In the lead up to the October 20 inauguration of President Probowo Subianto, Indonesia established five Vulnerable Area Buffer Infantry Battalions in key regions across West Papua — in a move described by Indonesian Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak as a “strategic initiative” by the former Defense Minister and now President.
The battalions are based in the Keerom, Sarmi, Boven Digoel, Merauke and Sorong Regencies, and their aim is to “enhance security” in Papua, and strengthen Indonesia’s military presence, in response to long-standing unrest and conflict, partly related to independence movements and local resistance.
According to Armed Forces Chief General Agus Subiyanto “the main goal of the new battalions is to assist the government in accelerating development and improving the prosperity of the Papuan people”.
Militarisation and repression
However, it raises concerns about the further militarisation and repression of a region already plagued by long-running violence and human rights abuses in the context of the movement for a free and independent West Papua.
Thousands of Indonesian soldiers have been stationed in areas impacted by violence, including Star Mountain, Nduga, Yahukimo, Maybrat, Intan Jaya, Puncak and Puncak Jaya.
As a result, situation in West Papua is becoming increasingly difficult for indigenous people. Extrajudicial killings in Papua go unreported or are only vaguely known about internationally. Those who are aware of them either disregard them or accept them as an unavoidable consequence of civil unrest in what Indonesia refers to as its most eastern provinces, commonly known as the “troubled regions”.
Why are the United Nations (UN), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the international community staying silent?
While the Indonesian government frames this move as a strategy to enhance security and promote development, it risks exacerbating long-standing tensions in a region with deep-seated conflicts over autonomy and independence and the impacts of extractive industries and agribusiness on West Papuan people and their environment.
Land theft
The Centre for Climate Crime and Climate Justice, in collaboration with various international and Indonesian human and environmental rights organisations, presented testimony at the public hearings of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (PPT) at Queen Mary University of London, in June.
The PPT heard testimonies relating to a range of violations by Indonesia. A key issue highlighted was the theft of indigenous Papuan land by the Indonesian government and foreign corporations in connection with extractive industries such as mining, logging and palm oil plantations.
The appropriation of traditional lands without the consent of the Papuan people violates their right to land and self-determination, leading to environmental degradation, loss of livelihood, and displacement of Indigenous communities.
The tribunal’s judgement underscores how the influx of non-Papuan settlers and the Indonesian government's policies have led to the marginalisation of Papuan culture and identity. The demographic shift due to transmigration programs has significantly reduced the proportion of Indigenous Papuans in their own land.
Moreover, a rise in militarisation in West Papua has often led to heightened repression, with potential human rights violations, forced displacement and further marginalisation of the indigenous communities.
The decision to station additional military forces in West Papua, especially in conflict-prone areas like Nduga, Yahukimo and Intan Jaya, reflects a continuation of Indonesia’s militarised approach to governance in the region.
Security pact
The Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) was signed by the two countries in 2010 but only came into effect this year after the PNG parliament ratified it in late February. Indonesia ratified the pact in 2012.
As reported by Asia Pacific Report, PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and Indonesia’s ambassador to PNG, Andriana Supandy, said the DCA enables an enhancement of military operations between the two countries, with a specific focus on strengthening patrols along the PNG-West Papua border.
This will have a significant impact on civilian communities in the areas of conflict and along the border. Indigenous people in particular, are facing the threat of military takeovers of their lands and traditional border lines. Under the DCA, the joint militaries plan to employ technology, including military drones, to monitor and manage local residents' every move along the border.
Human rights
Prabowo has a controversial track record on human rights, especially in the 1990s, during Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor.
His involvement in military operations in West Papua adds to fears that the new battalions may be used for oppressive measures, including crackdowns on dissent and pro-independence movements.
As indigenous communities continue to be marginalised, their calls for self determination and independence may grow louder, risking further conflict in the region.
Without substantial changes in the Indonesian government’s approach to West Papua, including addressing human rights abuses and engaging in meaningful dialogue with indigenous leaders, the future of West Papuans remains uncertain and fraught with challenges.
With ongoing military operations often accused of targeting indigenous populations, the likelihood of further human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and forced displacement, remains high.
Displacement
Military operations in West Papua frequently result in the displacement of indigenous Papuans, as they flee conflict zones.
The presence of more battalions could drive more communities from their homes, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the region. Indigenous peoples, who rely on their land for survival, face disruption of their traditional livelihoods and rising poverty.
The Indonesian government launched the Damai Cartenz military operation on April 5, 2018, and it is still in place in Yahukimo, Pegunungan Bintang, Nduga and Intan Jaya.
Since then, according to a September 24 Human Rights Monitor update, more than 79,867 West Papuans remain internally displaced.
The displacement, killings, shootings, abuses, tortures and deaths are merely the tip of the iceberg of what truly occurs within the tightly-controlled military operational zones across West Papua, according to Benny Wenda, a ULMWP leader based in Britain.
The international community, particularly the United Nations (UN) and the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) have been criticised for remaining largely silent on the matter. Responding to the August 31 PIF communique reaffirming its 2019 call for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua, Wenda said: “[N]ow is the time for Indonesia to finally let the world see what is happening in our land. They cannot hide their dirty secret any longer.”
Increased global attention and intervention is crucial in addressing the humanitarian crisis, preventing further escalations and supporting the rights and well-being of the West Papuans. Without meaningful dialogue, the long-term consequences for the indigenous population may be severe, risking further violence and unrest in the region.
As Prabowo was sworn in, Wenda restated the ULMWP’s demand for an internationally-mediated referendum on independence, saying: “The continued violation of our self-determination is the root cause of the West Papua conflict.”
[Ali Mirin is a West Papuan academic from the Kimyal tribe of the highlands bordering the Star Mountain region of Papua New Guinea.]