|
|
 |
|
|
West Papua/Irian Jaya
Background of the Conflict |
The Papuan independence movement has existed for four decades, dating back to Dutch colonial rule which formally ended in 1962. Motivated by interests at home to disengage its colonial heritage, the Netherlands assisted West Papua during the 1950s in beginning measures aimed at self-rule and ultimate independence. The growing anticipation of the Papuans culminated in December 1961 when the colonial legislature inducted a number of indigenous Papuans and the new "Morning Star" flag of Western Papua was unveiled. The Morning Star flag continues today to serve as a poignant symbol of Papuan liberation and independence.
Three weeks after the ceremonial unfolding of the flag, President Sukarno announced that Indonesia would soon be invading West Papua in its bid to claim the region as part of its proper territory. On the verge of independence from Dutch colonization and self-governance, the Netherlands handed rule over to the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) in a U.S-brokered transfer. The transfer, known as the "New York Agreement", stipulated that within six years of Indonesia’s annexation of West Papua, Papuans would have an opportunity to determine for themselves whether they wished to be a part of the Indonesian state.
Not having been a party to the New York Agreement consultations, many Papuans were not pleased with this turn of events and immediately called for independence. One manifestation of this trend was the formation of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in 1963. Primarily consisting of low-level guerilla operations, the OPM was the paramount public conduit for resistance. Significantly out-numbered and outgunned by the Indonesian military, the OPM ultimately triggered a brutal crackdown by the Indonesian government which, as Project Ploughshares has reported, resulted in thousands of deaths during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As conflicts escalated between Papuan forces and the Indonesian military, an "Act of Free Choice" was instituted in 1969 which was meant to satisfy the Papuan right to self-determination allowed in the New York Agreement. 1062 Papuan electors, representing less than 1% of the Western Papuan population, were selected by official in Jakarta and voted unanimously in favor of official incorporation into the Indonesian state. For more than thirty years, this vote has been hotly contested by a number of international bodies, as well as Papuans themselves, as a fraudulent election. Many complain that the electors faced mortal threats from Indonesian security officials if they did not vote in favor of incorporation.
For further information, see West Papua Action.
Emerging from the events of 1963 and 1969 was a solidified Papuan belief that their national independence had been de facto established during the ceremonies of 1961. Papuans believe that this assertion was legal and just, and that it had been wrongly brushed aside by the Indonesian central government, as well as the international community at large. Additionally, Papuan leaders have argued that Indonesian inclusion has resulted in Papuans being made to feel like second-class minority citizens in their homeland, often suffering from ethnic discrimination and environmental degradation, and unable to reap the benefits of their own local natural resources.
At the same time, non-Papuan Indonesians have a powerful incentive to restrain Papuan independence. Most Indonesians view West Papua/Irian Jaya as a limb of the Indonesian nation, and in the interests of national unity and territorial integrity, are loath to see the state lose any more of its members. Furthermore, West Papua/Irian Jaya serves as an economic goldmine for the country, with its wealth of natural resources and foreign investors. The loss of the region would also threaten Indonesian transmigration schemes, aimed at alleviating population stresses throughout the nation by transporting non-Papuans from densely over-crowded areas into West Papua/Irian Jaya. Perhaps of chief importance is the argument that the realization of West Papuan independence, on the heels of East Timor’s secession, could ignite a “Balkanization” of Indonesian cohesion.
Sources of Conflict
There are three pivotal sources of the conflict in West Papua/Irian Jaya. Chief among these are the historical aspects of the controversial annexation of 1963 and the “Act of Free Choice” in 1969. After many years under Dutch rule, West Papua/Irian Jaya briefly came under UN authority, and in 1963 joined the Indonesian state under the auspices of the “New York Agreements.” Many indigenous inhabitants, however, believed that the province achieved independence on December 1, 1961 when the Dutch agreed to allow Papuan self-rule. The Agreements stipulated that within six years Papuans would have an opportunity to determine whether they would ultimately accept incorporation. This opportunity occurred in 1969, and continues to be maligned by Human Rights groups, journalists, Papuans, and even many Indonesians as an unfair and corrupted voting procedure. All 1062 participants voted unanimously in favor of incorporation into the Indonesian nation, allegedly under threats of violence.
A second source of the conflict is the ethnic/religious distinction between the Javanese and Sundanese Muslims who dominate much of the country, and the Papuans who are predominantly Melanesian Christians and Animists. The apparent ethnic and religious barrier between many Papuans and other Indonesians provides further fuel to Papuan arguments for independence. Many Papuans believe that they have been the recipients of prolonged discrimination, and due to Indonesian transmigration policies, have felt that they have been reduced to second-class citizens in their homeland.
A third source of conflict is the debate over the management and allocation of West Papua/Irian Jaya’s vast natural resources. Papuans insist that they have not been able to reap the benefits of their province’s extensive gold, copper, timber and off-shore oil resources due to unfair revenue policies. The degree to which West Papua/Irian Jaya may gain advantage from the revenue of local resource development is a key issue in the current debate between Jakarta and West Papua/Irian Jaya over autonomy and independence. The special autonomy bill passed by the Indonesian parliament on October 22, 2001 allocates a much larger share of revenue from natural resources to West Papua. The law is scheduled to enter into effect on December 22, 2001. It remains to be seen whether or not this will reduce conflict.
|
| |
|
