Closing democratic space in West Papua

In a democracy, opposition and contestation are common. This is not only tolerated but guaranteed by law: protesting is part of the right of opinion

The same applies to secessionist movements. Almost all democracies face separatist movements: in the United Kingdom there is the Scottish independence movement, in France there is the Corsican independence movement, in Spain there is the Catalonian independence movement, and so on. 

However, none of the members of these movements have been criminalized as traitors or terrorists. Indeed, true democracy guarantees respect for all forms of aspiration, as long as it is non-violent. Protests are not seen as an obstacle, but an opportunity for the government to review its policies that may have gone wrong.

Indonesia, commonly referred to as the third largest democracy in the world after India and the United States, seems to have very different standards of democracy from the rest of the world. Especially when it comes to its eastern provinces in West Papua, where opposition space is almost non-existent. 

On Wednesday (12/07/2023) a peaceful demonstration by Papuans in support of West Papua's full membership (ULMWP) in the Melanesian Spearhead Group was dispersed by Indonesian police. The Papuans' aspiration to return to their Melanesian home was interpreted by the Indonesian authorities as treason. It has been reported by several Papuan activists via social media that 21 demonstrators were arrested and even beaten by security forces. So far, there have been no further updates. 

A week before this incident, Joko Widodo or Jokowi, the current president of Indonesia visited West Papua. In an interview he said that the situation in Papua is 99 percent safe. This statement is questionable given the omnipresence of the military and police throughout Papua. In 2022, the number of new soldiers deployed had reached 20,000 (ELSHAM, 2023).

Father Alexandro Rangga, an Indonesian Franciscan priest who actively defends the cause of the indigenous Papuans told UCA News on July 10 that the president Jokowi's claims do not match reality. “If the percentage of insecurity is only one percent, why is the current situation in Papua draining the government's energy, such as by propaganda to localize the Papua issue at the national level, not allowing foreign journalists and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Papua,” he said.

Indeed, West Papua is not safe and all the data gives very worrying indications. The conflict in the region has worsened since 2018 that left 60,642 Papuans displaced in six districts, of which 559 died due to hunger and health problems. The existence of the Indonesian regime in West Papua is like a cracked egg, it only takes a jolt to break.