West Papua

West Papua

Introduction

The 21st Century struggle that took place in West Papua is reminiscent of genocide attacks. The Indonesian government, in conjunction with other nations, played a crucial role in advancing human rights abuses.

The History of West Papua under the Dutch regime included. The economic and political interests of the Dutch swill are included together with the strategies that it undertook to prevent Indonesia from invading Papua. Indonesian invasion of New Papua is likened to the Spanish entry in South America as well as in the Roman Kingdom.

Emphasis is placed on the Indonesian government’s transmigration policy, which was aimed at evicting West Papuans from their original homelands in the 1960s. The applications of deceptive means, as well as guns to threaten landowners, are included. The government’s intention of relocating some of its citizens from overpopulated cities, former military personnel, as well as their families to Papua is elaborated. Also, the government’s application of economics and unity as a strategy of bringing the nation together has been considered.

Apart from that, the forcible entry of the Indonesian government after the Dutch exit is also well elaborated. This has been done based on the violent elections that were meant to integrate the two territories. The armed resistance from the Papuan army, as well as the counter-attacks and atrocities committed by the police and army, have been discussed. Various inhuman acts such as rape, bomb, torture, and many more that were meted on Papuan residents are included.

A critical analysis of the Indonesian soldier’s activity in West Papua and the resistance is done. Subsequently, the role of other nations and the United Nations is discussed. Eventually, a conclusion has been made.

West Papua under the Dutch Colonial rule.

The Dutch rule and existence in West Papua can be traced back to 1898. This was the time when it came up with its administrative center. This was later followed by missionary work and the exchange of goods and services. In the course of its administration, it managed to develop commercial associations with Indonesia as well as West New Guinea

(Trajano,14). It declined to surrender West Papua to Indonesia after the 1945 revolution, but instead, treated the nation as an independent. As such, it opted to assist the nation to gain its independence. The Dutch argued that West Papua did not belong to Indonesia because it did not participate in its revolution, was dispersed geographically, and did not share a similar language (Brundige et al. 9). However, skeptics held a different view regarding Dutch’s interest in West Papua. It was believed that the Dutch were interested in exploiting the region’s resources, settle their residents that had been displaced during the Indonesian revolution, and strategically locate their naval base (Brundige et al. 9).

Vast tracts of Papuan lands were converted for the exploitation of minerals as well as oil extraction. The oil was then supplied to the Dutch Shell company for commercial purposes

(Trajano,14)

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This led to disagreements between the Dutch and the Indonesian government. Eventually, it led to the invasion of the Papua after the departure of the Dutch and unsuccessful appeals to the United Nations.

The Act of Free Choice and invasion of New Papua

Indonesian forcefully asserted its control over the West Papua by organizing a vote that was meant to decide on the fate integration by the two nations. This culminated from the refusal of the Dutch to surrender West Papua to be under its control based on the fact that its residents did not share a similar ethnic language with Indonesians

(Trajano,16). The Indonesian government breached the agreement by handpicking and forcing West Papuans to vote at gunpoint for the integration in 1969. This culminated into the questioning of the legitimacy of the votes due to fear and the inclusion of illegible voters in the process. The Indonesian government went ahead and entrenched its wishes by attacking and jailing any West Papuan resident that refused resisted the integration. This was evidenced by its prevention of residents from raising their flag and charging people for treason (Brundige et al. 15)

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The Referendum vote only included 1022 voters against a total of 816,000 residents. This led to widespread condemnation and criticism of the process. Nonetheless, the U.N. adopted the results of the votes, which led to the integration of Indonesia with New Papua for the sake of promoting peace. Unfortunately, it led to the establishment of insurgent groups that have to date revolted against the Indonesian government activity (Brundige et al. 17).

