West Papua
Current Situation
Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea, the easternmost part of Indonesia, with a Provincial capital of Jayapura. West Papua was controversially created from the western portion of Papua province in February 2003. Disputes continue between native Papuans and Indonesia over the demarcation of new smaller Papuan provinces.
The region of Papua is home to over 250 ethnic groups and over 60% of Indonesia’s biodiversity. West Papua remains one of Indonesia’s most impoverished Provinces despite its abundant natural wealth – natural gas, gold and other resources. Papua’s environment is severely threatened by logging, mining and natural gas development, with consequent impacts upon the indigenous populations of Papua including reports of widespread human rights abuses. The transmigration policy, which has seen a flood of Indonesians from other parts of the archipelago settle in the province, has diluted the Papuan population from 97 percent in 1960 to about 50 percent in 2000. The current population in Papua is now estimated at over 2.5 million.
Following the declaration of the Indonesian Republic in 1945, Papua (then known by Indonesia as West Irian) remained under Dutch control owing to a belief that the territory remained distinctly different in history, administration and culture to the rest of the country. This decision was vehemently challenged by the Indonesian government through the UN system, based on a belief that the province remained part of a United Indonesia. In the years following, Papuans, under the direction of the Dutch colonial power, began to take steps towards self government including the adoption of a national legislature, flag and anthem. This prompted a more aggressive approach from the Indonesian government towards the liberation of West Irian.
In 1962, the New York Agreement was signed by the governments of Indonesia and the Netherlands with the support of the United Nations, providing a framework for Papuans right to free speech, freedom of assembly and free movement and importantly, the right to an act of self determination. Papuans themselves however, had no involvement in this process and the following year, Indonesia assumed administrative control over the territory. In meeting the requirements for ‘the right to act of self determination’, the Act of Free Choice’, a referendum on autonomy for the region was commissioned in 1969. Though most Papuans believed this would be realised as a ‘one-man, one-vote’ referendum, in reality, the process was not inclusive or participatory. Indonesian government officials personally selected a council of 1,026 tribal leaders, who would become the decision makers for a population of more than 800,000. Under pressure and coercion, the council voted unanimously to integrate with Indonesia. Papuan resistance and independence movements have been galvanised by these events.
Following the granting of East Timorese independence in 1999, the Indonesian government put forward a range of autonomy measures to the Papuan people, including greater authority over local policy and decision making, and a stronger role in managing revenues raised in Papua. Thus far however, Special Autonomy has not brought about desired outcomes, nor improved the social and economic condition of indigenous Papuans. A 2003 presidential decree saw the division of Papua into three provinces (although only two are currently recognised) - a move that has further dislocated the territory and created dissatisfaction with the autonomy laws.
