Jayapura, Jubi – Papua councilor Laurenzus Kadepa criticized the Jayapura Municipal Police for not allowing the students of Cenderawasih University to conduct a peaceful rally against a minister's plan to visit Papua at the end of the month. He said police made up excuses for banning the protest.
"If the Police said the students did not attach the identity of protest coordinator or not confirm the route of rally or not explain the content of banner, and not give the obvious time as using the term of Papua time instead of WIB, WITA and WIT which is used to indicate time differences in Indonesia, those reasons are certainly ridiculous," said Kadepa to Jubi by phone on Thursday (24/3/2016).
Therefore he regretted it and asked the Police to not consider the students' rally from a negative point of view. "Police must stop judging the students' rally from a negative point of view. The reason to not give authorization on the rally is not obvious. It indicates the Police still close the space of democracy in Papua," he said.
Kadepa who always criticized the minister's statement about Papua said he personally supported the students. "I support the students and Papuan people to protest the minister's plan to visit Papua. We do not need a person like Luhut Panjaitan. He hurt our heart as Papuans for many times," he said.
Other politician and councilor Emus Gwijangge similarly thought the Police should not suppress the democracy in Papua. "As long as the rally is not anarchies and destructive, I think it is just fine. Why should it be banned? Let the students express their aspiration," he said.
According to him, to express the aspiration in public is guaranteed by Law. Therefore he expected the Police could be wise in dealing with peace rally all the time. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)