West Papua during the Reign of Moluccan Monarchies

Sultan Baabdullah – i1.wp.com

The western part of New Guinea better known as West Papua literally conceals countless out of the ordinary facts. From the unbelievable range of 4,000-meter peaks to the exceptional Melanesian cultures, the black gem from the east has never been tiresome to shine. Historically, West Papua has gone through an array of political upheavals. Under the European conquest, the world’s second largest island got its name. The occurrence came to pass when a Portuguese explorer named Jorge de Menezes accidentally found the green land mass in 1526-27. The word of Papua refers to “frizzled hair” representing the physical appearance of the inhabitants.

Before being occupied by the government of Dutch East Indies in 1824 and becoming the 26^th Indonesian province in 1969, West Papua was not only taken control by the victorious Majapahit kingdom (as stated in a holy Hindu book named Kakawin Nagarakartagama) but also the neighboring rulers often dubbed the Moluccan Monarchies. According to a historical research, there were three Moluccan kingdoms used to be actively involved in territorial expansion – Tidore, Bacan, and Ternate. Not only were the Muslim-based empires influential in establishing East Indonesia in the past but they were also revered by the European colonials from British to Dutch.

West Papua under the Authority of Tidore Kingdom

Sultan Baabdullah – i1.wp.com

Western New Guinea mainly in the area of bird head and Raja Ampat Islands was once ruled by Sultan Baabullah from the Sultanate of Tidore in the 16^th century from 1570 to 1583. The monarchy sitting on a small island of northern Maluku with the same name was one of the largest and most powerful Indonesian kingdoms. In a brief, the glorious monarchy was initially known as Limau Duko or Kie Duko which means “volcano” before Islam invaded the island. The naming is basically relevant to the local geographical condition loaded with towering volcanoes. Then the name of Tidore which means “I have arrived” was taken.

Apart from the dominion of Sultan Baabullah, West Papua, in accordance with another trusted source, was a developed region under the reign of Sultan Mansyur, the famed 12^th king of Tidore Sultanate. The territorial expansion to the eastern part of Indonesia specifically the Halmahera and West Papua carried out in the 16^th century was overly intense. According to the 36^th king of Tidore Sultanate named Sultan Zainal Abidin “Alting” Syah, the main sovereignty of Tidore Kingdom covers two large areas – Nyili Gam and Nyili Papua.

The evidence how the Kingdom of Tidore successfully administered West Papua is written based on the copies of historical records. One of the citations says, “Lantas kagee Jou Kolano wolahi Kapita-Kapita kagee toma Maba, Buli, Bicoli se Patani ona yomote una terus toma Gebe la supaya yohoda kiye mega yoru-ruru, yo bapo ino uwa, toma Gebe madulu se I ronga “Papua”.” These utterances mean “Then the king Mansyur made an expedition to the regions of Lolobata, Bicoli, Maba, Buli, and the island of Patani. Once arriving there, the king asked the captains to go for further exploration to Gebe Island and investigate other islands behind it, “Papua”.

When West Papua was Ruled by the Kingdom of Bacan

West papua – ytimg.com

The clear substantiation indicating that West Papua was under the control of the Kingdom of Bacan is the information avowed in the book of New Guinea authored by a Dutch author, WC. Klein. He stated that the leaders of Papua once paid a visit into the kingdom of Bacan in 1569. The Bacan sultanate was a potent kingdom situated on the island of Bacan, Maluku islands. It was early governed by a king converting to Islam called Raja Zainulabidin. There were a number of kingdoms in the islands of Raja Ampat which were under the administration of Bacan monarchy.

The kingdoms under Bacan sovereignty include Lilinta/Misool Kingdom. The dominant rulers who made a significant social improvement were Abd al-Majid, Jamal ad-Din, and Bahar ad-Din Dekamboe. Another Islamic empire occupying the islands of Raja Ampat was the Kingdom of Waigama. The golden period of Waigama was under the control of Abd ar-Rahman, Hasan, and Syams ad-Din Tafalas.

The Tie between West Papua and the Kingdom of Ternate

Kingdom of ternate – 2.bp.blogspot.com

The authentic proof that West Papua was once possessed by the Kingdom of Ternate is through the presence of four kingdoms in Raja Ampat Islands. They cover the Kingdom of Waigeo with the capital of Wewayai, the Kingdom of Salawati with the capital of Samate, the Kingdom of Sailolof, and the Kingdom of Misol. One of the prominent leaders whose power was unbeatable is King Gadzun governing the Waigeo from 1900 to 1918.

