Stories of Indonesian National Heroes from Papua
NEWS — September 2021
Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya, is located in the easternmost part of Indonesia whose capital is Jayapura. Many people usually understand there is only one Papua Province, while in fact, based on Indonesian Government Regulation number 24 of 2007 there is also West Papua Province whose capital is Manokwari.
West Papua Province used to be called Irian Jaya Barat has few symbols which represent the philosophy of its province; the white star image means God Almighty and the people’s hopes and dreams, the refinery tower picture with the bursts of fire means that the province has an abundance of mineral wealth, and the image of the neck of a cassowary’s bird facing to the right in a green circle means has a meaning that West Papua upholds the principle of courage, strength, and resilience in facing future development challenges and believing that with the spirit of unity they will realize a bright future. Besides, the bold words of “Cintaku Negeriku” written in the yellow ribbon means the struggle of all components of society to maintain the existence of the Province of West Papua within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia or Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI).
One opposing the reintegration of Papua to Indonesia may not agree that these figures are called heroes. But leave that for other discussions. In fact, such a dispute has always been part of every country in the world. On the one side a group of people is praised as heroes, while on the other side, they are foes.
Nevertheless, history has witnessed that the struggle of Papuans to be part of Indonesia was not an easy journey. Many Indonesian national heroes from Papua indeed had to struggle to fight for independence for the return of Papua to Indonesia during post 1945 Dutch occupation period. Here are a few of them:
Silas Papare
Silas Papare was born in the village of Ariepi (Serui) Yapen Waropen on December 18, 1918. He lived in a harmonious and religious family as he was educated with the religious values by his parents. When he was nine years old, he entered Village School or Volkschool. He then continued to study at the nursing school in Serui and worked as a health personnel for three years. He also had an experience of working for an oil company in Sorong until Japanese came in early 1942.
In December 1945, Silas and his friends tried to influence the West Irian youths who were members of the Papuan Battalion to make a surprise. The plan failed due to leaks of information. He was later arrested and imprisoned in Jayapura. While serving his prison term in Jayapura, Silas Papare became acquainted with Dr. Sam Ratulangi, the Governor of Sulawesi who was exiled by the Dutch in that place. His acquaintance with Sam Ratulangi made him even more convinced that Papua should be free and join Indonesia. With this belief, finally in November 1946 Silas Papare established the Indonesian Irian Independence Party (PKII).
The PKII played an important role in growing and raising the seeds of Indonesian nationalism in Papua (Irian). Under the threat of the Dutch colonialists, PKII's activities were declared illegal. But Papare and his friends continue to struggle underground. Regardless of being under the strict Dutch pressure, the number of PKII members continued to grow. In 1949 the PKII was recorded to have 4000 members. Silas Papare's courage in establishing the PKII made him again arrested by the Dutch and imprisoned in Biak. But then he managed to escape to Yogyakarta.
In October 1949 in Yogyakarta, Papare established the Irian Struggle Agency in order to assist the government of the Republic of Indonesia to incorporate the territory of West Irian into the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. In 1951 Silas Papare formed the 17th Irian Company at the Army Headquarters to support the Government's politics in international forums in the effort to return West Irian to the Republic of Indonesia. The protracted confrontation between Indonesia and the Netherlands regarding West Irian encouraged Papare to continue to be active in the struggle to liberate his homeland from the Dutch colonialists. Papare was then active in the National Front for the Liberation of West Irian (FNPIB).
On August 15, 1962 Papare was asked by President Sukarno to be a member of the Indonesian delegation in the New York Agreement on West Irian, which ended Indonesia's confrontation with the Dutch over West Irian. On May 1, 1963, West Irian officially became the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. In accordance with the New York agreement, the name West Irian was changed into Irian Jaya. Papare was later appointed a member of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) representing West Irian. The joining of Irian Jaya was confirmed by the Results of the People's Opinion (Pepera) in 1969 which was won by pro-Republican Indonesia. This victory was in accordance with Papare's struggle to realize the desire of the majority of the people of Irian to join Indonesia.
