The commitment was voiced at a function marking the declaration of "Raja Ampat Loves Peace" at the yard of the Raja Ampat district head's office in the district capital of Waisa on Monday.
Raja Ampat District Head Abdul Faris Umlati, Regional Secretary Yusf Salim, Chief of the Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Edy Setianto Erning Wibowo, Chief of the District Military Command 1805 Major A. Y Padang, regional apparatuses, students, and local people partook in the event.
Umlati read out the text of peace declaration that appealed to the local people to love one another irrespective of their ethnicity and religion; have mutual respect for the district’s residents; offer mutual help to fellow residents; and denounce violent demonstrations of any form that lead to disintegration, vandalism, looting, and violence.
In the peace declaration, the participants also support and trust the government and law enforcement agencies to legally process the perpetrators of racist slurs, vandalism, and looting, as well as ethnicity- , religion-, and race-related cases.
They also pledged to stay loyal to keep the Unitary Republic of Indonesia intact and always pray to God Almighty for the security and peace of Raja Ampat, West Papua, in particular, and Indonesia, in general.
Umlati noted that the declaration mirrored the blessings bestowed upon Papua and the love for peace among the people of Papua, particularly Raja Ampat.
He appealed to all elements of the community to maintain peace and order, so that Raja Ampat can set an exemplar not only for the Papuan people but also for the global community.
Alleged racist slurs against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, on August 16, set off a chain of violent rallies in several parts of Papua and West Papua.
In the West Papua provincial capital of Manokwari, a rally against the alleged racist slurs turned violent on August 19, with some protesters torching a local parliamentary building and tires in several parts of the city.
A violent demonstration again erupted in the Papua provincial capital of Jayapura on August 29. The brutal demonstrators went on a rampage, vandalizing and setting ablaze several government buildings.
The police have alleged that Papuan separatist figure Benny Wenda was the mastermind behind the riots, supposedly disseminating hoaxes and attempting to provoke on social media the leaders of states in the Pacific region. Related news: Extra care for Papua brethren crucial to maintaining Indonesia's unity
Related news: Military, police chiefs meet figures of different faiths in Papua
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Ernes Broning Kakisina/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
