Nearly 200 Catholic priests in Papua have called on the international community, includ-ing the United Nations, to play a more active role in bringing peace to Indonesia’s violence-plagued easternmost region.
In addition to diocesan priests, Franciscan, Augustinian, Jesuit and Missionaries of the Sacred Heart clerics were among 194 priests who said their call was part of an effort to be “pro-actively involved in the fight for justice, truth and peace” in Papua.
The region is caught in the grip of an insurgency being waged by separatist rebels against security forces in which innocent civilians are caught in the middle, they said in a statement.
The priests asked other countries to join them in urging rebels of the National Liberation Army of the Free Papua Organi-zation and security forces to call and observe an immediate cease-fire.
“We also firmly support inviting the UN high commissi-oner for human rights to come, see and hear the actual human rights conditions in Papua,” they said.
They also called on the go-vernment and agencies providing funds for development in Papua to review certain policies being conducted such as increasing troop deployments, which trigg-ers more violence and increased state oppression.
“There are even those in government who accuse priests who talk about human rights issues of being among the separa-tists,” they said.