Infrastructure Idols: Portraits and Paradigms of Development under Special Autonomy in Papua

https://elsam.or.id/infrastructure-idols-portraits-and-paradigms-of-development-under-special-autonomy-in-papua/

Infrastructure Idols: Portraits and Paradigms of Development under Special Autonomy in Papua

Publications 15/01/2021 ELSAM2021-En, Papua-En, Publication

Written by Yason Ngelia, Yuliana Lantipo, Pilipus Robaha,

Yohanis Mambrasar. Waldine Praxedes Meak and Benny Mawel

Edited by I Ngurah Suryawan and Muhammad Azka Fahriza

Infrastructure Idols is a collection of essays exploring the challenges and human rights impacts arising from large-scale infrastructure development projects in the semi-autonomous Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The research was conducted in the period from August 2019 – January 2020, and explores the complex motivations and dynamics influencing and arising from projects such as the building of airports, roads and telecommunications infrastructure, in regions that are otherwise not widely reported on.

Through these essays, we witness how local communities struggle to deal with the negative impacts that result from such infrastructure developments in their homelands. Further, we come to learn that the forces driving development rarely come from within the communities themselves, but rather from the boardrooms of distant offices in the pursuit of goals which often remain opaque to those most closely affected.

The essays are authored by six Papuan human rights defenders, all of whom are alumni of ELSAM and PBI’s joint initiative, the Basic Course for Human Rights Defenders. This research draws upon many of the skills developed in the course, such as human rights monitoring, research and documentation.

We note with regret that one of the intended contributors, Assa Asso, known as Stracky Yally, was unable to complete his research after becoming a victim of criminalization in connection to his work documenting an anti-racism demonstration which took place on 29 August 2019. Stracky’s case highlights the exceptional risk all human rights defenders in Papua face in simply carrying out their vital work.

Download File

This is an English translation, the original book in Indonesian can be accessed at:

https://elsam.or.id/berhala-berhala-infrastruktur-potret-dan-paradigma-pembangunan-papua-di-masa-otsus/

------------