Few people know that some heroes who played a significant part in Indonesia’s independence were born in the Land of Papua Indonesia. The government noted the involvement of indigenous Papuans in physical and non-physical struggles to defend Indonesia’s sovereignty and bestowed the title of National Hero on them. Here are four National Heroes from Papua.
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4 National Heroes of Papua Indonesia
Frans Kaisiepo
Frans Kaisiepo is a native hero from Papua, born in Wardo, Biak Papua, on October 10, 1921. He was involved in the Malino Conference in 1946. It discussed the formation of the United States of Indonesia as the representative of Papua.
He proposed that the name Irian is a Biak word that means a hot place. Three days before the Proclamation on August 14, 1945, Frans and some friends sang the national anthem Indonesia Raya in Kampung Harapan Jayapura.
After a few days after the Proclamation, or on August 31, 1945, Frans and his friends held a ceremony by raising the Red and White flag and singing the national anthem.
The Frans Kaisiepo Airport in Biak was officially named in honor of Frans Kaisiepo.
Right on December 19, 2016, he was included into a new Rupiah banknote in the Rp. 10.000 denomination to honor and recognize his services.
Silas Papare of Papua Indonesia
Silas Papare is one of the National Heroes from Papua Indonesia who is persistent in fighting for the return of Papua to the Republic of Indonesia.
He was born in Ariepi Village, Serui, Yapen Waropen on December 18, 1918.
When he was 9 years old, he attended Village School for 3 years with the local language of instruction. He had not continued school for a year.
But after that, he continued school and enrolled in Serui’s nursing program. The Dutch trusted him as a dependable intelligence officer.
Silas Papare was assigned to the Allied army with the rank of sergeant Persteklas during the Allied and Dutch occupation following World War II.
He was no longer in the army and went back as a physician when the Dutch took over Irian Jaya in place of the Allies.
Silas Papare aspired to end Dutch rule in his ancestral land and maintain its independence. On September 14, 1993, Silas received the Hero of Indonesia honor before passing away in Serui.
Johannes Abraham Dimara
TNI Major Johannes Abraham Dimara was a native Papuan son who was designated a national hero. He was born in Korem, North Biak, on April 16, 1916. In 1946 Johannes Abraham participated in the Raising of the Red and White Flag in Namlem, Buru Island, Maluku.
He participated in fighting for the return of the territory of West Irian to the Republic of Indonesia. He was then became Chairman of the OPI in 1950. (Organization for the Liberation of West Irian).
Johannes became a member of the TNI and infiltrated in 1954. Johannes became one of the delegates with the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The contents of the agreement finally required the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to be willing to hand over the territory of West Papua Indonesia to the government of the Republic of Indonesia.
From then on, the region of West Irian became a part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Johannes Abraham Dimara died in Jakarta on October 20, 2000. He received awards from the government in the form of the Satyalancana War of Unity Independence and Satyalancana Bhakti.
For his services, the Government of Indonesia bestowed the title of National Hero based on Presidential Decree No. 113/TK/2011.
Marthen Indey
September 1993 saw Marthen Indey honored as a National Hero. His name is commemorate into The army hospital in Jayapura. Marthen was born in Doromena, Papua, on March 16, 1912.
After his baptism, he used the name Marthen. Johanes Bremer, an Ambonese missionary sent by the Dutch to propagate Christianity in New Guinea, significantly impacted Marthen Indey.
In 1926, Indey completed his schooling and continued his naval school in Makassar, namely Kweekschool voor Indische Schepelingen.
In 1934, he also enrolled at the police academy in Sukabumi, West Java, and completed his training in 1935. When he released Soegoro from the Hollandia jail, he was a participant in the uprising. The death of one of his men made Marthen Indey angry with the Dutch.
He was once sent to New York to participate in the negotiations that resulted in the New York Agreement, in which Irian Jaya joined Indonesia. Marthen Indey died in Jayapura on July 17, 1986.
Wrapping Up
History records the struggle of Papua Indonesia to unite with the Republic of Indonesia. It is not easy because it requires bloodshed and struggles from the heroes, who are native Papuan sons and daughters.
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