How It Is Important to Papua and Black Community in Indonesia?
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 join with the Indonesian government in 1969, Soeharto, 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.
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 honored to working with them. I worked as a captioner. I saw 20 Deaf Papuan and black have the best potential to be an activist, like African American activists. That reminded of how inspired Martin Luther King Jr who was fought for the human rights movement in America. He has given entire of energy, soul, blood, and sacrifice to building the birth of an equal American’s nation. “I Have a Dream”’ Martin Luther King’s speech in Washington, DC was one of the most-inspiring speech in the world. That was all about the equality dream without their skin of color, races, religions, cultures, languages, etc and how described all humans is created to be equality and same in the God’s eyes. So, I take 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 have 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 them. I trust that one.
No longer who gets to be a supremacy, but to be an equality human
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 discrimination and racism works are. So, speak up is the makes sense that we can do, I will talk to 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
