Indonesia. Militarism on the rise amid censorship over West Papua

Australians are rightly concerned about the violent abuses of powerless people far away in the Middle East. But similar evils are developing next door. Duncan Graham Reports from Indonesia.

The Indonesian military’s interference in high school and university education threatens to erase the next generation’s knowledge of the world and the problems that affect their lives.

Pesta Babi (Feast of the Pig) documentary released banned by civil authorities and soldiers from three places: the public Mataram University (Lombok Island along with Bali), North Maluku, and Yogyakarta in Central Java.

The film’s frightening arguments distract students from inquiry, which is the essence of all learning. They turn into sheep.

Indonesian filmmakers say their film “depicts the struggle of indigenous Papuans to defend their ancestral lands and forests against the threat of food security projects or food facilities.” “The documentary also reveals the involvement of business groups, palm oil conglomerates and the Indonesian Army in government-backed national strategic projects.”

A. news account Regarding the ban on Mataram Uni, it said: “Efforts to negotiate between the committee and several student organization officials did not yield results and an argument ensued. Campus officials were unwilling to compromise and remained determined.”

The event was then forcibly dispersed without any justification.

Last month, the film was screened once again in Ternate City, North Maluku, by the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Indonesian Association of Environmental Journalists. closed He claimed that Pesta Babi was rejected on social media by Lieutenant Colonel Jani Setiadi.

(Ternate is 1,660 km northeast of Mataram. West Papua is 500 km east of Ternate, a volcanic island in the Maluku group. There are approximately 17,500 islands in the Indonesian archipelago.)

“There was a lot of opposition to this film screening on social media because many people thought it was provocative,” Jani was quoted as saying. He used to be a deputy commander of an infantry battalion.

“…joint screening [should] “Do not proceed bearing in mind that issues of ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup relations in North Maluku are extremely sensitive and can easily be politicized.”

AJI Interim President Yunita Kaunar claimed Jani’s orders “were an act of intimidation against legitimate civilian activities.”

“If every critical work is seen as a threat and silenced, democracy is in a dangerous situation. The state should not be afraid of debates and documentaries.”

There was a planned demonstration at a Catholic venue in Yogyakarta in late April. canceled without reason The city of Central Java is the cultural center of Indonesia.

Indonesia under Prabowo – an unstable neighbor

army influence

These events reinforce concerns that Indonesia is ruled by the military.

Former general rescued from the barracks by his bosses, now President Prabowo Subianto’s fall from grace.

Now he is back at the top and militarizing the Republic of 285 million people; That’s 11 against an Australian. There are only three other countries with more people: India, China and the USA.

Although trained to kill, decorated officers in Tentara (military) Nasional Indonesia are taking over the jobs of peaceful civilian bureaucrats. No suitable experience or qualifications? No need to worry, what is required is discipline.

Now the men in khaki became censors and stopped screenings of the 57-minute Pesta Babi.

In West Papua, Javanese soldiers who guard spears and ambushes on forest roads are generally Muslim; Pork products are haram (forbidden), so meals are not shared with Christian locals.

This ensures that pleasant sit-down sessions to talk peace are rare.

Suppression of West Papua

West Papua has been closed to foreign journalists for decades. Twelve years ago activists London claimed:

“Dozens of black-clad demonstrators gathered outside the Indonesian Embassy today to lead a global protest against West Papua’s 50-year isolation. The demonstration was organized by TAPOL (an international organization for Indonesian political prisoners) and Survival International, supported by Amnesty UK and the Free West Papua Campaign.

“This rally was one of 22 protests around the world calling for free and open access to Indonesia’s most secretive region.”

more than 83,000 soldiers on rotation and those bearing modern weapons are trying to suppress bow-and-arrow guerrillas protesting the takeover of West Papua and its vast mineral riches.

Grasberg mine has one of the largest mines in the world gold reserves And copper. It is a joint venture between the governments of Indonesia, Central Papua and a US company. Freeport-McMoRan.

In colonial times, West Papua was Dutch New Guinea. It was taken over by Indonesia in 1969 after a referendum in which 1,025 hand-picked “leaders” claimed they wanted control of Jakarta. It was called the Free Choice Act and was renamed by cynics as the Freedom of Choice Act.

The population is currently estimated at 5.6 million. About two-thirds are Christians.

Pig Feast

Scenes in the movie Pesta Babi show villagers opposing the destruction of the forest and erecting large crosses. The most impressive image shows a huge barge filled with numerous new yellow front-end loaders crawling off the deck, tumbling ashore and crashing into green bushes.

Made Supriatma, an Indonesian journalist who is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. Comment:

“A Papuan is forbidden to speak, even through film. And this ban takes place in a place owned by the Catholic Church… which should give those silenced by the authorities a chance to speak.”

Antipodean support for the Papuans came mainly from New Zealand. Activism is growing, Although there are some supporters against Hendek. Parramatta’s Catholic View newsletter commented:

“The Papuan Church, long dominated by Indonesian clergy, has done little to protest the state’s exploitation of the forests and minerals of this resource-rich region, ignoring the fundamental rights of Papuans to live on their own land.”

Seven young Papuans in the Central Highlands in early May wounded – one serious – police allegedly opened fire on a parade of school graduates displaying the banned West Papuan nationalist Morning Star flag.

National Native Times reported a government spokesman claimed: “Local authorities, who liaise closely with church officials and civil groups, including traditional leaders, are currently attempting to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.”

Observers of the 60-year conflict between indigenous tribes and imported troops estimate that more than 100,000 West Papuans have been killed since Indonesia took over.

Indonesian researchers”mapping The violence that occurred was partly massacre mapping project List of Indigenous people in Australia by the Guardian and Newcastle University.

There is no sign yet that Jakarta considers the ongoing hatred and anger to be a matter of concern. This will require so many deaths that the world will begin to notice. Whether this involves the Australian government is questionable.

Indo-Oz treaty. Pleading with Prabowo, ignoring unrest, West Papua