Papuan Council Recalls Former President Gus Dur

Head of the council Thaha al Hamid said on Thursday papuans will never forget the swift measure by Gus Dur in December 1999, in approving the use of the original term for their region, Papua, as the official name of province.

The measure replaced the name of Irian, Jaya given during Soeharto presidency, within only two months after the cleric assumed office which remained until now.

During his unfinished term he made two visits to the island in 1999 and 2000 and met with a senior papua leader Theys Hiyo Eluay jailed by the Indonesian authority during the second visit. “Even several times, when we had not visited him so often anymore, Gus Dur would asked and then we would come to visit him. So our contact was maintained even when was no longer holding the presidential post”

The last visit was in 2006 when Gud Dur was out of the office and in which Thaha said, Gus Dur made a plea to the governemnt to name Theys as a national hero.

His figure, Thaha went on, was too extraordinary for Papua and papuans. “We are not just losing a cleric, a former president, and a teacher, but actually we are losing a living scripture. A scripture that continuously giving advise.”