Members of Papua Cultural Care Generation held a Memoriam for Arnold Ap

JAYAPURA - Dozens of students, activists, journalists and young people who are members of Papua Cultural Care Generation held the event ‘In Memoriam of Arnold Ap’ in front of Cenderawasih University Cultural Museum to commemorate 31 years after the death of legendary Papuan musician Arnold Ap, who was killed by the military on 26 April, 1984.

The Papua Bersatu Untuk Kebenaran (BUK/Papua Unite for Truth) Coordiantor, Peneas Lokbere said long after the murder of Arnold Ap Papuans continued to be victimized in many ways.

“Papuans shouldn’t forget their culture. Papuans must stand up to fight. Arnold Ap was killed by the state, but the Papuans’ spirit to fight should not be stuck in here. The struggle must go on,” he said when delivering messages in the murder day of Arnold Ap last Sunday in Cenderawasih University Cultural Museum.

Meanwhile, Papuan human right activist Rossa Moiwend said the Papua young generation today should not forget their culture. Papuans must take their culture as their identity.  Kork (Frizzy Rasta Community) Coordinator Teddy Pekei added Papuans must rebuild their identity through its culture and arts. Arnold Ap has showed that every Papuans must grasp their culture as the foundation of Papua nation.

“Arnold Ap teaches us Papuans not to discriminate every tribe and nation in the land of Papua. He showed it through his songs that compiled from various Papuan languages,” he said.

After thirty-one years, the Government of Indonesia has not realizing that the murder of Arnold Ap and Eddy Mofu by the security force is the planned-murder and paralyzed towards Papuan identity and character of culture.

In commemorating the thirty-one years of death of Arnold Ap, the President Joko Widodo is urged to apologize to Papuan people for the crime and violation against the human rights and the paralyze of the character of Papuan culture by State’s apparatus in Papua.

While the Papua Provincial Government is asked to support and assist the development of Mambesak (folk) music as part of Papuan culture and Papuans unification as well as to renovate Arnold Ap and Eddy Mofu’s grave where located in Tanah Hitam in respecting them. [Jubi]