Indonesian Military questions and spies on West Papuan Baptist Church (Report by Revd Socratez Sofyan

Y Revd Socratez Sofyan Yoman

President of the Fellowships of West Papuan Baptist Churches

On 18^th April 2008, an Indonesian intelligence officer came to MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowships) in Wamena to check the departure of Baptist Church leaders who wanted to visit Kuyuwagi. The purpose of the visit was to take part in a praise and worship event and to show a documentary film about the history of the West Papuan Baptist Church.

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1. On the 26^th April 2008, four military personnel from Battalion 765 Wamena who were stationed in Tiom village asked the leaders of the West Papuan Baptist Church the following questions: (1) Where are you from? (2) What is your purpose for coming here? (3) Who instructed you to play the documentary film of the history of West Papuan Baptist Church?

1. On the 30^th April 2008, three military personnel from Battalion 765 Wamena who were stationed in Pirime village asked the Church leaders the same questions.

1. On the 15^th of May 2008:

 Military personnel who were stationed in Yikonime village in Yikone district, on the border of Puncak Jaya and Tolikara regency came to Kanggime district and told the Church leaders, “we are looking for cows”. The military named the people of Kangime “cows”. There are no cows or goats in Kanggime because people of Kanggime only raise pigs.

 Special Forces (Kopassu) who were stationed in Ilu district asked the church leaders again: (1) Where are you from? (2) What is your purpose of coming here? (3) What do you do?

 TNI personnel are stationed in Tingginambut village, Guragi village and Irinmuli mountain. The military posts are everywhere in every village, even though the villages are very close to one another.

1. On the 18^th May 2008 in Mulia town, the capital of Puncak Jaya regency, Indonesian military personnel came and took pictures of the Church leaders and under extremely tight security control, they asked the church leaders these questions:

(a) Where are you from?

(b) Why do you have too many people praying inside the church?

(c) Why did you show a church documentary film?

(d) What was the purpose of showing the film?

It is clear from this report how Indonesian government and the Indonesian military (TNI) have oppressed the religious rights and freedom of expression of the Papuan Church leaders. The Church leaders are checked and spied on in various ways and for various reasons.

There is no freedom because the Indonesian government and TNI have created a climate of fear. This situation is critical and the future of West Papuan Churches and People becomes more uncertain.

The TNI personnel asked ridiculous questions. The churches in West Papua already existed since 5^th February 1855 long before the Indonesian government began their annexation of Papuan land on 1^st May 1963.

It is also not ethical for the Indonesian military to call Papuans “cows”. They were looking for OPM members but they said that were looking for cows.

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Background of the Church leaders:

The Evangelical Department of the Fellowships of West Papuan Baptist Churches carried out a pastoral visit to Baptist Church members in the highlands of West Papua. A documentary film about the history of the West Papuan Baptist church since 28^th October 1956 was shown (during every visit). The activities took place from 18^th April to 19^th May 2008.

During the visit the Church leaders were monitored and questioned by the Indonesian military and Special Forces personnel (Kopassus).

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TNI MENGAWASI DAN MENGINTAI KEGIATAN GEREJA BAPTIS

DI PAPUA BARAT

Oleh Socratez Sofyan Yoman

Ketua Umum Badan Pelayan Pusat

Persekutuan Gereja-gereja Baptis Papua

29 Mei 2008

1. Pada tanggal 18 April 2008 anggota Intelejen Indonesia datang ke MAF Wamena mengecek keberangkatan pemimpin gereja Baptis ke Kuyawagi dalam rangka kebaktian Kebangunan Rohani (KKR) dan pemutaran Film Sejarah Gereja Baptis Papua.

1. Pada tanggal 26 April 2008, empat Anggota TNI dari Batalyon 756 Wamena yang bertugas di kampung Tiom bertanya kepada pemimpin gereja Baptis ; (1) darimana bapak-bapak? (2) Tujuan apa? (3) Siapa yang menyuruh untuk memutar film Sejarah gereja Baptis Papua?

1. Pada tanggal 30 April 2008, tiga anggota TNI dari Batalyon 756 Wamena yang bertugas di kampung Pirime bertanya kepada pemimpin gereja dengan pertanyaan yang sama, yaitu: (1) darimana bapak-bapak? (2) Tujuan apa? (3) Siapa yang menyuruh memutar film Sejarah Gereja Baptis Papua?

1. Pada tanggal 15 Mei 2008:

Ø Anggota TNI yang bertugas di Pos Kampung Yikonime, Distrik Yikonikme, Perbatasan kabupaten Puncak Jaya dan Kabupeten Tolikara datang ke Distrik Kanggime dan berkata kepada para pemimpin gereja bahwa “mereka sedang mencari sapi”. Ini berarti “mereka menamakan orang asli Papua di Kanggime sebagai sapi”. Karena, di Kanggime tidak pelihara kambing, yang ada di sana adalah hanya babi-babi.

Ø Anggota Kopassus yang bertugas di Distrik Ilu bertanya kepada para pemimpin gereja bahwa (1) bapak-bapak darimana? (2) tujuan apa datang ke Puncak Jaya? (3) bapak-bapak bekerja sebagai apa?

Ø Anggota TNI juga bertugas di kampung Tingginambut, Kampung Guragi, dan gunung Irinmuli. Pos-Pos TNI yang berada dikampung-kampung bahkan berdekatan.

1. Pada tanggal 18 Mei 2008 di bMulia ibu kota Puncak Jaya, anggota TNI datang mengambil foto atau mengambil gambar pemimpin-pemimpin gereja dan dalam penjagaan yang ketat anggota TNI bertanya kepada para pemimpin gereja sebagai berikut:

(a) Darimana bapak-bapak datang?

(b) Mengapa ibadah gereja dalam jumlah orang yang sangat banyak?

(c) Mengapa Film Sejarah Gereja ini diputar?

(d) Tujuan apa Film sejarah gereja ini diputar?

Dalam laporan ini terlihat gambaran bahwa bagaimana Pemerintah Indonesia dan TNI menekan kebebasan beragama, berkumpul dan berbicara di Papua Barat oleh pemimpin-pemimpin gereja. Para pemimpin gereja diawasi dan diintai dengan berbagai cara dan pendekatan.

Tidak ada kebebasan, rasa ketakutan telah diciptakan oleh Pemerintah dan TNI di Papua Barat. Situasi semakin suram dan sangat memprihatinkan masa depan gereja dan orang asli Papua di Papua Barat.

Anggota TNI mengajukan pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang sangat tidak masuk akal. Karena Gereja menyadari bahwa Gereja sudah ada sejak 5 Februari 1855 sebelum Pemerintah Indonesia mencaplok dan menduduki dan menjajah Papua sejak 1 Mei 1963.

Lebih tidak manusiawi lagi ialah anggota TNI menamanakan orang asli Papua sebagai seekor sapi. Anggota sebenarnya sedang mencari orang asli Papua yang dicurigai sebagai anggota OPM, tetapi mereka katakana bahwa mereka sedang mencari sapi.

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Latar Belakang singkat para pemimpin gereja:

Departemen Penginjilan Persekutuan Gereja-geraja Baptis Papua melakukan pelayanan pastotal kepada seluruh anggota Gereja Baptis di pegunungan dan juga pemutaran film sejarah Gereja Baptis Papua dari sejak 28 Oktober 1956. Kegiatan pelayana pastoral dan pemutaran film ini dilaksanakan sejak tanggal 18 April sampai 19 Mei 2008.

Dalam perjalanan ini, para pemimpin gereja Baptis ini dimonitor dan dintanya oleh anggota TNI dan Kopassus.

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