Special Autonomy in West Papua: Solution or Source of Problems? (1)

Introduction

More than twenty years of special autonomy in West Papua, a territory occupied by Indonesia since 1963, has been a disaster for the ecosystem and indigenous Papuans. The negative impacts are increasingly visible. How long do we insist on turning a blind eye to this human tragedy?

For more than sixty years, the people of West Papua have consistently demanded their right to independence from Indonesia. This is despite the harsh repression of the Indonesian army that has led to the deaths of an estimated 500,000 Papuans.

Special Autonomy was implemented in the region in late 2001, as a win-win solution by the Indonesian government to resolve the separatist conflict. This status was however imposed unilaterally with the connivance of some opportunistic Papuan politicians, and not with the consent of all Papuans.

For a number of Papuan intellectuals, the various so-called development programs throughout West Papua are a systematic attempt to occupy, deplete and eliminate the indigenous Papuan population. Last Wednesday, June 28, a lengthy discussion on the theme "The extension of Special Autonomy and New Autonomous Regions in Papua: Solution or Source of Problems?" was organized online by the Association of Papuan Central Highlands Students in Indonesia (AMPTPI). 

By presenting a number of updates and the latest data, the wider community, especially the Papuan people themselves, are urged to be aware of genocide and ecocide programs wrapped in the sweet jargon of development.

At the beginning of the zoom meeting, Zuzan Griapon, one of the young Papuan leaders,  smilingly encouraged the several dozen participants present not to be shy about expressing their personal opinions on special autonomy in Papua. Indeed, the topic was a hot one but too sensitive: misspeaking could lead to lawsuits in Indonesia. In the end, most participants chose to remain silent, giving only the main speakers a chance to speak.

They are: I Ngurah Suryawan, researcher and academic at the University of Papua (UNIPA); Markus Haluk, author and director of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP); Ambrosius Mulait, Secretary General of the AMPTPI student association. While Mafretd Enombere, a militant of the Papuan lives matter movement acted as moderator.

To be continued ... https://markushalukpapua.blogspot.com/2023/06/special-autonomy-in-west-papua-solution_30.html