VARIOUS: INDONESIA REJECTS INDEPENDENCE CLAIM OF REMOTE IRIAN JAYA PROVINCE

Record ID: 483268

  • Title: VARIOUS: INDONESIA REJECTS INDEPENDENCE CLAIM OF REMOTE IRIAN JAYA PROVINCE
  • Date: 6th June 2000
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JUNE 5, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. MV INDONESIA PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID ENTERING ROOM; SCU JOURNALISTS (2 SHOTS) 0.19 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WAHID SAYING "I myself let the Papuan people to decide. That's why I asked the congress to be attended by all factions. But they chose not to. They give only to the pro-independence people the
  • Embargoed: 21st June 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA/JAYAPURA, IRIAN JAYA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA4RZG40A2WQFWUMHX4Y8Z9OBPR
  • Story Text: Indonesia has rejected an independence claim
    of its remote Irian Jaya province, following a congress of
    3,000 activists and tribal leaders.

    Speaking at a news conference on Monday (June 4),
    one day after the controversial congress in Irian Jaya,
    President Abdurrahman Wahid said he will not recognise the
    results of the congress, which proclaimed the independence of
    the resource-rich region.

    "I myself will let the Papuan people to decide.That's
    why I asked the congress to be attended by all factions.But
    they chose not to.They give only to the pro independence
    people the place to attend the congress.Because of this, we
    cannot recognise the congress," Wahid said.

    The week-long congress in the city of Jayapura ended
    with the adoption of a resolution declaring Irian Jaya's
    incorporation into Indonesia in the 1960s invalid and stating
    that the province, also known as West Papua, is an independent
    state.

    It said the province had won its independence on
    December 1, 1961, when separatist leaders made a declaration
    of independence from the Netherlands, the territory's former
    colonial master.

    Pro-independence leader Theys Eluay said Irian Jaya had
    never legally been part of Indonesia, but said it would aim to
    seek independence through negotiation and peaceful means.

    The resolution called on the international community to
    recognise the sovereignty of West Papua.

    Indonesia's government has attacked the congress, saying
    it did not represent the wishes of the majority in the
    province.

    Wahid said most people in the province wanted to remain
    part of Indonesia.

    Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said last week the
    government would be very concerned if the congress went "over
    the limit" by declaring support for independence.

    Indonesia's state-run new agency, Antara, said
    Indonesian parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung also urged
    Wahid and Indonesia's military to deal sternly with any
    attempts by Irian Jaya to break away.

    "We would oppose any kind of violation of human rights.

    We would do the utmost to maintain human rights.But, beside
    that, we also maintain order in a sense that the police if
    necessary, assisted by the military, will take action to
    secure the security of the area of the province.If that means
    doing something to people without violating human rights, they
    will do that," Wahid said.

    Many Indonesians fear the country could fall apart if
    restive provinces like Irian Jaya and Aceh break away.

    But Tom Beanal, chairman of a 31-member praesidium
    council at the congress, rejected charges the delegates were
    unrepresentative, saying they included representatives of all
    the province's regencies and groups, selected by local people.

    Hundreds of tribesmen from remote areas, carrying
    traditional weapons and wearing only penis gourds, feathers
    and body paint arrived in Jayapura at the weekend to mark the
    end of the congress, triggering fear among non-Irianese
    residents.

    The remote province on the western half of New Guinea
    island is rich in natural resources, including one of the
    world's largest copper and gold mines, the Grasberg mine
    majority-owned by U.S.-based Freeport McMoRan Copper AND
    Gold Inc.

    But many of its people remain poor, and separatist
    leaders say Jakarta has plundered its resources with little
    given in return.Like Aceh province in Sumatra, Irian Jaya has
    long had a low-level guerrilla movement against Jakarta rule.

    East Timor's break from Jakarta's rule last year, after
    an independence ballot which sparked a bloody backlash from
    pro-Jakarta militias and the Indonesian security forces, has
    also fanned separatist pressure in parts of Indonesia.


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