Laurenzus Kadepa, a member of Commission I of Papua Legislative Council on Political, Legal and Human Rights – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – A team from the Commission I of Papua Legislative Council visited the Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Legan and Security Affairs in Jakarta to convey Papuan people’s rejection of the government’s plan to build a military base in Biak Regency.
Commission member Laurenzus Kadepa said the team met with Deputi I of the Internal Politic Affairs of the Coordinating Ministry of Politic, Legal and Security Affairs, Major General Yoedhi Swastono on Thursday (15/9/2016) in Jakarta.
“We delivered Biak people’s aspiration who reject the plan to build a military base. We asked the Ministry of Politic, Legal and Security Affairs to review the plan,” said Kadepa by phone to Jubi. On Thursday evening, the Ministry Representative, said Kadepa, told the plan is part of their program, however, after people’s aspiration, they promised to recall on the situation on the ground and conduct a socialization to the community.
“I personally said to the representative that the indigenous Papuans are traumatic with the military. When they’ve heard ‘military’, they seemed frightening. It is because of the past,” he said.
He said, before building a military base, the related ministry and stakeholders should ask the local people on the plan. They should review it if they reject it. “It should be about how the Military or Police to get the people’s trust by, for example, solving some violence cases that allegedly perpetrated by the security personnel in the past,” he said.
Kadepa said he disagreed with the plan. He concerned that the presence of a military base in Biak would later give a bad impact to the civilians and possibly could trigger some cases of human rights violations and violence in Papua. Some times ago, Biak residents who joint in the Forum for Byak, Supiori, Raja Ampat and Teluk Wondama held a protest to reject the plan to build a military base in the Papua Parliament’s Office.
The Secretary of Forum Agustinus Rumaropen in Jubi Office some times ago said people had traumatic with the Military in Papua. The presence of military base in Biak would only contribute another dark stories and tragedies that would have a negative impact to the tenure rights and people’s welfare.
“As a native, I strongly disagree with the plan to build the Military Base,” said Rumaropen at that time.
In April, the Indonesian Military Commander General Gator Nurmantyo said the government prioritized the construction of Military Base in Natuna Islands, Riau, Morotai, North Maluku, Saumlaku, Tanimbar Islands, Maluku and Biak, Papua. The plan to build the military base is part of program to secure the border area.
“We will turn the islands as the mother ship. The war aircrafts and airplane could land in those islands, as well as the ships, and logistic aids. So, what is it different with the mother ship? Instead of buying the mother ship, we make it as the mother ship,” said Gatot when visited the Manuhua Sea Base in Biak Numfor, Papua in last April. (*/rom)