In the 1970s Silas Papare returned to his homeland in Serui. Papare passed away on March 7, 1978 at the age of 60. His name is remembered as one of the corvettes of the Indonesian Navy with hull number of 386. Besides, his name is also remembered as Indonesian Air Force’s base name in Jayapura. In addition to that, his name was remembered as the name of a university, namely the Silas Papare College of Political Science (STISIPOL). The Government of Indonesia decided to give Silas Papare an award of National Hero on September 14, 1993 with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 77/TK/1993.
Frans Kaisiepo
Frans Kaisiepo, born in Wardo, Biak, on October 10, 1921, was an instrumental figure in uniting Papua with Indonesia. His struggle for the land of Papua was very memorable, including On August 31, 1945, when Papua was still occupied by the Dutch, Frans was one of the people to uphold the existence of Indonesia and the first person to raise the Red and White Flag and sing the anthem of Indonesia Raya in Papua.
In July 1946, Frans became the envoy of the Nederlands Nieuw Guinea and the only native Papuan at the Malino Conference in South Sulawesi. He strongly opposed the Dutch intention to merge Papua with Maluku and make Papua part of the State of East Indonesia (NIT). Frans insisted that the Papua region should be led by the Papuan people themselves rather than being led by someone else. Frans also suggested that the name Papua or Nederlands Nieuw Guinea to be replaced with 'Irian' which comes from the native Biak language meaning "light that dispels darkness". The word Irian was then, though, politicized by Indonesian nationalist groups in Papua as an acronym for "Ikut Republik Indonesia Anti Nederlands".
In 1961, Frans Kaisiepo established the Irian Part of Indonesia party or Partai Irian Sebagain Indonesia (ISI) which aimed to demand the unification of Papua with the Republic of Indonesia. In the same year, President Soekarno formed Tiga Komando Rakyat (Trikora) on December 19, 1961. Through the ISI, Frans assisted in the landing of Indonesian volunteers who were deployed to Mimika. The main result of Trikora was the New York Agreement on May 1, 1963 which decided that the territory of Papua was returned from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Indonesia. The Indonesian government then used the name inherited from Frans Kaiseipo, namely West Irian (In 1969 it was changed to "Irian Jaya" then changed its name to Papua in 2001).
For his efforts to unite Papua with Indonesia, he was elected as a member of parliament for Papua in the 1973 People's Consultative Assembly election and was appointed to the Supreme Advisory Council in 1977 as representative for Papuan affairs. Given his services to Indonesian, Frans Kaisiepo was awarded the Second-Class Adi Pradana Maha Putra Award. In addition, the name Frans Kaisiepo is also remembered as one of the Navy warships, KRI Frans Kaisiepo with serial number of 368 and the international airport on Biak Island, Papua. Based on Presidential Decree number 077/TK/1993, Frans Kaisiepo’s name was designated as an Indonesian national hero from Papua and his portrait was displayed on the current rupiah banknotes of Rp. 10,000.00.
Marthen Indey
Marthen Indey had worked as a police officer for the Dutch colonial government and turned to support Indonesia. He was even exiled after meeting several political prisoners. Marthen's struggle to defend the Land of Papua made him one of the leading figures in pushing Irian Jaya to join Indonesia. In 1944, Marthen Indey was assigned to train members of the Papuan Battalion formed by the Dutch to face the Japanese. He even had time to join in preparing the rebellion to overthrow the Dutch colonial rule and proclaim the independence of Indonesia. But unfortunately, the plan failed because it was revealed by the Dutch.
Marthen Indey later joined as a member of the Independent Indonesia Committee (KIM). He even became chairman of the Free Indonesia Party (PIM). He also briefly led a delegation of 12 indigenous chiefs to protest against the Dutch intention to separate West Irian from Indonesia. He then conveyed the New City Charter to President Soekarno regarding the determination of the people of Irian Jaya to remain loyal to the Republic of Indonesia. He even had time to go to New York to conduct negotiations so that West Irian, which was under the UN interim government, immediately re-entered Indonesia.
