political act but ethnic cleansing activity.
The
Papuans will violently kill the migrants as it has planned by Yorris
Raweyai,
according to some sources. The more regions turn into violent communal
unrest
the more Indonesian military intervention is needed. By activate the
military
intervention the Indonesian army will continuously has the grape on
power.
This is the scenario of the Suharto's support groups in which the Indonesian
army is still playing a decisive roll. It is not the police but army
that is
mandated by the authorities to intervene in any dispute. Recently the
chief
of the Trikora Military Command overseeing Irian Jaya, Maj.Gen. Amir
Sembiring
warned the Papuans by saying "I don't mind if the people gather in
Sentani
just to say prayers. But if it generates unrest, we will take stern
measures
against them for the sake of peace and order" (Jakarta Post 11/11/99).
Some Papuans, that have been supporting Yorris Raweyai, have unconsciously
brought the West Papuan struggle into an alarming situation.
To prevent the violence from the peaceful struggle the West Papuan people
should establish a legitimate body as soon as possible to democratically
elect
their leaders inside the country and to set up a general strategy.