West Papua Threatens to Reject Elections
Wednesday, 05 November, 2008 | 18:43 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:West Papua Religious Community Forum chairman, Bram Maudoma, will urge voters in his region not to vote in the 2009 Elections. This is a follow-up to their rejection of the Pornography Law and the joint ministerial decree which made Sunday a working day.

“We will pressure people and urge them to not vote in the elections,” he said, following a meeting with the Regional Council (DPD) vice chairman La Ode Ida at the House of Representatives’ (DPR) building in Jakarta yesterday. He said the aspiration of the Papuans have been ignored by the government and the DPR. “We are doing this because the country is not respecting us.”

According to Bram, the ratification of the Pornography Law will hurt the people of Papua. “This violates our human rights and will destroy the Papuan culture, which actually needs protecting,” he said, mentioning 265 ethnic groups currently living peacefully in Papua.

Bram warned that if the law is maintained, it will create conflict among people. He regards the ratification as benefiting the interest of only a certain group.

A delegation of West Papua Religious Leaders, headed by Andrikus Mofu, added that people in his region also rejected the implementation of the five-minister’s joint decree that determined Sunday to be a working day as an effort to save energy in Java and Bali. “Sunday is the time for Christians to go to church,” he said. “We want the law annulled.”

A member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD), Ishak Madacan, said their demands need to be taken seriously. “This is a matter of existence,” he said. “There must be a political decision from the DPD to deal with this issue.”

La Ode Ida said he will immediately respond to the input from the West Papuans. “We will have discuss it internally with the DPD chairman,” he said.

According to La Ode Ida, their response will be in the form of a political decision. “This is a matter of defeated pluralism. This is a serious issue, the nation’s unity could be at risk,” he said.

Last Monday, West Papua Legislative Council chairman Jimmy Demianus Ijie also urged the government to annul the Pornography Law, which was ratified end of October at a DPR plenary meeting. He threatened that West Papua will separate from Indonesia if their demand is ignored.

EKO ARI | CUNDING LEVI