Human Right Abuses in West Papua

The struggle between Indonesia and West Papua is considered to be one of the most protracted struggles in history. The war between the two groups emerged due to Indonesian’s resolve to forcefully colonise, acquire, and assert control over West Papua. Indonesia successfully carried out its plan through the help of Western nations. This is evidenced by the military and financial aid that was given to the nation (Brundige et al.28)The Indonesian government, with the help of its army, advanced the misconception that New Papua was against its rule thus, making the group their enemy. The Indonesian army took advantage of the misconception to attack every Papuan resident regardless of whether they participated in the resistance or not. Hence, it indiscriminately attacked everyone, including women and children (Brundige et al.29).

Indonesian government committed many atrocities to West Papuan residents. This was done to counter the resistance that was waged by the Papuan residents. The military attacks were indiscriminately ventured on civilians as well as the members of the resident movements. Apart from that, the relatives of the resistance members were also targeted. This was actualised by raping, assaulting, and murdering the spouses of the resistant groups by the Indonesian army. Besides, they ransacked homesteads in a bid to flush out sympathisers of the resistant group. After killing an entire household, the soldiers would then leave the bodies to rot (Banivanua-Mar, 588).

. In such instances, civilians were hit by the guns to the point of death under the Operation Clean Sweep. The inhuman and senseless murders were aimed at creating fear and intimidation to the suspected resistance members while at the same time creating space for residents to the Javanese immigrants (Brundige et al. 29).

Military advanced and evolved underhand tactics in silencing the Papuan residents. In 1981, they bombed a whole village as a counter-strategy of subduing OPM Amy that was seen practicing. Besides, chemical weapons were also used to kill more than 2,500 villagers (Brundige et al. 29).

Indonesian police officers and army arrested Papuans, who hoisted the flag. In other instances, they could arrest and detain persons without any justification for unknown periods. This was extended to individuals that were under suspicion of involvement with OPM. Most of the arrested persons would never be charged or taken to court for any crime. Nevertheless, in the event one managed to get to the court, he or she would stand unfair trial due to the blatant disregard to law and procedures Brundige, et al. 28).

The prisoners were tortured, electrocuted, whipped with pistols, and barred from visiting the toilet. Moreover, they were placed in rooms that are filled with cold water while standing. Some of the prisoners lost their lives due to poisoning by the correctional officers.

In another instance, in 1970, the military shot an expectant woman and removed her fetus (Brundige et al. 29). Subsequently, the fetus was dissected in front of the villagers. Apart from that, the military went ahead and raped the victim’s sister, and murdered hearths activities were aimed at provoking, intimidation, and causing fear among the Papuans. They treated fellow human beings like animals that do not have rights, life, and freedom. The move was aimed at evicting the Papuans to pave the way for former military personnel and their families to settle on the land.

Mass killings also arose when people were ejected from their homes and shot at in the field.

Failure of the mass murders to bear fruit made the army to seek for another tactic which entailed the gathering of intelligence and targeting specific leaders. Some of the most sought influential leaders included academicians, village elders, and many more. These leaders could either be poisoned or killed after upon release from prison without any traces (Brundige et al. 30)·

The police and military personnel shot livestock, mutilated women’s bodies, created cavities, and placed sticks. These dirty tactics were very rampant and were used to assimilate, evict, and instill fear among the West Papuan residents (Banivanua-Mar, 591).

The Indonesian security officers used force to eject West Papuans from their original lands to malaria-prone parts of the nation. The police threatened anyone who dared to escape and return to his or her land with prosecutions. The persons who managed to escape were recaptured and returned to the malaria-prone regions. Eventually, it led to the death of mothers and children due to hunger and malaria infection (Trajano 19). Apart from that, the slaves also contracted influenza due to the cold weather.

Papuan residents were made to reside in deplorable conditions. They were placed in inaccessible regions that had rough terrains. This was meant to bar outsiders and other well-wishers from offering medical and other basic needs. There were few and small camps which could not accommodate a large number of refugees (Elmslie, and Camellia,151). Thus, culminating in overcrowding, and bad health. Most of the Papuan residents received infectious diseases from Indonesians and exposure to dirt. Overcrowding among the refugees was contributed by the government policy of placing all of them on one site. Any resistance from any refugee would be meted by the full force of the law, in the hands of the police and the military (Brundige et al. 32).

