Mistreatment Against Papuans
By: Atina Yang
Edited by: Anna Carmelita
On the western side of the familiar country named Papua New Guinea, there is West Papua, an official but controversial province of Indonesia. Yet, the West Papuans do not identify themselves as part of the country since their independence from their former colonizer Netherlands in the 1960s. When Indonesia ruled over Papua, the conflict between the two initiated and never ceased. In recent years, protests against racist taunts have been brought under crime.
Indonesia, however, maintains its position, citing historical and legal justifications for why the region is an integral part of its country. The country’s government argued that it has made essential efforts that help improve the region’s development, including social welfare and infrastructure. The Special Autonomy status, for example, granted to the West Papuans in 2001, aimed to provide greater political and economic control to the Papuan people.
Struggles for political status and autonomy are the core issue. West Papuan representatives argued that their region has a historically distinct culture. They stated that the “seizure” by Indonesia has led to tragedies such as human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and economic marginalization.
International human organizations have called for investigations and justice for their actions. Yet, the international response to this situation isn’t in alignment. Some called for conversational peacefulness, and others maintained a hands-off approach, citing respect for the country’s territory claims and affairs.
Finding a solution to this tension might be difficult. To resolve it, dialogues on political representation, autonomy, resource management, and human rights should be talked over, in addition to engagements of international mediators or organizations, ensuring that the voices of both sides are represented.