Papua might follow East Timor
Many people in Indonesia believes that Papua will never be an independent nation like East Timor. That was also general beliefs in the country prior to the 1999 referendum in East Timor. We took for granted the leaders' opinion that Indonesia had done its best to make sure people in East Timor were happy enough to be the part of the nation-state until the plebicit shown us the opposite.
Could that happen to Papua? I'm not sure, but that's an open 'might'.
Let me give you some latest information that might help answering the question.
First, Papua is no longer a province. We have two provinces, Papua and West Irian Jaya (Irjabar), with various impacts for Papuans future. Most of oil and gas operations, including the US$3 billion Tangguh LNG project developed by Beyond Petroleum (BP), China's CNOOC, and Japan companies, are located in Irjabar. Meanwhile the giant mining operation of PT Freeport Indonesia is located in Papua province.
Second, as a result of the the first, Papuan would have two center of political powers. One in Jayapura, the capital city of Papua and the other in Sorong (Irjabar). Election of governors in both provinces have just been completed. Abraham Actovianus Atururi unanimously won the election in Irjabar. Atururi, candidate from PDI-P, demolished Yorris Raweyai (candidate from Golkar Party). Meanwhile, Barnabas Suebu---also the candidate from PDI-P, won with thin margin over Lukas Enembe from Golkar Party, but the formal announcement pending Supreme Court decision in Jakarta.
Third, suppose that two provinces in Papua finally have leaders of both 'nationalist' parties (PDI-P)---strongly oppose any independence movement---can we conclude that would ease the independence movement in Papua?
We have somewhat 'loyal' leaders in East Timor to Jakarta rule, but people decided to be an independent nation, right?
Fourth, international attention on Papua would surely increase, not the other way around. After the 43 asylum seekers safely arrived and welcomed in Australia, another group entered the territory yesterday. Australia was haven for independent movement activist from East Timor. Papua might follow that. Well, many times during Soeharto years the foreign corps stated that they're supporting the unity of Indonesia when they were encountered with the question of East Timor. So, it's just too naive to simply feel secure when so many leaders from different parts of the world, including George Bush, Tony Blair (a friend call him Bliar), or John Howard pledged their support for Indonesian unity on the question of Papua issue.
Fifth, addressing the Papua issue simply with pouring more money through Special Autonomy scheme might end up with big failure as what we did in East Timor, if we can't win Papuan's heart. Nationalism sentiment in Jakarta is meaningless for those who has no proud at all on this nation. The more we blame others in Papua issue, the likely Papuan will find new friends and a new nation.
Labels: FREEPORT, SOEHARTO Inc
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posted by yosef at 11:56 AM
9 Comments:
Nicely put. Would you mind if I use your writing here as a discussion elsewhere ?
Thoughtful and smart.
Australia has just as many challenges in working out how to deal with this.
It's not a popular view in Australia, but I think East Timor is a non viable disaster for everyone - including the East Timorese.
Well-thought, -written and convincing hypothesis you have here...as always it's easier to point a finger on others because it takes a lot of work, energy, time, pride and committment to self-introspect, correct and self-regulate, right?
It could be a 'might' like you said...for the papuans then to want to be independent if it means a 'better' future. We'll have to wait and see...very interesting possibility. Do you think East Timorese people are better off now? I have no clue...but interested to know your take on it.
Cheers...enjoy your posts as a way to keep my "roots"
East Timorese is not better off yet, from economic point of view. But being an independent nation is not easy, just like Indonesia after Dutch colonialism. Such transition could be decades-long process.
PD98004,
You better search my previous posts. I wrote lot of articles about such mis-treatment and also the mis-management of Papua administration on its people.
Mistreatment and mismanagement would appear to be inevitable.
Isn't the quality of the future more dependent on:
- the essential viability of the potential State as an economic entity independent of extraction based wealth and foreign aid (not sure why its called aid when it hurts rather than helps)
- the ethnic / cultural / historical coherence of the potential State
- the willingness of people to grasp and shape their future - and suffer to do so
East Timor and Papua would appear to fail on the first 2 tests - no point in even going to the third one.
The central government has had a failed policy in dealing with Papua. If you treat a region like an occupied territory, the people will act as such. I don't understand why the Javanese will file out into the streets by the tens of thousands against the mistreatment of Iraqis, but they won't do the same for the Papuan people. Actually, I do understand: Iraqis are mostly Muslim, Papuans are mostly Christian.
Why some people always bring religion to the equation ? deep-rooted bigotry o just plain racism ?
Javanese didn't go to the street for the plight of Acehnese either, their fellow moslem.
Nor did the Chinese or Menadonese or Bataks go to the street for the Papuan, who shared the same faith (?).
does this mean indonesian people really don't care? they won't even go on the street and fight for their own sake then...how are we, as a nation, going to get out of 'colonialism' then? even our own people in power now seem to do worse than the dutch during colonialism in treating their own people...we're not out yet...will we ever be?
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