In a concerted effort to stifle support for West Papua's aspiration for independence, Indonesia has embarked on diplomatic initiatives with Pacific nations and communities.
This was set in motion on October 10 last year, when Indonesian Defense Ministry official, Brigadier General Mohamad Nafis, unveiled a diplomatic strategy aimed at safeguarding Indonesia's interests in West Papua, with a particular emphasis on its claim to sovereignty over the region.
This strategic initiative is part of a comprehensive approach designed to foster stability across the Pacific Islands, encompassing enhanced defence cooperation and the preservation of territorial integrity, especially concerning West Papua.
The expansion of defence relations between Indonesia and Pacific nations aspires to bolster regional security. Through collaborative military exercises and defence partnerships, Indonesia and the Pacific territories seek to confront shared challenges such as terrorism, piracy, and natural disasters.
It is significant that certain Pacific nations, notably Vanuatu, have championed the West Papua Independence Movement (OPM) for decades.
Consequently, Indonesia's strategic military and diplomatic engagement endeavours to dilute the regional solidarity surrounding West Papua's intrinsic right to self-determination.
Recent developments indicate that Jakarta has been actively fortifying its diplomatic and military ties with Pacific Island nations. This strategic initiative forms part of a broader regional engagement strategy aimed at amplifying Jakarta's influence in the Pacific Islands region.
This undertaking manifests through various forms of cooperation, including military training, joint exercises and the implementation of aid programs. This initiative aligns with a larger strategy that seeks to fortify Indonesia's position in the region and harmonise the interests of Pacific nations with its geopolitical ambitions. One of the fundamental objectives is to ensure that no Pacific nation, state, or community lends support to West Papua’s struggle for independence.
Indonesia’s double standard on human rights
Indonesia's vocal advocacy for Palestine contributes to its reputation as a champion of international law and human rights, particularly within the context of global institutions such as the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
In alignment with its commitment to Palestine, Indonesia has adopted a multifaceted strategy, integrating diplomatic engagement, military collaboration and the provision of humanitarian aid. This commitment was notably underscored during the BRICS Summit in October 2024, where Indonesia's unwavering dedication to promoting the Palestinian cause was prominently showcased.
During the summit, Indonesia underscored the vital importance of upholding Palestinian rights to self-determination. Furthermore, Indonesia urged the global community to take resolute action to resolve the protracted conflict in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions.
This position is consistent with Indonesia's constitutional obligation to oppose colonialism in all its manifestations. Nevertheless, the Indonesian government’s actions — which encompass promoting the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and human rights while simultaneously engaging in the colonisation of West Papua since the 1960s — appear to starkly contradict its professed principles.
This incongruity between robust advocacy for Palestinian self-determination and the ongoing repression of the independence movement in West Papua, alongside the implementation of military diplomacy in the Pacific and Melanesian regions, highlights the discrepancies inherent within Indonesia's foreign and domestic policies.
These inconsistencies raise crucial questions regarding the roles of the UN, Pacific Island nations, and the international community in addressing these pressing issues.
Military occupation in West Papua
The military's presence in West Papua has raised significant concern, with local Papuan populations expressing a pervasive sense of fear due to the escalating deployment of military forces, surveillance and impositions.
The Indonesian military has been mobilised to secure economically strategic areas, including the Grasberg Mine, renowned for its gold and copper production. These military operations result in the displacement of local Indigenous communities and environmental degradation.
Notably, armed conflicts persist between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB), leading to approximately 83,295 individuals being internally displaced in West Papua as of December last year.
Recent reports indicate the emergence of new cases of internal displacement within the Tambrauw and Pegunungan Bintang regencies, occurring between October and December last year. This escalation followed the TPNPB's assault on security personnel in the Bamusbama District, prompting residents of Tambrauw to evacuate amidst fears of impending raids.
Furthermore, recent internal displacements in Tambrauw, Papua Barat Province, have been reported in the districts of Bamusbama and Fef, following a coordinated operation by security forces in Bamusbama village on November 30.
The deployment of a substantial military presence in the district prompted a significant displacement in Oksop. According to human rights advocates in Tambrauw, 128 individuals from the villages of Bamuswayman, Wormon, Babak, Bamusbama, Bano, Syarwom and Banfot sought refuge elsewhere due to fears of further raids or armed confrontations in the vicinity.
These events transpired following an armed confrontation between Indonesian security forces and members of the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Bamusbama Town on November 30, during which the TPNPB claimed to have neutralised three security personnel.
Despite the prevailing fear, villagers opted to return to their homes, recognising that the forest offered no sanctuary. Community leaders who had participated in the evacuation decided to return to the village on December 3 and 4. Although this return provided a semblance of safety, the villagers continue to grapple with profound psychological distress, as their daily lives are overshadowed by an abiding sense of fear that hampers their ability to engage in routine activities, compelling them to remain perpetually vigilant.
Moreover, the Human Rights Monitor has yet to furnish updated statistics regarding the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Maybrat, Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Fakfak, Paniai and Puncak regions for the past three months.
Geopolitical strategy
The strategic implications of Indonesia's involvement in the Pacific region are multifaceted. Firstly, it serves to counter the influence of allies from island nation states and communities, such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). To achieve this objective, Indonesia employs military partnerships and diplomatic initiatives to weaken support from these regions.
To further strengthen these ties, Indonesia has assumed a pivotal role in providing development assistance, infrastructure projects and defence training to Pacific nations. This comprehensive approach is intended to cultivate goodwill and dissuade these nations from supporting West Papua’s pursuit of independence.
The significant increase of Indonesia's military presence in West Papua is a matter of grave concern. Additionally, the region's ongoing demographic shifts have precipitated a considerable decline in the Indigenous Papuan population.
Recently, newly-elected Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto unveiled ambitious plans to establish a substantial food estate in southern West Papua — Merauke. This initiative aligns with the government's overarching agenda to ensure national food security and optimise the region's underutilised agricultural potential.
The Indonesian government's food estate and transmigration initiatives, which involve relocating settlers from other regions of Indonesia to West Papua, have resulted in the marginalisation of Indigenous Papuan communities. The traditional cultures, languages, identities and lands of these Indigenous peoples are at grave risk of annihilation due to these policies.
For more than 63 years, Indonesia has occupied West Papua, and for more than half a century, Indigenous Papuans, their languages, oral knowledge, cultures and lands stand on the precipice of obliteration. There appears to be no hope and no future for Indigenous Papuans living under Indonesia’s colonial dominion.
A glimmer of hope
Despite this seemingly bleak future for Indigenous Papuans, they, along with their Pacific solidarity groups and the support of global solidarity movements, persist in demonstrating unwavering solidarity with West Papua.
These solidarity groups keep a fragile hope for these original Papuan nations, whose fate has been forcibly obscured within Indonesia for more than 60 years.
Indonesia’s engagement with the Pacific Islands, characterised by diplomatic rhetoric, check book diplomacy, and military ties, represents a desperate attempt to extinguish this flicker of hope that has been nurtured in the hearts of many islanders since the invasion of West Papua began 63 years ago.
[Ali Mirin is a West Papuan academic and writer from the Kimyal tribe of the highlands bordering the Star Mountain region of Papua New Guinea.]