Prabowo’s Gaza Peacekeeping Pledge: A Grand Gesture Amid Domestic Hypocrisy

Prabowo’s Gaza Peacekeeping Pledge: A Grand Gesture Amid Domestic Hypocrisy

Indonesia’s President-elect and current Defense Minister, Prabowo Subianto, recently made headlines with his bold promise to deploy Indonesian peacekeeping forces to Gaza, should the United Nations request such support. 

Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Forum in Singapore on June 1, Prabowo declared Indonesia’s readiness to “maintain and monitor” a prospective ceasefire and provide “protection and security to all parties.”

At first glance, the pledge sounds commendable—Indonesia stepping up on the global stage to promote peace in a conflict-ridden region. However, this grand plan exposes glaring contradictions when weighed against Indonesia’s failure to maintain peace within its own borders, particularly in the troubled region of West Papua.

While Indonesia boasts readiness to export its military forces abroad, it continues to brutally suppress dissent and resist calls for justice at home. The ongoing occupation of West Papua, marked by decades of violence, human rights abuses, and systematic marginalization of the indigenous Melanesian population, starkly contrasts with Prabowo’s image as a global peacekeeper. This disparity raises uncomfortable questions about Indonesia’s priorities and true commitment to human rights.

The Indonesian House of Representatives is set to debate this proposal on June 6. It remains to be seen whether this peacekeeping mission will move beyond rhetoric or become yet another political spectacle.

Moreover, Indonesia’s outspoken support for Muslim-majority nations like Palestine reveals a double standard. Indonesia has a proud history of backing anti-colonial struggles abroad—from supporting Algerian independence to establishing the first Indonesian embassy for Palestine in 1947. Yet, this vocal advocacy disappears when it comes to non-Muslim peoples fighting for freedom, especially the West Papuans living under Indonesia’s own repressive rule.

The Indonesian Constitution’s preamble famously asserts that “independence is the right of all nations.” But this principle is conveniently ignored when inconvenient—West Papuan calls for self-determination are met with silence or violent suppression, justified under the banner of “Unity in Diversity.”

Markus Haluk, secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), rightly called out this hypocrisy, stating, “Just as Indonesia is ready to send troops to Gaza, Israel should send peacekeepers to West Papua to address the ongoing conflict.” He further urged the international community to act, demanding a UN Human Rights Commission visit and a resolution addressing West Papua’s plight.

Since 1963, Indonesia’s actions in West Papua have been described by many as genocide, ecocide, and ethnocide. If Indonesia truly wants to promote peace and justice on the world stage, it must first confront its own dark realities at home—before preaching to others.

The world stands at a crossroads: will it continue to ignore West Papua’s suffering, or will it finally support the Melanesian people’s right to freedom and dignity?