In closing, West Papua had been deeply related to the Indonesian monarchies in Maluku islands. From the Kingdom of Tidore to the Kingdom of Ternate, the western part of New Guinea was a central place to build economic and cultural relations in East Indonesia.

Source: https://onwestpapua.com/west-papua-reign-moluccan-monarchies/

Cenderawasih: The Bird from Paradise

Cenderawasih – beritanews.id

Cenderawasih, also known as the bird of paradise, is a member of Paradisaeaidae family with 13 genera and 43 types. These birds are largely found in East Indonesia region, Papua New Guinea, and East Australia. It is said that this bird rarely puts their feet on the ground, they prefer to fly or perch themselves on the wood branch. If they put their feet on the ground, it means that soon they will die. Therefore, people often called Cenderawasih as the bird of paradise, always fly, never touch the ground.

For some ethnic groups in Papua, Cenderawasih symbolizes a sacred nature. For this reason, Cenderawasih always becomes an offering in the cultural rituals. As for Malayan, Cenderawasih is mentioned in Tajul Muluk book, a codex from Arab countries. Inside the codex, Cenderawasih is believed to have many medicinal properties and bring luck to the trading business. As a result, many Malayan chases this bird for its feathers or keep the bird’s preserved (taxidermy) in order to bring luck in their life.

The mythology of Cenderawasih spreads over the world not only for Malayan and Indonesian. Chinese people believe that Cenderawasih is an embodiment of Phoenix bird, the messenger of happiness. According to Chinese tradition, this bird only appears in times of peace and prosperity. Knowing this, hundreds of years ago, the Sriwijaya Kingdom in Indonesia gave Cenderawasih as a present for the Chinese Emperor as a symbol of friendship for both nations.

Indonesia: The Home of Cenderawasih

Cendrawasih – hargaburung.id

Indonesia has the privilege of having the largest number of Cenderawasih species in the world. In fact, 30 types of Cenderawasih bird live in Indonesia, and 28 of them are living in Papua. Some of the commonly known species are Manukodia Crested-rolling (Manucodia comrii), Blue Cenderawasih (Paradisaea rudolphi), small-Yellow Cenderawasih (Paradisaea minor), Cenderawasih 12 Wired (Seleucidis melanoleuca), Paradigalla Long-tail (Paradigalla carunculate), Red Cenderawasih (Paradisaea rubra), and King Cenderawasih (Cicinnurus regius).

The size of Cenderawasih ranges from 50 grams and 15 centimeters up to 110 centimeters and 430 grams. The female Cenderawasih often is often smaller in size than the male.

In general, Cenderawasih feathers range from dark black to red-orange and sparkling green, also golden brown. The feathers of a male Cenderawasih are generally more beautiful compared to those of the female. The male feathers are glossies and have a mix of complicated colors. The male also often uses the beauty of their feathers to attract the female, especially during mating season. Some of the Paradisae genera also do a dance to attract the female Cenderawasih during the rutting.

As one of the homes to Cenderawasih, Papua Province officially makes Cenderawasih as a mascot for their province. They declare Cenderawasih 12 wired as their region symbol because these birds have beautiful colors, strong feet, and beak. Moreover, these birds have a loud voice and good flying endurance.

Preserved Cenderawasih, Preserved the Paradise

Cendrawasih – 1.bp.blogspot.com

Cenderawasih beautiful feathers often become an ornament in the traditional costume of Papuan. However, it’s not only Papuan that love using Cenderawasih feathers as decoration. Back in the 18th and 19th century, the European people love to have Cenderawasih feathers as accessories for their hats or clothes.

Back in the day, every high-class individual in Europe fancies wearing Cenderawasih feathers to draw attention. It is also said that during the year of 1820-1938, Cenderawasih trading to Europe was estimated to reach 3 million birds, which gave a huge profit for the Dutch Indies Government at that time.

However, the wild hunting of Cenderawasih feathers as well as the natural devastation have made Cenderawasih endangered species. Based on the research conducted back in 2012, we can only find 2-3 Cenderawasih birds per one kilometer in Papua. It is a smaller number compared to the year of 2000-2005, when we could still find 10-15 Cenderawasih birds per one kilometer in their habitat. However, it is not easy to preserve this bird, as it only produces one to two eggs in their reproducing cycle, which makes the number of this birds easily decreases due to the ecological change.