In December 1962, Indey went to New York to fight at the United Nations so that the UNTEA period was shortened and Irian Jaya was immediately incorporated into the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. After that, he went to Jakarta to convey the New City Charter to President Soekarno, which stated the determination of the people of Irian Jaya to remain loyal to the Republic of Indonesia.
Johannes Abraham Dimara
Johanes Abraham Dimara was born on April 16 in Korem, North Biak, Papua Province. At the age of 13 he was taken as an adopted son by Elias Mahubesi, a member of the Ambon police and brought him to Ambon. In this city, Johanes Abraham Dimara finished his primary school education in 1930, then entered an agricultural school in Laha. From 1935 to 1940, he attended a Christian religious school and continued to work as a Bible teacher in Leksuka District, Buru Island.
In 1946, he participated in the raising of the Red and White Flag in Namlea, Buru island. He also fought for the return of the territory of West Irian to Indonesia. In 1950, he was appointed Chairman of the OPI (Organization for the Liberation of West Irian). Besides, he also became a member of the Indonesian Armed Forces and infiltrated in 1954 which caused him to be arrested by the Royal Dutch army and exiled to Digul, until he was finally released in 1960.
When President Soekarno announced Trikora, he became an example of a young Papuan figure and together with Bung Karno joined in calling for Trikora in Yogyakarta. He also called on the entire community in the West Irian region to support the unification of the West Irian region into the lap of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In 1962, when the New York Agreement was signed, he became one of the delegates with the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
All of this struggle is recognized by the government until he received the extraordinary rank from Assistant Lieutenant to Major. Johanes Abraham Dimara passed away in Jakarta on October 20, 2000. He received an appreciation from the government in the form of the Satyalancana War of Independence and Satyalancana Bhakti. For his services, the Government of Indonesia awarded the title of National Hero based on Presidential Decree No. 113/TK/2011.
Mahmud Singgirei Rumagesan
Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan led the Revolutionary Tjendrawasih Movement of West Irian in 1953. The movement was aimed at helping the Government of Indonesia to seize and fight for the liberation of West Irian from Dutch colonialism. He was born in Kokas, December 27, 1885. As the 21 years old man, Machmud had become the viceroy. Two years later, he served as Raja Sekar in Fakfak, with the title Raja Al Alam Ugar Sekar (meaning: a king who was born and grew up without the influence and power of other occupations).
However, at that time his power was limited by the colonialists since the Dutch entered Papua. In response to this, Mahmud and the King of Rumbati, Ibrahim Bauw, called for resistance with jihad fisabilillah against colonialism. In Sorong, Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan planned a rebellion with 40 weapons from Heiho, the Indonesian troops formed by Japan. However, the plan failed. He was put in solitary confinement for six months. The judge had sentenced him to death by shooting on May 2, 1949. However, the judge's decision no. 125/49 was opposed both inside and outside the prison. On December 5, 1949, at the insistence of various parties, the death sentence imposed on Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan was changed to life imprisonment. During his imprisonment, he has moved from one prison to another, such as Saparua, Sorong-Doom, Manokwari, Hollandia until he was exiled to Makassar. Nevertheless, the struggle of Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan bore fruit on December 24, 1949 when West Irian was declared independent from the Netherlands after it was decided at the Round Table Conference (KMB).
Machmud was finally released from prison after that as the RIS government issued a release decree on May 2, 1950 Number 44/A. After his release, in 1953, he served as General Chair of the West Irian Revolutionary Tjendrawasih Movement. He had also participated in the National Congress for Peace in Jakarta which called for Irian to return to Indonesia. As a result, he was later appointed as a member of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) of the Republic of Indonesia for the period 1959-1965. In 1969, the People's Opinion (Pepera) decided that West Irian would join Indonesia. Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan passed away in Jakarta, July 5, 1964. For his services and struggles, he was awarded the title of National Hero by President Jokowi based on Presidential Decree No. RI. 117/TK/Year 2020.
Source: historia.id (Desember 2020)
