NUMBAY — The Save the Homeland Alliance (SETARA) states that the humanitarian situation and living space of the community in Papua Land are now in a critical condition due to the massive expansion of investment, exploitation of natural resources, and a security approach that is assessed to ignore the rights of indigenous communities.
In its statement, SETARA emphasizes that the development policies and national strategic projects currently running instead accelerate the marginalization of the Papuan people and destroy their socio-cultural identity.
The Chairman and Person in Charge of SETARA, Stenli Dambujai, reveals that the socio-political reality is clearly depicted in the documentary film “Pesta Babi”. The film is assessed to record field facts in the form of eviction of customary lands, intimidation, and the silencing of democratic space that occur to smooth large-scale investment in Merauke.
For the indigenous people, the forest is not just an economic commodity but a spiritual space and a pillar for the survival of generations, so the destruction of forests for sugar cane plantations, palm oil, food estates, and mines, is the same as destroying their future.
SETARA assesses that the root of the problem in Papua is systemic and inseparable from the history of the security approach and political dominance since 1961.
The alliance accuses the existence of a collaboration between the state, military, oligarchy, and national as well as international corporations in exploiting the region without any free consent from the local community. For that, SETARA calls for the importance of a strong political consolidation at the grassroots level and building solidarity from the Indonesian society and the international community to support the Right to Self-Determination as a democratic solution to the conflict that has lasted for more than six decades.
Responding to these conditions, SETARA formulates a number of firm demands to the government. In the economic and regional sectors, SETARA declares its rejection of the National Strategic Project in Merauke, the Koperasi Merah Putih program, the formation of New Autonomous Regions, the Spaceport project on Biak Island, and the transmigration program which is assessed to threaten the existence of the indigenous Papuan people.
SETARA also urges the closure of giant companies such as Freeport, BP, and LNG Tangguh, as well as the revocation of the Special Autonomy policy which is considered to have failed completely in the field.
Meanwhile, on the aspects of security and human rights, SETARA demands the withdrawal of organic and non-organic TNI-Polri forces from the entire Papua Land and the total cessation of military operations. This demand includes the rejection of plans to build new Regional Police (Polda) and Regional Military Command (Kodam) headquarters, the cancellation of the expansion of the TNI-AL Satrol Pier in Jayapura, and the cessation of war in civilian residential areas to protect conflict refugees.
In addition to urging the unconditional release of all political prisoners, SETARA also requests the cessation of criminalization against activists and journalists, the complete resolution of gross human rights violation cases, protection for women and children, and the widest possible opening of access for international journalists and the UN Human Rights Council to conduct independent investigations in Papua. (One Papua)