West Papua Conflict: Peaceful Dialogue Possible?

Since Indonesia’s annexation of West Papua in the 1960s, armed conflict has continued, resulting in heavy casualties among Papuan civilians.

Given the escalating conflict in the region, where an estimated 500,000 West Papuans have been killed over the past six decades, peaceful dialogue appears to be the only path to a long-term resolution.

As a note, hope for negotiation between Jakarta and Papua (short for West Papua) began to emerge in 1999, when Papuan representatives known as the “Team of One Hundred” met with then-Indonesian President BJ Habibie in Jakarta, respectfully requesting that Papuans be granted the right to independence.

However, twenty-six years after this historic meeting, the expected dialogue has still not taken place. The call by a number of local NGOs, such as the Papua Peace Network (JDP) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), to resolve the four roots of the Papua conflict has not yet been heard. On the contrary, without any sense of guilt for its past human rights violations, the Indonesian government has intensified the violence. This has been seen in the last three years, when national strategic projects and military operations have been increasingly carried out throughout Papua.

As a Catholic, I reflect on what the Church can do to address this issue: Of the four roots of the Papua conflict defined by LIPI, the first one highlights the historical bias of Papua's political status. Indeed, Papua has been an international issue from the beginning. It must therefore be resolved by the conflicting parties in accordance with international law, involving a neutral third party. In this regard, I believe that the Holy See should play its role as mediator.