West Papuan struggle needs strong leadership

December is a sacred month for West Papuans. December 1 marks the 62nd anniversary of West Papua's declaration of independence, and December 19 commemorates the beginning of the Indonesian invasion.

For six decades West Papuans have been trying to break out of the grip of Indonesian colonialism. While the struggle has never waned, many question its success. There have been too many casualties (Some estimate as many as 500,000 Papuans have been killed) while the much-hoped-for independence has not yet materialized.

On this occasion, I had the opportunity to talk with Ambrosius Mulait, one of the young Papuan figures who has been active since the last ten years in voicing the aspirations of West Papuans in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. In 2019 Ambrosius was sentenced to a year in prison for treason. With a degree in political science from the Institute of Domestic Government (IPDN), he is now actively collaborating with several NGOs to defend the rights of indigenous Papuans. The latter are adversely affected by various state strategic projects and multinational predation.

Without fully blaming the atrocities of the Indonesian regime and the greed of the global capitalist elite, Ambrosius launched an auto-critique: 

"Indeed, we must humbly recognize that colonization in West Papua continues because of our own weaknesses. Since the establishment of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in 2014, we have agreed to prioritize non-violent tactics, especially boycotts and mass strikes. Many actions have been taken. But once again, there has been no visible impact. Why is that?

In my opinion, general strikes and civil disobedience can only take place if they fulfill three conditions: First, the people must have strong political awareness. Second, there must be continuous coordination at the grassroots level. Third, there must be a long term logistical stability.

From my observations, 60% of Papuans have good political awareness and understand their nation's true history (not the Indonesian regime's skewed version). There are already a number of struggle bases at the grassroots level. However, there is no organized mass movement that can strike effectively due to lack of leadership and poor planning.

Mass boycotts are difficult because Papuans are used to relying on goods and services from Indonesia. It takes hard discipline to re-practice traditional values that encourage us to have food from our own gardens and drink from our own wells.

The complexity of the current situation in Papua and the many factions of the struggle require a strong, charismatic and revolutionary leader."