As an effort to preserve Cenerawasih for extinction, the government has issued a law to stop the wild hunting and illegal trading of Cenderawasih birds. Papua Government established Circular Letter no 660.1/6501/SET in June 2017 about the banning of using Cenderawasih and its feathers as accessories or souvenirs. Cendarawasih and its feathers are only allowed to use for cultural activity categorized as a sacred procession in Papua.

Some Ethnic groups in Papua have also implemented a cultural sanction for community members that killed Cenderawasih. The hardest sanction for this act is to drive away the law offenders from the village and to no longer consider them as the community member.

This condition also encourages the Papua Art Council to establish a competition in creating Cenderawasih birds imitate model as souvenirs, crown, or ornaments. Papua Art Council hopes that their movement will be able to save Cenderawasih birds.

So, for any of you that visit Papua, please make sure that you don’t buy Cenderawasih feathers or any souvenirs made from the bird. Together we can save Cenderawasih, the treasure of Indonesia country.

Source: https://onwestpapua.com/cenderawasih-bird-paradise/

Trikora Operation, the Giant Military Aimed to Free West Papua from the Dutch

Dutch colony – pinterest.com

In respect to the negotiations undertaken by Indonesia and Dutch in 1945-1949, West Papua (then West Irian Jaya) should be handed to Indonesia as late as 1950. Even according to the principle of uti possidetis juris, West Papua should automatically become a region under Indonesian administration. However, the Dutch did not act according to the principle or negotiation which had taken place.

Even after the Dutch-Indonesia Round Table Conference in 1949, in which the Kingdom of Netherland (Dutch) agreed with the independence of Indonesia, they still retained sovereignty over West Papua. The promise of declaring West Papua as a part of Indonesia at least a year after the Round Table Conference never became a reality.

Indonesia’s government saw that the Dutch had no intention to keep the agreement they made in the Round Table Conference. In response, Indonesia withdrew from the Netherland-Indonesia Union. This also marked the moment when the young nation realized that the diplomacy did not work effectively, therefore: they continued the fight to annex West Papua through military force.

People’s Triple Command

Trikora – wordpress.com

Since the negotiation with the Kingdom of Netherland about West Papua did not show any positive sign, Indonesia decided to use the military to invade their administration in the region. On December 19, 1961, Sukarno as the president of Indonesia at the time declared Trikora, an abbreviation for Tri Komando Rakyat (People’s Triple Command), in Yogyakarta.

The content of Trikora, as the name suggests, consisted of three commands. Firstly, Trikora aimed to prevent the Dutch from forming a puppet State of West Papua. This command was a response to the Dutch’s effort to establish a puppet country in West Papua instead of handing the administration to Indonesia.

Secondly, Trikora asked people to fly the red and white flag (Indonesia’s national flag) in West Papua. It was a symbolic action to show that West Papua was under Indonesia’s sovereignty. Thirdly, Trikora commanded people to get ready for mass mobilization as an attempt to defend Indonesia’s independence and unity.

To implement these commands, President Sukarno formed the Mandala Command. Led by Commander Soeharto (who later became the next president of the country), Mandala Command was in charge of strategic planning, preparation, and implementation of the military operation in West Papua.

Giant Military Operation in West Papua

Papua – ibiblio.org

During Trikora, Indonesia had a good bilateral relation with Uni Soviet, which made the country got the support from the then one of the greatest nations in the world. The diplomacy behind this cooperation was undertaken in December 1960 when General A. H. Nasution visited Moscow to buy military logistics. The diplomacy went well and Indonesia could get ammunition worth of US$ 2.5 billion—paid in a long term.

Using the war logistics from Uni Soviet, Indonesia got massive advanced naval and air forces, including the largest warship with giant cannons called KRI Irian. In term of size and strength, KRI Irian was proportional to the United States’ best warships such as USS Wisconsin, USS Missouri, and USS Iowa. With such power, Indonesia was considered as the strongest military in the southern hemisphere at the time.

Indonesian military also prepared for airports which were ruined by the war—many of them were located on the border of Maluku and West Papua. In 1961, at least 14 military airports near the border were ready for mass mobilization against the Dutch troops in West Papua. However, the attack did not take place right away since the strategies used by Indonesia’s military forces were divided into three stages as explained below.

