Once again, as part of my PhD thesis, I travel to another part of Indonesia: Jayapura, Papua. After completing data collection at SMAN 4 Jayapura, the vice principal asked me to fill in one of the ‘affirmative classes’ (i.e. classes designed for indigenous Papuans, funded by the local government under the special autonomy law). I had expected them to be particularly intelligent, being students of a prominent school. But I was still flabbergasted by how critical and brazen they are with the questions they addressed me with.
They asked me why I decided to go to Papua as part of my research. Usually any kind of development and/or research stops as Sulawesi.
They asked me what I expected of them before I arrived. Did I expect them to wear Kotekas like most Javanese do.
They asked of my thoughts on the Free Papua Movement. I answered as honestly that I could. That although I have an Indonesian bias, I was not born and raised in a land that is abused by foreign companies. The best I can do is support the right for Papuans to choose.
They asked me how old I was and why I decided to continue my education. They asked me how they can do the same and whether or not their being poor would hinder their efforts.
They asked me what my religion and ethnicity was. And with the chance to state my views prior to their questions, I understood from their gestures that having heard my answers – it did not matter to them.
I explained that it is very easy for people from Jakarta in particular and Java in general to compete. With sound infrastructure, the starting line of this sprint race is not the same. I also explained that there is increasing attention from international aid, in the form of scholarships, for East Indonesia. Do not stop.
If any of my students are reading this now, please realise that the competition is not fair. And it will remain unfair for quite a while. This sounds like a cliché, but while we fuss about not being able to watch Hollywood films during the weekends, some walk down mountains without shoes to receive basic education. It is the responsibility of the priviledged, because we were born in a social setting that makes it easier for us to be economically and socially mobile, to make sure we do what we can to make sure that nobody gets left behind.
Travel. Expose ourselves to less developed areas of the country (or the world). Choose a career line that is of benefit to other people. Living solely for our own happiness will sooner or later feel hollow and purposeless. At least for me.
It is not thoughtful, it is not even kind. It is being responsible; a lame attempt to avoid being ignorant. The cycle of inequality may only stop when we realise that it’s there.
And not keep quiet.
11 comments:
Good one!
I can't but echo Yassin: Good one!
It is moving to read your article. And a token of hope to have run into this group of apparently critical, intelligent young people.
However Papua IS a special case. We ( the Dutch) messed up. And afterwards Indonesia did not do any better ( if not worse). Both countries carry the burden of a huge responsibility - unfortunately neither country hardly seems to worry about .
Anyway exploitation and violence isn't the solution.
As for individual responsibility I wholeheartedly second your call:
"And not keep quiet".
Somehow I would have guessed that you would include Dutch in the problem, to which I agree. Seeing how the Indonesian military responded to the Papuan Congress and the rector of Cendrawasih University 'placed' as minister (politics of image) is making me less and less hopeful. It's why I think individual responsibility is the least anyone can do for the moment.
simple yet touching. :) bagus deh..
Ina, what if they don't want to? to watch Hollywood films during the weekends, and prefer to walk down mountains without shoes to receive basic education? Why do you think we have the privilege - only because we are from Java (and feel like we are economically and socially mobile?) Why do you think because of that, somebody gets left behind?
Don't you think we get left behind? Because we've been dictated to economically and socially mobile - only because others do (and feel obliged we have to do the same)?
:) I am sure you know what I mean.
I like this: "Choose a career line that is of benefit to other people."
This is probably out of the context, but 'other people' might seems vague. Like for those who work in CSR that 'other people' actually would be the ones who own the corporate. Or the ones who work as civil servants would most likely benefit the government, rather than the society; etc.
Sorry that I'm blabbering. Great post as always! :)
@Tobytall: I understand exactly what you mean. What I wrote was not to take the idea of modernisation for granted, it's to shed light on the fact that there is little choice for people in certain areas. And that it's really easy, in the middle of all our 'comfort', to assume that everyone is as comfortable. It's also why I emphasise on education.
There's a scene in a documentary, 'Economics of Happiness' (2011), where the elders of an ethnic tribe in Tibet were invited to see slum areas in cities to make them understand that modernisation comes with pitfalls. So when I say nobody gets left behind, it's to refer to having equal opportunities to choose. And that can only be addressed through the opportunity to be mobile in the existing structure. Perkara kesempatan itu diambil untuk mempertahankan kearifan lokal yang sudah ada, lain lagi.
I am one of those crazy expats that likes to travel in your country, to the places that most Indonesians know even know exist. The reactions from Indonesians when I tell them where I chose to go are of generalized bafflement and disbelief. Why would anyone chose to go there? Aren't you afraid of getting lost? How do you know where to go? Aren't you afraid? When I press them to tell me what I should be afraid of, I am confronted with silence.
Indonesians are afraid of their own country. Given a chance 19/20 would chose to go to Singapore than to go to Sumba, Malaysia over Maluku.
On the "Papua problem", there is so little vision and original thinking. The common mantra is to improve on development and education for Papuans. As if the Indonesia state has a stellar record on that front. As if development and education will actually solve the problem. So long as TNI and Indonesians think that the fabled "harga mati" is license to kill, torture and repress, the problem will persist. It is time to face the fact that even if development and education is the solution, the Indonesian state is ill equipped to provide it. Indonesia needs a game changer.
@Mauricio: "On the "Papua problem", there is so little vision and original thinking." I second this. But if it's not education, what is a solution? Education, in its ideal form, gives choice and mobilisation. I think most of the country's problems stem from Jakarta and it's time (even too late!) to end the dominance. It needs to be done by local players. It's their struggle.
I'm an Indonesian, and I share your need to explore. And some do. But it's changing into a trend of local orientalists, sometimes I cringe when I watch travel shows on TV. 'Enjoying the exoticism of remote areas'. A new kind of perversion.
But I digress.
Hi mbak inaya, lately i've been reading your blog and this post is the most touching one, for me. I profoundly agree with your thought that inequality, the economic or social gap, only can be solved by the awareness and caring to help from those who able to those who need it.
And this paragraph,
"Travel. Expose ourselves to less developed areas of the country (or the world). Choose a career line that is of benefit to other people. Living solely for our own happiness will sooner or later feel hollow and purposeless. At least for me" --
sure, they are thoughts that always came up in my mind! :)
Keep posting! Your thoughts are inspiring!
@ansafrina
Hi mbak inaya, lately i've been reading your blog and this post is the most touching one, for me. I profoundly agree with your thought that inequality, the economic or social gap, only can be solved by the awareness and caring to help from those who able to those who need it.
And this paragraph,
"Travel. Expose ourselves to less developed areas of the country (or the world). Choose a career line that is of benefit to other people. Living solely for our own happiness will sooner or later feel hollow and purposeless. At least for me" --
sure, they are thoughts that always came up in my mind! :)
Keep posting! Your thoughts are inspiring!
@ansafrina
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