REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By: Ahmad S and Kurniadi *)
While the government under the President Joko Widodo has been working seriously on the development of Papua with several huge projects of infrastructure undergoing, number of students from the eastern province of Indonesia unexpectedly keeps showing inappropriate behavior as educated people.
When their other fellow Papua students spend most of their time and energy to learn and enjoy self-improvement for brighter future of Papua, a group of Papuan students called themselves as the Alliance of Papua Students (Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua/AMP) continues to “waste” their time on promoting separatism in the city-study.
An issue the government is paying attention on as well, with the commitment of The President Joko Widodo has been to handle the Papua rebellions using soft-approach policy. Then what exactly bring those students to the “illegal” movement of separating Papua from Indonesia? What keeps them busy of thinking about something that would only affect their study?
Indoctrination, a term, which is likely quite relevant to explain one of the reasons Papua students engage in the free West Papua campaign. It has also been believed that indoctrination is a main factor why the ideology of independent “Free Papua” remain exists, because the idea is transferred from ones to another.
As cited from patheos.com, “Indoctrination is the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology”. Practically, the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine.
The process of indoctrination is not necessarily in the situation where the person and the indoctrinated person meet or face to face. Just like the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)’s indoctrination methods, using the Internet (Youtube, Twitter, etc) in order to obtain supports and to recruit its followers. Pro Separatist Papua group such National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) and United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) consistently practicing the such technique as they have special division to recruit cadres from the student activists, especially those who join the AMP.
Victor Yeimo, a leader of KNPB once said, “The struggle for Independence is the only thing could save Papua from extinction” as quoted from acehmerdekapost.com.
This saying has a strong meaning and appeal, is a holy message and mission, in particular for the Papuan whose knowledge is limited about the free West Papua movement. It is therefore, a person like Victor Yeimo could easily indoctrinate “free Papua” ideology in to the people of Papua, especially the youth or the students of Papua whose spirit and energy “unlimited”.
Another example of political indoctrination practiced by free West Papua activists is passing on pamphlets or posters with modified information – is often telling untruth – including pictures. It’s been not a surprise any more if we find pictures, which is actually taken few years ago in the articles or newspaper created by KNPB or its supporters telling that the Papuan on the picture is abused by Indonesian Police. They are practicing propaganda, they changed the truth, and they really turned what really happened on the field into a lie.
The United Nations (UN) Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, in a press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York (1/6/2016) stated that UN secretary-general has never been received any documents regarding human rights violations in Papua, as cited from UN official website; un.org. The statement was to clarify the claim of Free West Papua Campaigners that they handed over reports about human rights abuses in Papua.
Indonesian military has also been accused by the free West Papua activists of conducting genocide towards Papuan. Stuart Upton from Australia, completed his Ph.D about migration in Papua at the University of New South Wales in 2009, in his researched article titled “a disaster, but not genocide” said that if there were genocide in Papua, the genocidal actions would be expected to lead to gaps in the population statistics such as missing men in particular age groups.
“My analysis of the figures from all the censuses carried out in the province (Papua) shows no evidence of such gaps” he wrote. It is therefore he concluded by saying “The claims of genocide in the province are mistaken and misleading. Such dramatizing of the situation in Papua is only likely to result in the alienation of those Indonesian groups who are in a position to implement meaningful change”, cited from insideindonesia.com.
The government should do something on this issue. Papuan students need to understand the reality of their surroundings, as well as the objectives and tools used by the ‘free West Papua’ activists they connected with. They should notice that KNPB and AMP push for political indoctrination while using the media and their cadres to infiltrate the ideology of separating Papua from Indonesia.
Cutting off the indoctrination process is urgently needed as the first step to fight against those separatist groups. We cannot imagine if thousands of Papua students across the country grow up putting their loyalty to those who fight for nothing but only to waste their time, money and energy. It would be a shame if the government as well as people of Indonesia just letting the life of ‘gold generation’ of Papua ruined by those who are not working for them and for all Papuans – but for their group only – and literally taking them to a destruction. We must do something; we must save and defend Papua no matter what happens.
*An observer on political issues, a researcher in Menara Institute. Resides in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika
