Calling Papuans Colonized, Pastor Socratez Yoman Again Influences The Public Through His Books

A collection of notes on social and political themes concerning Papuan issues has just been released in the form of a book published in mid-August 2022. The work written by a senior Papuan Pastor, Dr. Socratez Yoman was influenced by several things. In his explanation, he considered that there was an unfair narrative in the history of Papua. Departing from this, he decided to pick up his pen and write a book to provide space for Papuan history written in the perspective of the land of Papua.

For him, in today's contemporary era, the Papuan people are said to be suffering because of policies that are oppressive and not in favor of the human rights of indigenous Papuans. The expansion policy, for example, is a controversial crucial issue for the people of Papua, as well as the people of Indonesia. Because the current division is judged to be based on the will of the colonial power, not the will of the Papuan people.

A prologue to a paper that immediately cornered the government against efforts and policies in developing Papua. From time to time, every policy is not fully realized perfectly, which requires study and evaluation. However, from these imperfections it becomes a momentum to act more maturely by considering several contexts comprehensively. Dr. Decision. Socratez Yoman perpetuating opinion in the form of a written book actually sharpens his predicate as a Political Priest. Consciously or not, his current actions will further widen the gap between ideological and political differences, especially for a small number of parties who tend to support the effort to free Papua from Indonesia.

Sharpening the Predicate of Political Priest for Socratez Yoman Through Writing a Book

Still in the summary of the explanation in the press release of his latest book, Yoman said that the book records the memory of the Papuan people, where the suffering since the 1960s until now has not stopped. The writings of these books are also said to be dedicated to the younger generation, justice and human rights fighters wherever they are, not to be afraid to show partiality in liberating the Papuan people from oppression and the practice of colonialism.

A series of disinformative sentences that tend to be provocative coming out of a pastor who should be on duty and able to cool the congregation to the community. Indonesia is considered a colonial nation, where the Papua region is considered a colony. This destructive opinion, which is clearly objective, will become a boomerang if there are still parties who are unable to critically interpret the anthology to the essence of the article. Peaceful Papua will only be a mere jargon if the people in it are still happy to play with fire by sheltering the husks, including this senior pastor.

Maybe some of the public do not understand Socratez Yoman's position in relation to the separatist problem in Papua. He is one of the religious leaders who also doubles as a pro-Papuan independence activist, has a concern in the field of ideology to influence the community, especially to participate in fighting for the independence of the Papua region from Indonesia. The man who was born in Situbondo, East Java, besides being a pastor, is also the Chair of the Papua Baptist Church Fellowship, the Executive Board of the Papuan Churches, a member of the Pacific Churches conference, and teaches at the Baptist Theology School (STT), and at STT Izak Zauel Kijine Abepura. Socrates' role as shepherd of the people was actually followed by a number of tendentious activities in political efforts to break away from Indonesia. A number of traces of his political activities and movements have made a number of parties object, disapprove, and even provoke provocations. As a result now, the label ''Political Priest'' is pinned to Socrates. Moreover, the release of the book will further strengthen its predicate.

Some Traces of the Maneuver of the Political Priest Socrates

Political observer on the Papua issue, alumnus of the University of Indonesia (UI), Toni Sudibyo, responded to Socrates' statement in 2014 regarding the preparation of Otsus and its implementation that Indonesia was only playing a role in allowing Papuans to perish through state violence for nearly 50 years. According to him, Socrates' statement is the basic strategy of OPM supporters at home and abroad to make every effort so that the Special Autonomy program and development program fail, where the next scenario is the encouragement of political attitude determination through a referendum to break away from Indonesia.

A Pastor Socrates also contradicted himself by appreciating the inauguration of the ULMWP office in Wamena in 2016. According to him, the inauguration is a dynamic and political reality of the struggle of the people and nation of West Papua which is recognized and accepted by the Indonesian government. However, the fact that was later revealed, the inauguration was actually riding the Wamena community thanksgiving event for the establishment of the Papua Customary Council (DAP) office. Some people who attended the event were disappointed because they felt they had been lied to. Still related to the ULMWP, in 2011 Socrates also made a public lie claiming that the ULMWP was legally elected by the Papuan people in the Papua Peace Conference (KPP) on 5-7 June 2011 at the Auditorium of the Cenderawasih University Papua. In fact, the activity contained seminars and discussions with the theme "Let's Make Papua a Land of Peace".

In 2016, the statement by the Head of the West Papua MRP, Vitalis Yumte, that the Papuan political struggle was final through two phases, respectively, the 1969 Act of Free Choice and the 2001 Otsus, was refuted by Socrates. According to him, this statement does not represent the voice of the Conscience of Papuans. He insisted that there was no final term in people's lives, but there were always dynamics and political processes. This statement was responded by the younger generation of Papua, Emus Kogoya, that Socrates is not a politician, what is meant by final is not his policy, but the political status that Papua is legally part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. If there are currently Otsus policies, new autonomous regions, etc., it is an effort to accelerate development in Papua. A Papuan student in Jakarta named Emilia Karubaga also responded to Socrates' statement, which according to him does not reflect a priest, but tends to be a provocateur who always creates confusion by hiding behind religion. He should have cooled people's hearts, not made them hot.

The attitude of regret towards Socrates was also shown by the Chairman of the Mandala Trikora Youth of Papua Province, Ali Kabiay. He regretted Socrates Yoman's statement in a status on his Facebook account on behalf of Socratez Sofyan Yoman on November 1, 2020 regarding the formation of the P5 organization or the Presidium of the Sons and Daughters of Pepera Fighters, in Sentani chaired by Mr. Yanto Eluay. According to Ali, Pastor Socrates should not be too concerned with political issues in Papua and learn to respect Ondoafi Yanto Eluay's decision as chairman of P5. Hope Pastor Socratez shows his identity as a servant of the people, not a political inspiration.

Still related to uploads on social media, in 2021 Pastor Socrates also uploaded a narration by mentioning that Indonesia was a colonizer who combined racism in Papua. The upload was then responded to by observers of strategic issues and Papuan issues, Prof. Imron Cotan that as a doctor, priest, and public figure, Socrates should not distort history by pretending not to know the chronology of the history of Indonesian independence and its relationship with Papua, even saying that Indonesia is a "colonial" nation.

Socrates' Maneuver to Reject Otsus and the Expansion of DOB

He still clearly remembered what he had done a few months ago. Together with the Papuan Church Council he formed, he took part in initiating the masses to reject the Otsus policy and the expansion of the New Autonomous Region (DOB). Now that the policy has been passed, he has launched a provocation through a collection of narratives in the form of a book. An action that can not be tolerated from a pastor who should shepherd his congregation to live in peace but instead is involved in actions that are prone to provocation and chaos. A series of narratives enshrined in the writings in the book has the potential to trap his people to hate the government as a representation of leaders in the world. Sociologically Papuan sensitivity is deliberately played without thinking about the impacts and reactions that might arise.

It should be noted that of the many conflicts that have occurred in the Papua region, one of the causes stems from the existence of provocative sentences and writings spread in the media. Do not let the act of a priest Socrates by publishing a provocative book to influence the public that the land of Papua is being oppressed by the practice of Indonesian colonialism. Do not let his actions end with things that are far from the duties and responsibilities of a pastor, namely to cool the congregation to the Papuan people in general. Hopefully the Papuan public in particular, will be able to be critical in seeing the maneuvers of the political priest, Dr. Socrates Yoman.

SOURCE: https://time.online/2022/08/21/9979/