The call was made at the end of a four-day Catholic Student Association of the Republic of Indonesia conference in Jayapura on July 31.

Conference participants — association members from 70 chapters across the country — said the central government should dissolve the current investigative team formed by the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, and sit down with the Papuans.

An ongoing conflict in West Papua between the Indonesian government and indigenous groups seeking independence or greater autonomy has led to many rights abuses, according to rights groups and Papuan activists.

Catholic students have also urged President Widodo to remove restrictions and allow foreign journalists free access to Papua.

"We demand [the] government gives access to foreign journalists so they can visit Papua, without interference, including from the military," Angelo Wake Kako, the association's chairman, said on July 31.

Mario Yumte, a member of the association's Jayapura chapter, said Papua's longstanding conflicts need to end with dignity.

Catholic students see it as their duty to encourage the relevant parties to sit down, talk heart to heart, and listen to each other, she said.

"If we are silent on the Papua conflict it means we do not care about humanity," said Yumte.

Father John Djonga, a human rights advocate, said Aug. 1 that he appreciated the Catholic students' concerns about Papua. But he also reminded students to build intensive communication with local Papuan leaders.

Communication with local leaders, he said, is important because there is so much poverty and injustice in Papua that needs immediate attention.

According to the priest, there have been efforts to have a dialogue mediated by third party, but the Indonesian government has not listened.

This made the Papuans seek international attention regarding their struggle especially in the Pacific region, Father Djonga said.

Source

• ucanews.com
• Image: etan.org

Pozolo, a senior at the University of Notre Dame, is one of many students who find themselves struggling to accept some of the Catholic church's beliefs.

These students are not alone. A recent USA Today article, examined the survey "Catholics in America: Persistence and change in the Catholic landscape."

The survey examined the beliefs and practices of 1,442 U.S. Catholic adults. The research was led by Catholic University sociologist William D'Antonio, and provided detailed information about specific beliefs.

According to the article, the survey found that 86% of those surveyed believed "you can disagree with aspects of the church's teachings and still remain loyal to the church."

Continue reading: Catholic students struggle with ‘outdated and inflexible' traditions

Source - Image: HelloQuizzy

St Patrick's College student Malcolm Pimentel wanted to bring his friend, former St Pat's student Keith Labad, but said he was told by rector Father Paul Martin that he had to bring a girl.

However, Father Martin yesterday told the Herald that the issue was not one of sex, rather that Malcolm's chosen date was an ex-pupil.

When asked whether two boys from St Patrick's could go together as each other's dates to the ball, Father Martin said: "If they were both from St Pat's that's fine."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Image:mixitdj.co.nz

Domin Auwe (25) was shot dead in front of a police station in Moanemani, capital of Dogiyai district on April 13. Two others youths, Otin Yobe (23) and Amon Pigai (23), were also shot and seriously injured. A riot later broke out and the police station was attacked but no one was injured in that incident. In response, a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit was deployed to the area. The next day, a man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest, while another was wounded in the arm and leg.

The police said they were forced to open fire after rioters attacked the Moenamani subdistrict police station in retaliation for an earlier raid on an illegal gambling den.

However, officials from the Kingmi Church said there was never any raid. They claimed officers shook down two people for money, one of whom, Dominikus Auwe, was selling tickets for togel , a popular lottery-like gambling game. Dominikus then went to the police station with three others to demand his money back. "The police shot him point-blank in the chest and head, killing him on the spot," said Yones Douw, the church's peace and justice coordinator.

The Kingmi church has been particularly vocal in speaking out against human rights violations in the region. The majority of the Kingmi Church members come from the Papuan highlands where the Indonesian military has been most brutal

Source
Pacific Scoop
UCAnews

Photo Credit
UCAnews