The indigenous resistance

OPM resistance was majorly concentrated on the Freeport area where mining was taking place. The resistance movement attacked laborers in a bid of barring them from depleting their resources.

Their resistance prompted the government to enlist its police and military in operation. This was contrary to President Suharto’s belief that having a centralised government under the control of soldiers would make Indonesia stronger in all aspects.

OPM group attacked the Indonesian military and police, non-local workers, as well as immigrants from Indonesia. In some cases, ethnic violence took place pitting locals against foreigners

(Trajano,18).

Papuan residents began waging resistance to the Indonesians after the departure of the Dutch, who were their colonialists. They engaged in guerrilla tactics against the Indonesian army and the police who invaded their land. They did so by protesting and hoisting their flag as a sign of independence and sovereignty. Apart from that, it was meant to register their displeasure on the indiscriminate violation of their rights and freedoms by the Indonesian government (Brundige et al. 27).

Resistance from the West Papua was partly attributed to the differences in language and culture. This is also evidenced by the tendency of mainland Indonesians to differentiate them based on language. Apart from that, the Indonesian government treated them unjustly in their lands. This is evidenced by the government’s action of denying them from airing their views, organizing peaceful protests, and being considered second class citizens (Trajaro 28).

Indonesian’s economic justification for the invasion

The corrupt and capitalistic political actors developed a vested interest in the New Papua. The nation had vast mineral resources as well as forest covers that were unexploited. Instead of participating in environmental conservation, the politicians opted to engage in the exploitation of the resources for personal benefits. With this in mind, the eviction of the New Papua residents from their original land became inevitable. No compensation was made to West Papuan landowners once repossession was done by the Indonesian authorities (Brundige et al. 27). Apart from that, locals also participated in the destruction of the forests. This was done to earn a living.

Indonesians perfected the art by ejecting the West Papuans from their land. It also engaged in mining. This was deceptively done in the pretext of negotiating land with landlords while, in reality, the owners were being compelled to surrender their lands. Any resistance from their side was countered by gun shooting as well as evictions

(Trajano,18). Apart from that, they were also subjected to forced labor.

Economic growth and development that was experienced in West Papua from oil, mining, agriculture, and other sectors. However, all benefits were enjoyed by the migrants who had social and economic connections with the Indonesian government. The government would supply them with financial and material resources to boost their businesses. On the other hand, West Papuan locals would be denied the financial benefits, thus leading to unfavorable competition (Trajano 20).

The invasion and exploitation of West Papuan resources and the subjection of people to inhuman treatments were driven by the same acts from its neighbors. For instance, the Australian government went as far as assisting the country in establishing infrastructure, educating, and providing employment opportunities to its citizens. However, all the positive interventions were aimed at exploiting the nation’s mineral resources, which would eventually be depleted (Brundige et al. 28).

The participation by other nations in the plundering and exploitation of resources in the nation aggravated the Indonesian invasion. This forcible removal of people from their lands, as well as violence from the armed forces, led to the upsurge of refugees (Banivanua-Mar, 594).

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The United States failed to intervene in the West Papuan case. Instead, it opted to defend the nation, thus aggravating the adverse conditions that affected the locals. The U.S. was interested in securing its Freeport business in West Papua. With this in mind, it became silent on the atrocities due to the protection of its mineral activities. In return, it supplied weapons to the Indonesian government while at the same time, training its military to enhance skills. On the same note, the Australian government kept off and cited sovereignty as a reason for its inability to intervene. Like the USA, Australians were also interested in mining nickel, gold, timber, and many more from West Papua. As such, it opted to remain neutral to safeguard its interest (Trajano 30).

Failure by outside organizations

The United Nations played a crucial role in the fighting of the rights of the refugees. This came up due to the denial of the Indonesian government to assist the refugees. The Indonesian government opted to withhold food, shelter, and other essential commodities to the West Papuan’s in its bid to compel them to return to their homeland in the year 1985. This culminated in the loss of lives, starvation, illnesses, and malnutrition among the refugees. Eventually, it led to the establishment of the UNHCR branch in New Papua (Neumann 74).

