Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. PSALM 72
It is deep sadness that I received the news of the death of Lukas Enembe, a true son and leader of Tanah Papua, who placed his people and Papua Land above power and money.
I was honoured to meet Lukas in 2019 when I visited Papua as part of a World Council of Churches Pilgrimage of Justice visit by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs. As the 13th Governor of Papua Province, Lukas hosted the WCC team and Papuan Church leaders to a discussion. It would be the first time that I would meet Rev.Andrikus Mofu of GKI-TP (then the only PCC member Church from Tanah Papua) Dr. Benny Giay KINGMI Churc), Rev. Dr. Socrates Yoman (Baptist) and Rev. Dorman Wandikbo (GIDI) who would, by the end of the following year, become members of Pacific Conference of Churches and also form the West Papua Council of Churches.
The inhumane treatment of Governor Enembe, particularly being denied urgent medical treatment was not only a blatant disregard for his human rights but, according to some, also seems to be part of an ongoing tactic of kidnapping, sending into exile, imprisoning, and psychologically torturing of Papuan leaders within the Indonesia’s legal system.
As he is laid to rest today, I mourn his passing, decry his mistreatment by the Indonesian Government and urge the PIF/MSG Special Envoys on West Papua to raise this issue with the Indonesian Government.
Governor Lukas Enembe is an example of a leader who used his time jn leadership to deliver the legal and moral goods and services needed by his fellow Papuans.
Our hearts cry out to God for peace and comfort to his family and community for justice for all those persecuted for putting their people before political expediency and serving for the self-autonomy Tanah Papua is supposed to have.
Rev. James Bhagwan
General Secretary, Pacific Conference of Churches
