WEST PAPUAN CHURCH AMIDST COLONIALISM

Justice and Peace, by Ambrosius Mulait.

The Church's encounter with colonialism is not new. History records that the development of Christianity in the Americas, Africa and Asia is inseparable from this phenomenon. 

Christian missions and West Papuan national awakening 

In the Pacific region of West Papua, missionaries arrived in the midst of Dutch colonization in the 1850s. But unlike in other colonized areas, European missionaries in West Papua emphasized inculturation in their evangelistic efforts. This contributed to the emergence of a West Papuan national consciousness that transcended local tribal interests in the early 20th century. In addition, the missionaries' boarding schools prepared young cadres for an independent West Papuan state. 

Indonesian colonization and the Church's paradigm shift  

Unfortunately, a major paradigm shift occurred when West Papua fell to Indonesia in the mid-1960s. The Melanesian-spirited West Papuan Church was gradually becoming the Papuan-looking Indonesian Church. The quality of Christian education is declining with many young papuans dropping out of school. 

Deviating from its original form, the Church in West Papua is facing a new kind of colonization from within, wrapped in the spirit of pluralism and interfaith harmony. This is all the more true now as more than half of West Papua's population is Indonesian.

West Papua: Which side is the Church on?

The presence of the Church, especially the Catholic Church in West Papua, is increasingly being questioned by the local indigenous population. Given the rampant violence and land grabbing in its Catholic base areas, many ask, for whom does the Catholic Church serve? Is it for the people of West Papua or the Indonesian colonial regime?

Many do not understand the ambiguity of the Church, which on the one hand expresses empathy for the marginalized West Papuans, but on the other hand continues to support the brutal Indonesian regime. This is reflected in the statement of Cardinal Suharyo of Jakarta who affirmed that "The official stance of the Catholic church on the Papuan issue is very clear, which is to support the government's stance, because it is guaranteed by international law." 

The Church, the last bastion of West Papuans?

Disappointment abounds among West Papuans who are predominantly Christian. As for them, the Church was the last bastion of their survival as a nation. "It is shameful that the Church has chosen to justify the Indonesian occupation. Whereas, given West Papua's illegitimate integration into Indonesia, it is a clear moral obligation for her to speak out for West Papua's independence", said an anonymous Papuan activist.

In the face of oppression, the Church has no right to remain silent. A number of Church leaders in the past have shown a firm stance against colonialism, such as Bishop Soegijapranata in Indonesia and Bishop Ximenes Belo in Timor Leste. It is time for Church leaders to show their support for West Papuans. To quote South African Nobel laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu: "Those who remain silent in the face of injustice perpetuate it. To claim to be neutral in the face of an unjust situation is in fact to choose the oppressor's side."