1. Infiltration—in which more than 10 companies of the military forces infiltrated the strategic area in West Papua and built strong military bases with the help of West Papuans. Within eight months in 1962, Indonesia had successfully insert 562 soldiers by sea and 1154 by air drops to West Papua.
2. Exploitation—was an open attack on the Dutch military bases which had been infiltrated beforehand so that the area had not only Indonesian troops but also military logistics. The biggest attack was called Jayawijaya Operation—it was the biggest amphibious operation in the history of Indonesian Navy. The operation involved 100 warships and 16,000 marines.
3. Consolidation—was the process to enforce Indonesian law in West Papua to show that the region had officially become part of the country.

The giant military operation had made the Dutch recognized Indonesians’ determination to annex West Papua. The Dutch was also pressurized by the U.S. which advised for peaceful conflict resolution instead of continuing military fight against Indonesia. As a response, the Dutch was willing to sign the New York Agreement on August 15, 1962, so that the Jayawijaya Operation was called off.

The New York Agreement was an important point in changing the status of West Papua from the Dutch’s colony to be a part of Indonesia. The whole Trikora Operation had played a big role in making it happen since after the agreement, the West Papuans decided to join Indonesia.

Source: https://onwestpapua.com/trikora-operation-giant-military-aimed-free-west-papua-dutch/

Wuon: Customary School of Meyah Tribe in West Papua

Meyah live in Ayai village, Tambrauw district in West Papua. This tribe maintains the wisdom of local culture by building customary schools. This school serves to preserve the sacred values and cultural heritage of the ancestors to the younger generation of this tribe. All these generations must study in this school. This school is referred to as Wuon. It is a traditional house for men to learn local wisdom and traditional values. The customary head in the village says that adat is the values of wisdom that can be a journey for a phase of life and that culture must be guarded by this tribe. The culture must be nurtured by all tribes in order to survive for many years.

Center for Cultural Learning

The values of local wisdom are not conveyed in written form but the moral message is conveyed in norm norms so that the culture can become a grip in everyday life. This school does not recognize the age limit because the child in the mother’s womb can learn in this school. The tribe says that the culture must be taught from childhood. Babies should get special treats such as diet and dietary restrictions to be obeyed by pregnant women. The baby will be exiled from the village until the age of 15 years. The child will be sent to Wuon with the greatest distance from this village. Usually, Wuon distance is 15 to 30 km from the village.

Customary schools are divided into three stages. Each stage takes three months, six months and one year. If there are people who already have a family, then the couple who comes from the adat school participants must follow the rules in the school. If a husband follows this school, then the rule must also be followed by the wife who lives in the village. If the person has an accident or died while attending a customary school, then the family will not be angry. The family believed that the incident was caused because the school participants had violated the rules in force at the school. The incident can bring disaster.

Educational Values

These are the sacred values for cultural education in the tribe so that the school’s participants must have a strong mentality. Participants must reach an agreement with the family before leaving for the school. Families should be able to accept the consequences when the participant is sick or dies. This is an accident that can happen to the school. If the participants violate the school rules, then educators will not be afraid to give severe punishment. Participants who successfully graduate from this school will be appreciated by the villagers. The participant has gone through obstacles during the school and the participant must be awarded. There are many people in the village that cannot face the education so that participants who graduate from the school will be greeted by a lively party. Customary schools also apply throughout the land of Papua. Humbold Bay established a school called Rumah Karawary to provide education to youth and youth. Rumsram is a school in Byak to educate youths who will conduct the Wor ceremony. This is a ceremony to cut the ends of the genital skin of a boy. Dominggus said that these customary schools have disappeared from the culture of several tribes. The Meyah are the only tribe that retains this culture.

Clans of Meyah Tribe

This tribe is a sub-tribe of a large tribe called the Arfak. This is a native inland Manokwari District. There are some local oral sources that reveal that this tribe originated from two male men named Ndifan and Ndin. The man is a native of the Anggi region. This area is the residence of the Sougb tribe. Ndin married a woman who lived in a coastal area called Wonggor. The marriage gave birth to a boy named Brim. Brim produces descendants called the tribe of Meyah and Moile with the Wonggor clan. Ndifan married a woman named Mpgot. The woman comes from Minyambouw and has a son who is referred to as Mbrdin. Mbrdin has a descendant called the Moile tribe with the Wonggor clan. Moile people say that this tribe is a descendant of Sougb with a beach with the Wonggor clan. Oral sources say that Wonggor comes from seawater crocodiles. There are other clans belonging to this tribe. The clans consist of Mandacan, Ayok, Bikiouw, Ullo, Pungwam, Tibiay, and Indow. The Ulo clan originates from a small upstream river called the Wariori River.

