TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On July 17, violence exploded in Karubaga, capital of Tolikara district in Papua province. Dozens of stalls and houses were set on fire, which spread to a nearby mosque. One youth was killed and 11 civilians were injured in the shootout that followed. Let us name this incident as the 'Tolikara Case'.
Based on past experience, we noted a number of elements that deserve mention because they have never happened in the history of Papua, and according to our observation, the first time these things happened were in Tolikara.
As far as we know, no violence has ever occurred in Papua during religious holidays, whatever the religion may be. Papuans respect the celebration of all religions. The violence that occurred about two weeks ago, when Muslims around the world were celebrating Eid of the Islamic year 1436, was the very first time that such an incident ever occured in the history of Papua. Therefore, Papuans are now asking: how can something so sacrilegious happen in Tolikara? This is incredible given that indigenous Papuans are totally against disrupting, let alone burning, sacred places, such as churches or mosques.
Although the incident took place in a remote area that can only be reached by a small, single-engine airplane, the Tolikara Case attracted nationwide attention and reaction. The reaction came from a diverse range of people, from common citizens to the President himself, including all the religious organizations. But they came mostly from outside Papua. This is again amazing, because it is the first time in history that violence in the land of Papua has attracted so much attention.
To Papuans, the violence at Tolikara is not the only one that has occurred on this land; our history is marked by a variety of violent happenings. Papuans have gone through different kinds of conflicts, during which many people have been killed. Right up to today, violence continues to happen. As a result, Papua has become synonymous with conflict. Even so, Papuans have never seen the tremendous reaction to what happened at Tolikara.
Compare Tolikara with the time when four young men were shot dead and 18 other civilians suffered gunshot wounds, on December 8, last year at Enarotali, capital of Paniai district. The case remains unresolved. Many in Papua reacted strongly to this act of violence, but little was heard about it outside of Papua. We concluded it was not because people refused to express solidarity with the victims, who are fellow Indonesian citizens, but because the shooting incident itself was not publicly known.
Conversely, the Tolikara incident attracted such wide attention as to warrant visits of high-ranking officials from both the Papua provincial administration as well as those from central government in Jakarta. Among them were the Papua Police Chief and and the Army Commander of Cenderawasih XVII battalion, followed by the ministers of home and social affairs.
No one as important ever came when other incidents happened in Papua in the past. All these visits to Tolikara should be appreciated because they show sensitivity and a commitment to resolve the case comprehensively.
Eight government institutions announced they will conduct investigations: the National Police, the National Commission on Human Rights, the Religious Affairs Ministry, Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI), the Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GMKI), the Tamir Masdjid Silahturrahmi Forum and Mushala Indonesia (Fahmi Tamami), and the Tolikara Papua People's Committee. Perhaps there are more, without publicly announcing it. Notably, they are all from outside of Papua. So far, no single institution in Papua has announced any plans to investigate the Tolikara incident.
Admittedly, it is the only case of violence in Papua to be investigated by so many institutions. We highly appreciate the intention, because it indicates that all parties seek the truth in a transparent manner.
The central government should take the initiative to coordinate the different investigations, seek differences in the findings and find a common ground for future reference. There should also be a shared commitment stating their willingness to accept the truth with a cool head and a calm heart.
Hopefully, the investigation will englighten all parties to see the problem clearly, and gain a true understanding of what really happened in Tolikara.
Written by : Neles Tebay
Lecturer at the Fajar Timur Institute of Theological Philosophy at Abepura and coordinator of the Papua Peace Network.
