NGOs Urge President To Hold Peaceful Dialog On Papua

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - A number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) grouped in the National Solidarity for Papua have urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to settle the Papua problem through sincere and peaceful dialogs that respect Papuan culture and dignity.

"We ask the government to immediately conduct a peaceful dialog to settle the Papuan problem and to reject the security approach," activist Usman Hamid from Kontras (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence) said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He said the imposition of a top security alert status in Papua by the national chief had created the impression as if national security had been threatened by a coup and therefore such an approach was not appropriate.

"They should have used just a legal approach and dialogs as a way to settle the Papua problem and not deployed more forces in Papua as it would only worsen the situation there," he said.

The director of LBH Jakarta (Jakarta Legal Aid Institute), Nurkholis Hidayat, meanwhile  asked the President to order the national police to immediately protect and create a sense of peace among the people of Papua.

"We ask the President to instruct the national police chief to evaluate the memorandum of understanding on security signed by the Papua regional police command and PT Freeport Indonesia that has led to placement of TNI (military)/police personnel as Vital Object Task Force there," Nurkholis said.

The coordinator of Kampak Papua (the Anti-Corruption Papua Traditional People Community), Dorus Wokum, also said that dialog was the best way for settling the problem.

"What is clear is the Papuan people would appoint community and church figures to sit along with government officials to discuss the settlement of the Papua problem," he said.

He asked the government not to create negative sentiment on the Papuan people but to put forward dignity and peace.

The NGOs joining the National Solidarity for Papua include Kontras, Jatam, Kiara, Walhi, YLBHI, Kampak Papua, PGI, Imparsial, Elsam, IDSPS, Infid, ANBTI, Solidarity for Freeport Workers, ICTJ, KPA, Lembaga Bhineka. LBH Jakarta, SNUP, Demos and Sawit Watch.(*)