That is a review of the customary schools in the Meyah tribe. Actually, this customary school is a good program to preserve the culture of traditional tribes in West Papua but modernization makes many tribes leave the school. Actually, cultural programs should be included as a lesson in public schools so that the younger generation does not forget the history of the tribe in Papua. The younger generation should be able to appreciate the culture. The younger generation will become the foundation of the future so that young people must be educated with useful knowledge for the nation.

Source: https://westpapuaupdate.com/wuon-customary-school-meyah-tribe-west-papua/

West Papua and the Government Prolonged Political Tension Eased?

West Papua may not sit comfortably within the country. However this particular state of the country have exercised its incredible claim power. Stretching from the western half of its neighboring country that is New Guinea, to other parts of the region. Such simple attempt on imposing duty may quickly become one of the most challenging tasks.

Such is the reason why understanding the political concept of it all may be useful. Not only in an attempt to understand the challenges that come with converting them to be the country’s potential breadbasket. But also the core point of everything that the locals have in mind. Whether or not they are onboard with the developmental and commerical. What better way to do it other than from learning the history?

A brief history

Back in the day of Dutch occupation, the people of Indonesia finally gained their own independence through fierce battles. The Indonesian people defeated the Dutch not only by brute force, but also brilliant minds. By seizing the opportunity right when it arose, Indonesia managed to defeat the Dutch and kick them back to their curb.

At the time, the defeated Dutch empire was forced to flee in order to save themselves. The first few destinations that they had in mind at the time were the remote area in the eastern islands. Compared to the neighboring islands, Sumatra and Java, the regime was surprisingly accepted by locals. It was quite surprising considering locals had certain hatred from having to give up a large portion of their harvest.

This, however, did not go on for long. By the end of the year 1949, the remaining Dutch people were forced to surrender. Not only completely turning themselves in and surrender, the Dutch was also forced to acknowledge the country’s newfound sovereignty. By acknowledging Indonesia’s sovereignty over the the Dutch East Indies.

However it is worth noting that the acknowledgment did not in any way include the Dutch New Guinea. Now widely referred to as West Papua, enough to help the country off the ground. It was not until 1961 did the Dutch make the decision to relinquish their control. Not only over the colony, but also the present day West Papua. This was exactly when the situation became more interesting.

At the time, the Dutch offered to grant independence to the west papua region. The offer was based on the belief that the region was culturally distinct when compared to other Indonesian region. This offer quickly became the source of upheaval at the time. With Indonesia refusing the notion that the west papua was not apart of them. Indonesian troops were then sent to the area to establish control.

The fate

The status of West Papua was finally brought to the United Nations and eventually birthed ‘Act of Free Choice.’ A number of Papuan women and men were selected to be a representative in this UN-sponsored event. In the end, as much as 1,025 Papuans agreed to be a part of the Indonesian territory. Many would argue that during this phase, the Papuans were intimidated. Hence, the decision to integrate.

However, looking back at various events leading up to the integration of Papua, no such thing as coercion was found. Quite the contrary, even long before this issue simmered to the top, various Papuan parties supporting Indonesian independence. Silas and Frans Kaisiepo were among the few of Irian intellectuals who actively paved the way to integration.

The majority of Papuans had spoken. Yet even decades after the decision had been set in stone, groups of Papuans launched guerilla campaign. Standing under the banner of ‘Free Papua Organization’, the goal of such campaign is to seek referendum. The political turmoil between the organization and the Indonesian government reached its peak during Soeharto administration.

The never-ending conflict was tainted with acts of violence and mysterious killings. Any Papuan who dared to speak openly about referendum would instantly be arrested and kept in isolation. This unfortunate turn of events did not get better until around Timor Timur gained its independence. Up to this day, Papua referendum still remains one of the most sensitive issues.

In cities, aspirations for freedom and independence from the Indonesian government is not only treated as political breakaway. Quite the contrary, this has blown up to a degree in which salvation and liberation become two of the most cited undertones in this movement. Demonstrations followed with two congresses attended by delegates from all over west Papua. The event took turn for the worst when military tried to break up the congress.

With numbers of people killed in the altercation, the issue propelled to the public eye resulting in human rights activists rallying their support. As a response, the Indonesian government proposed Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua. A solution which did not see the light of day until Jokowi’s administration. With improving infrastructures and declining poverty rate, the goverment is hopeful that the political tensions in West Papua also decreases.

Source: https://westpapuaupdate.com/west-papua-government-prolonged-political-tension-eased/