Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, is the largest
and easternmost province of Indonesia, comprising most of Western New Guinea[1]. The province is located on the island of New
Guinea. Its capital and largest city is Jayapura. The province has a large
potential in natural resources, such as gold, nickel, petroleum, etc[2].
Papua has two different provinces, Papua and West Papua. West Papua, formerly
Irian Jaya Barat or Irian Barat is a province of Indonesia. It covers the two
western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea, Bird’s Head Peninsula, and
Bomberai Peninsula, along with nearby islands. Manokwari is the province’s
capital, while Sorong is its largest city[3].
Papua has cultures, 264 regional languages, tribes, ethnicities,
and traditions[1]. The famous tribes are Dani
and Asmat tribes. Dani tribe is located in West Papua and Asmat tribe is
located in Papua. Besides, Papuan people also wear their traditional clothes,
like koteka (penis gourd).
Papua has a
long-conflict with Indonesia and OPM (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, Free-Papua
Movenment). It was began since 1961, when the Netherlands wanted to create
Papua which were out of Indonesia. The Dutch plans was opposed by the first
president of Republic Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno. Indonesian government made
the Papuan referendum was named "Pepera" (Penentuan Pendapat Papua)
in 1969, were mostly Papuan people agreed to join with Indonesia. Papua is
under the Indonesian government until the present.
Papua is a very underdeveloped area from
other areas, like Javanese, Sumatra, Borneo/ Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, etc.
Papua still many lack, especially inequality education, health, social service,
human rights, and employment[1]. Papua is a very different
with other provinces. that is all began due to the system and history related.
Since Papuan agreed to joining with the Indonesian government in 1969, Soeharto
who was the second president leading in New Order ever banned Papuan people to
wear koteka and traditional clothes[2]. Soeharto also sending many
Javanese people to Papua through a transmigration program. That itself has been
ongoing until the present. Soeharto has opened Freeport, where the United
States company to working for the golden in Papua. Freeport employs many
Americans, Australians, and foreigners in Papua. But, Papuan people also
working in Freeport. I have my friend who have her dad has worked in Papua, but
he was no longer working in Papua anymore, because of homecoming.
After I write about the Papuan's background
and history, I want to talk about the Deaf-black and Papuan community in Papua,
because I'm a Deaf and I'm Javanese privileged, so that I feel have to speak
up. Steven Yadohamang who is a Deaf-black and Papuan person was stepped on the
head by two soldiers[3]. That was reminds of George
Floyd who was an African American man murdered by a Minnesota cop in June 2020.
The cop who took kneeling on the neck's George Floyd until he yelled "I
can't breathe" for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and he died. And now, two
soldiers did what did Minnesotan cop did last year. Shameful and
horrible!
Two soldiers has arrested, (probably) got
fired, and got punishment by a military court. Indonesian army has been
apologizing to Steven and his foster family. But, I think it wasn't enough for
him and Deaf community, because there are many problems should be finished. You
know many soldiers and hearing people who don't know about how to communicate
with Deaf people. If he is me, I will get the same treatment, because they
never know and have an experience to being a Deaf culture and world, is kind
of. And, he is a black, so he got how the black-stereotype works is. Papuan
people is assumed to be drinker, fighter, and troublemaker. My friend who are
Papuan people always got rejected to rent boarding house (kost in Indonesian),
because of their origin and race. Not that only, My Chinese Indonesian friend
also got rejected because of their race. So, the racism and discrimination
based on skin of color and races would be exists. I'm a Javanese who have a
privilege, I can rent a new house in Java, because I'm Javanese. So, Steven is
double-minority. He got what the systematic works is.
That since been a long time, people may
blaming the victim's background, but they never blaming the system works is.
So, it should been blaming the system not the people or victim's background. I
believe he was wrong, but the Deaf inequality system should been blamed and
changed soon. Steven didn't know about sign language and he used gesture so
that why hearing people didn't understand what he said. He got a deprivation
language since he learned in SLB (special education) in Papua. I assumed that
all SLBs would be same not only in Papua. He is 17 years, should be take an
education and career/ job as how his specialize or hobby who could helps him
feel better and successful.
https://www.facebook.com/phieter/posts/10158078935325750
You know that I worked for the Deaf Papuan
collaborated with the United States embassy for the Republic of Indonesia and
the DLAW (Deaf Legal Advocacy Worldwide) based in Washington, DC about four
months. I was super glad and an honored to working with them. I worked as a
captioner. I saw 20 Deaf Papuan and black has the best potential to be an
activist, like African American activists. That was reminds of how inspired
Martin Luther King Jr who were fought for the human rights movement in America.
He has gave entire of energy, soul, blood, and sacrifice to building what the
birth of an equal America's nation. "I Have a Dream"' Martin Luther
King's speech in Washington, DC was one of most-inspiring speech over the
world. That was all about the equality dream without their skin of color,
races, religions, cultures, languages, etc and how described all human is
created to be an equality and same in the God's eyes. So, I take a hope for the
Deaf-black and Papuan community. I believe they will be an activist in
Indonesia and the world, especially in Indonesia. Indonesia and the United
States has the similar of multicultural system and concept. No longer who gets
to be a supremacy, but to be an equality human. African American activists will
going to inspire for them. I trust that one.
I say Papuan Lives Matter because Papua is in critical things for us and them too. Javanese island is developed so that it's time to take more reality action for Papua, Deaf, and black community. That is same concept what did happen to Black Lives Matter in America. We all MUST standing up, speaking up, and protecting with him and Deaf-black and Papuan community, That is the only we can do it, because we are care and wanted to hear with them. Silence means support how the discrimination and racism works is. So, speak up is the make sense that we can do, I will talk for my friends who are Papuan people and people who ever I worked in.
Papuan Lives Matter! Black Lives Matter! Deaf Power! <0/
Reference:
[1] https://www.papuaerfgoed.org/en/Local_Papua_languages_disappear
[1] Wiranta, Rhuuzi (August 3th, 2020). “Tujuh Provinsi
Terluas di RI, Papua Urutan Pertama”. Detik.com. Retrieved September 6th 2010.
[2] “Sumber Daya Alam Papua-Guru Geografi” www.gurugeografi.id. Retrieved February
25th, 2021
[3] Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021
[1]
https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1340080/jokowi-tetapkan-62-daerah-tertinggal-terbanyak-di-papua
[2]
https://travel.tempo.co/read/1403367/dulu-ada-operasi-koteka-program-membusanakan-masyarakat-papua
[3]
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7b98g/indonesia-police-brutality-papuan-man
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