MANOKWARI, SUARAPAPUA.com — Markus Fatem, Papuan Human Rights Activist, stated that all cosmetic products or beauty equipment for women in Indonesia are not suitable for Papuan women.
“Remember that the indigenous Papuans have a different race from Indonesia. Therefore, Indonesian products are not suitable for them,” Fatem told suarapapua.com from Manokwari, Sunday (16/8/20).
Thus said Fatem, the identity of the Papuan people gradually changed to Indonesian, and that was dangerous for the Papuan people. Because it is the essence of themselves as Papuans.
Indigenous Papuan changed to be like an Indonesian or was transformed into an Indonesian standard with a variety of approaches.
“The same thing with beauty products. For example, no powder that matches the color of black skin and curly hair of OAP in supermarkets in Papua,” said Fatem.
He said, living in Papua means always being reminded of the occupation, which is seeing discrimination, racism, and violence in plain sight every day. Thus, the views of Indonesia’s occupation of Papua as not only a matter of territory but also changing the mindset of the indigenous and changing how they see themselves.
“Indigenous Papuan kids are taught the wrong things in school, especially about our history.”
According to him, this part is a part of the mental slavery of Indonesian teachings and doctrines. “Like us because we Papuans deserve to be treated unfairly like that,”
“We are not aware that we have accepted this as discrimination of human rights, especially freedom of thought to maintain a collegial culture as human beings with character and civilization.”
He admitted that this had been criticized, especially after the impact of the issue of global racism in the black lives matter movement peaked, where cosmetics and beauty care products abroad used words such as ‘whitening’ or ‘enlighten’. Thus, some cosmetics have removed the words to show an anti-racism attitude.
“The group of companies has decided to remove the words white / whiten, brighten/brighten, glow from all products,” reads a statement quoted by the Guardian.
Similarly, Ester Febbyana Leleran, one of the Papuan women, admitted, Cosmetics in Indonesia will not be suitable for Papuan women. He said, advertisements for Indonesian cosmetic products on average advertise dark skin to glow white, while Papuans have black skin.
“Every time I watch fish shows of Indonesian cosmetic products, they mostly advertise who are white and even the advertisers are not the same as us (Papuans). I am not talking about the victims of the advertisements, but indeed beauty products are produced for us but Papua is very unsuitable with their product “she said.
Reporter: Charles Maniani
Editor: Elisa Sekenyap
