LAKSAMANA.Net, November 27, 2003 10:51 PM
50 Papuans Arrested for Raising Flags
Laksamana.Net - Police have reportedly arrested 50 people in Papua province for
participating in ceremonies in which separatist flags were raised.
State news agency Antara said the "Star-14" version of the separatist flag was
hoisted in two locations early Thursday (27/11/03) to commemorate the declaration of
the West Melanesian state in 1988.
Local police chief Dedy Kusnadi said the flags were raised at the Radio Republik
Indonesia (RRI) station in Reremi and at an elementary school in Amban at 3am.
He said police lowered the flags four hours later without incident, adding that those
arrested were taken to the local police station for questioning.
"However, a thorough investigation is needed to determine whether there was another
motive behind the event," he said.
While Papua's best known symbol of independence is the Morning Star flag,
pro-independence activist Thomas Wapai Waingai declared West Melanesia state on
December 13, 1988, with the launch of a new flag with 14 stars, representing 14
Melanesian groups.
Police and military authorities in Papua are on alert for further separatist anniversaries
on December 1.
President Megawati Suakrnoputri's administration has banned commemorations of the
42nd anniversary of Papua's declaration of independence from the Dutch.
Papua marks its unofficial independence declaration on December 1, while on the
other side of the archipelago, rebellious Aceh province on December 4 celebrates the
anniversary of the founding of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
On December 1, 1961, the Dutch colonial legislature inducted a number of indigenous
Papuans and unveiled the 'Morning Star' flag of West Papua, which to this day
remains a symbol of the territory's aspiration for liberation and independence.
The Dutch officially left Papua in August 1962 and the region was placed briefly under
the authority of the United Nations. But the Netherlands and Indonesia then signed
the so-called New York Agreements, under which the territory was handed over to
Indonesia in May 1963, on the condition that a referendum on self-determination be
held within six years.
The so-called 'Act of Free Choice' was held in 1969 and 1,062 participants voted
unanimously in favor of incorporation into the Indonesian nation, allegedly because of
death threats. Human rights groups and journalists who witnessed the referendum say
it was unfair, corrupt and a sham.
West Papua was formally integrated into Indonesia in 1969 and renamed Irian Jaya.
Irian is an acronym for Ikut Republik Indonesia Anti-Nederland (Join the Republic of
Indonesia Anti-Netherlands), while Jaya means 'glorious'.
Separatists have waged a sporadic guerrilla war against the Indonesian military since
the early 1960s. Human rights groups say thousands have been killed in the ensuing
violence.
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