Christians must speak up for West Papua

"Being a priest in West Papua is not just about carrying out religious activities, but also actively defending the rights and lives of the local indigenous."

So said a West Papuan priest I met recently. Caution dictates that he conceal his identity, as some of his fellow priests have been secretly murdered by the Indonesian army, which has occupied West Papua since 1963. For the convenience of our readers, we'll refer to this West Papuan priest as Father Alphons.

People's cry, divine call

The priestly vocation of young Alphons was confirmed gradually through a series of events. In his teenage years, Alphons was much inspired by certain priests who dedicated themselves to the poor. His vocation matured further in high seminary where, in his pastoral missions, Alphons witnessed the suffering of his people and the great hope they placed in priests.

He was at the Abepura incident in 2011, when Indonesian security forces opened fire on West Papuans taking part in a peaceful pro-independence demonstration. This was not a coincidence but part of Indonesia's massive and structured state violence. For the predominantly Christian West Papuans, the Church is the only institution they can rely on. 

Christianity threatened 

Later during his time as a parish priest, Father Alphons realized that the Indonesian state's violence is not only limited to oppression by security forces, but also through so called development policies aimed at expelling West Papuans from their ancestral land. In their impoverished state, many West Papuans have become heavily dependent on Indonesian government assistance. Some of them converted to Islam to gain more convenience.

Furthermore, there is an attempt by the Indonesian government to abolish Christian education by promoting State pedagogy. Many Catholic establishments were closed and their teachers forced to transfer to public schools. Donations from major charity organizations are systematically blocked by the Indonesian government. Subsidies promised by the Indonesian state to local churches are hindered by complicated procedures.

Moral appeal to the Church

In the face of the human tragedy in West Papua, Father Alphons insists that the Church must dare to speak out. It is not enough to call for peace in West Papua without addressing the root of the problem, which is Indonesia's brutal annexation and occupation. Six decades of conflict nurtured by the Indonesia's brutal politics have led to the growing armed violence that is culminating in West Papua today.

The Church is not just about bishops and priests, but all those who uphold Christian values. Indeed, faith in Christ is not an abstract fantasy. Earthly reality cannot be separated from heavenly hope. We must be able to bring Christ into our engagement by fighting for truth, justice, and peace for humanity.