Cancelation of Prophet Maulid Ceremony
After in tension condition for eight months, on August 16
th
, 1962, New York Agreement was signed between the Dutch and the Indonesian representatives on
the hand over of West Irian. They agreed that on December 1
st
, 1962, Indonesian national flag was flown on the land of West Irian, and the Dutch called back all her
civil and military officials before May 1
st
, 1963. On the date, Indonesian governmental structure was established formally after the transfer of responsibility
from UNTEA United Nations Temporary Executive Authority.
25
In 1969, Penentuan Pendapat Rakyat Pepera, plebescite was launched in Papua. However,
Indonesian winning over Papua was a beginning of uncertainty under Controlled Democracy Demokrasi Terpimpin.
26
Indonesian ‘s victory in her struggle for West Irian in 1963 was commemorated as a special day in Peling Gulf. The moment was celebrated with
fireworks and salvos. A Montomisan, S. Tolodo, informed that
At the time, I was in Montop. In that afternoon, aroung three o’clock, some Montomisan and me but I forget who my friends were were returning to
Montomisan. I returned because it would be a Prophet’s Maulud Day some days later in 1963. Before leaving Montop, I was warned by my family that
it would be salvos and fireworks in that afternoon in Ambelang Gulf. At that time, Soeharto was there as a command of operation. With my friends in a
location between Bolubung and Mandok villages, I was surprised by some salvos from sea, only five salvos. We run away, but not so far as suddenly
the salvo was opened again. It was not from rifle but also from canon. We soon looked for a safe place. Bullets fell like rain. The smoke of it blew up
to cover all area, so we could not see more than 20 meters at distance. In a such condition, we run away from the coast, broke through palm plantations.
Majority of Bolubung people informed that we were dead, but in fact we saved. Because it was too late for Montomisan, we sheltered in Bakalinga.
A day after, we left for Montomisan.
27
Nasir Sadio told the same story, that : At the afternoon, around three o’clock, village’s people was surprised with
some salvo from frigate KRI Iskandar Muda. It seemed that the salvo was a code of preparation. Rocket was blown up there pointing to the sky. The
sound was not so loud. Some soldiers on the grond soon left for the fregate.
28
25
Dwipayana and Ramadhan. Op.cit .
p. 49.
26
Ricklefs, Op.cit., p. 565.
27
Interview with S. Tolodo in Montomisan, 24 Pebruari 2012.
28
Interview with Mohammad Saiful J. Mangopo, Firman’s, and Nasir Sadio ini Montomisan, 24 Pebruari 2012.
At the afternoon, Montomisan people prepared a ceremony of Prophet Maulud Day Celebration in 1962. A great explosion in the sky over Ambelang Gulf
did not reduce their animo for celebrating. Religious chief Imam of the village, Umar Sadio, was in Al Insan mosque, as if he did not hear anything. But they had
a suspicious of the condition some days before. They only did not know when it would be happened, because some soldiers were called back suddenly.
Preparation for Maulud Day with praying of barzanzi in Montomisan was made after Isya evening pray. The preparation was over, waiting a time to start.
Just after Isya pray, an explosion in the sky was heard at far distance. People of village went out their houses and saw fireworks party from the fregattes that
harbored in Ambelang Gulf.
Montomisan people was under fear, because they assumed that it was a great battle that threatened local people around Ambelang Gulf. Around area was like
burned, with a dark smoke grew to the sky, made a cloud red and light. It had not finished, as fregatte KRI Iskandar Muda opened some fires of rocket. Another
fregattes followed her and made the sky over Peling Gulf red as burned with a dark smoke.
Many people run into their houses and closed the door tightly. Some people said that the battle was on and they worried about it. Because of no information, the
confusion spread among the prople. Village head of Montomisan, Bae Tolodo, worried about it because he had no information from military side on the fireworks
party. After consuling with the religious master of village imam desa, they agreed that barzanzi pray would be cancelled to the next evening in village mosque of
Montomisan.
A description of condition in Montomisan, in 1962, explains that show or force with fireworks and salvo in Peling Gulf worried local people for going out. A
calm Peling Gulf for years was destructed by a such salvos, because it is a sign of war. It caused a cancellation of Prophet Maulud Day Ceremony with its dzikir pray.
It signed that a panic spread among the village. No one knew that it was only fireworks, but a real battle.