U.N. supported Indonesian’s intention of taking over West Papua from the Dutch. However, it stressed the need for embracing peaceful means of handling the case. As such, no military action and support were provided towards the dispute. This made peace to rein but emboldened Indonesia to continue pursuing West Papuan territory (Trajano,17). Apart from language and cultural differences, Papuans wanted to rule themselves and not to be under the Indonesian administration.

Moreover, they were cognizant of the fact that the Indonesian government, like its former Dutch colony’s interest was to exploit its oil, forests, and other natural resources for economic gain. The U.S. strategically encroached the West Papua territory to exploit its mineral resources. This was done immediately after the withdrawal of the Dutch in the nation. This culminated in the construction of the Freeport copper mining company through the help of the Indonesian government (Trajano,17).

The success in the administration of UNHCR relies on the support that it receives from donors and governments. Hence, failure to receive support from a given government jeopardizes the success of the body. The UNHCR failed to succeed in its bid to safeguard West Papuan’s due to a lack of support from the government. This was compounded by the economic interest that nations such as the U.S., and Australia had in the nation. Indonesian officers mishandled the UNHCR staff and were unwilling to support their mission. The government was unwilling to divulge details concerning the refugees and let them be relocated to other places (Neumann 71). For instance, the Australian government was not willing to welcome Papuan refugees into its nation due to its non-adoption of refugee pact.

The government’s dictatorial tendencies towards the advancement of the repressive rules are demonstrated from its ban on foreign media. It successfully kept off Australian newspapers from covering its inhuman activities. Apart from that, it also banned Australian radio stations from airing its atrocities. The same was also replicated to other international media reporters. The strategy made it possible for the nation to successfully carry out its inhuman act of making refugees live under deplorable conditions. Most of the makeshift structures that they were left to stay in were exposed to cold and dirt. Apart from that, they were not given enough food, which made their health conditions to deteriorate (Elmslie, and Camellia,154)

Conclusion

Since the invasion of the Indonesian government in West Papua, no positive benefits have been experienced by the locals. The Indonesian governments, with the help of its police and military, have subjected West Papuan residents to untold suffering and degradation of life. The government has resorted to violence in all its ventures. This has been evidenced by the gunshots, disappearance, rape, poisoning, and other sufferings. These have been done to instill fear, intimidating, and dissuading Papuans from resisting the Indonesian invasion. Apart from that, the Indonesian authority forcibly and deceitfully repossessed people from their lands, thus, making them landless. These were then exploited by the corrupt and influential persons in the government and business people. Their minerals were then mined and sold to other business people after being compelled to render their services for free. The treatments given to the Papuans represents some of the worst forms of human rights abuse and genocide. It is, therefore, vital for international players to intervene, stop, and reverse the trend.

Works Cited

Trajano, Julius Cesar I. “Ethnic nationalism and separatism in West Papua, Indonesia.” Journal of Peace, Conflict and Development 16 (2010): 12-35.

Brundige, Elizabeth, et al. “Indonesian human rights abuses in West Papua: application of the law of genocide to the history of Indonesian control.” New Haven: Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, Yale Law School (2004).

Elmslie, Jim, and Camellia B. Webb-Gannon. “A slow-motion genocide: Indonesian rule in West Papua.” (2013): 142.

Widodo, Bangkit Rahmat Tri. “Indonesia’s Peacekeeping Missions within the “Independent and Active Foreign Policy”.” Indonesia’s Search for Democracy. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. K.G.K.G., 2013.

Banivanua-Mar, Tracey. “”A thousand miles of cannibal lands”: imagining away genocide in the re-colonization of West Papua.” Journal of Genocide Research 10.4 (2008): 583-602.

Neumann, Klaus. “Hush-hushing the whole matter: the UNHCR, Australia, and West Papuan refugees.” Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees 23.1 (2006): 69-80.