Conflict
West Papua’s Troubled Border
Anti-Indonesian Rebel Leaders Tempt PNG Intervention
West Papua (formally Irian Jaya) lies on the western part of the island of New Guinea. On the eastern side is the independent state of Papua New Guinea. The Dutch colonized West Papua and it became part of Indonesia in 1969 as a result of the United Nations’ resolution of the “Act of Free Choice” referendum. The referendum, according to indigenous Melanesians of West Papua, was a total sham.
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The UN failed to provide personnel and logistical support to supervise and monitor the referendum, allowing intimidation by Indonesian security forces. Lack of UN presence gave the Indonesian government the chance to handpick about 1,000 village chiefs and individuals that the army coached to vote for Jakarta to govern them. The majority of the population was not allowed to vote. West Papua was incorporated into Indonesia following the referendum.
Many of the people were outraged by the outcome of the referendum, because they felt the whole process was not being conducted properly, and they started protesting. Nationalist sentiments started to emerge, followed by widespread protests and the formation of the rebel movement to fight against Indonesian “forced occupation” of West Papua.
Since 1969, the West Papuans have been fighting Jakarta to be an independent state. Indonesian security forces have used force to suppress and oppress the indigenous people of West Papua.
Ironically, the world has done nothing to address widespread human rights violations by the Indonesian government. Indonesian security forces have caused great destruction of human life in West Papua since 1969, when the opposition against Indonesia started.
PNG and Australia have not raised a voice at international forums about the brutal killings of West Papuans by the Indonesian security forces. The PNG government has seen waves of refugees crossing the border to its side, but has done nothing to address the problem. Australia and PNG have been diplomatic toward Indonesia, viewing the West Papuan political struggle as an internal problem for Indonesia. However, the PNG government seems not to realize that, every time there is a political uprising in West Papua, people move to PNG seeking refuge. The spillover effect is always experienced by PNG, especially its citizens living along the border area.
At the regional level, the South Pacific Forum member countries have also gone silent over West Papuan issues.
Rebel leaders say the fight for independence is far from over and PNG officials complain that West Papuan rebel leaders, like the Free Papua Movement’s Mathias Wende, routinely carry out operations on the PNG side of the troubled 496-mile border. PNG and West Papuan officials held talks in the border town of Jayapura, West Papua’s capital.
Meanwhile, Sir Michael Somare’s new foreign affairs secretary, Evoa Lalatute, told PNG’s Parliament that the country needed to watch its West Papuan border more closely. Lalatute worries that incidends in parts of Indonesia, like Ambon and Merauke, will increase border tensions. Somare’s Cabinet reshuffle also emphasized internal security.
