Papuans on trial in Indonesia ordered to remove traditional garb

This appeared in The Millennial Source

On January 20, two ethnic Papuan activists who are on trial in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta were reportedly ordered to remove their traditional penis gourds, as the court refused to proceed unless the activists wore pants.

A brief standoff occurred for several hours between the Papuans and the court before the two men begrudgingly slid into trousers to proceed with the hearing. This is the second time that the Papuan’s traditional garb has caused delays in court hearings.

The two were a part of a total of six activists charged with treason by a Jakarta court in December 2019 for organizing rallies to protest for independence in the Indonesian province of Papua. The indigenous activists could face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.

A former Dutch East Indies colony, Papua was incorporated into Indonesia to fulfill the decolonization agreement with the Netherlands in 1949. However, it was only handed over to Indonesia in 1969 as part of a United Nations-backed referendum .

Alleged racism against Papuans

One of the activists, Ambrosius Mulait, stressed that the outfit forms “ part of his identity.” “We have been the victims…