https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/png-can-t-turn-blind-eye-conflict-next-door
2) PNG can’t turn a blind eye to the conflict next door
A video recently surfaced on social media in Papua New Guinea, featuring a group of about 20 men, gathered around their apparent leader, declaring war on Indonesia.
“People of East Sepik,” the leader says, referring to one of the two provinces which stretch along PNG’s northern coastline towards the border with Indonesia, “on behalf of the citizens of Papua New Guinea, we are now standing here to declare that we are ready to go and fight against Indonesian soldiers, for helping our people of West Papua.”
Indonesia, he goes on, is a “thief” for illegally occupying indigenous land and plundering resources.
Our government does not have an initiative to support our people of West Papua, therefore we the people of East Sepik, we are ready to go and support.
It’s a call to arms and an appeal to common ties of identity. West Papua has long been an overlooked conflict internationally, whether for reasons of ignorance, prejudice or malice. But for neighbouring PNG, proximity has its own complication.
The video and the apparent guerrilla group clearly won’t make the Indonesian military quake in their boots, but there are fears such cross-border displays of support may lead to distrust in Indonesia-PNG relations.
The location where the video was filmed remains anyone’s guess, with the men in camouflage standing in what looks to be a typical village, with palm trees at their backs. But the footage was enough to spark a media stir and clearly raises questions for governments, national and provincial. Neither PNG James Marape nor East Sepik Governor Allan Bird have commented publicly, but that doesn’t mean diplomatic talks haven’t been held in private. Indonesia has a consulate in the major PNG border town, Vanimo, in West Sepik Province, as well as its embassy in Port Moresby. It would not be a surprise if a call went through straight to the top. Indonesia’s ambassador Andriana Supandy has blamed the video on a “lack of balanced information”, while PNG Defence Force chief Major-General Gilbert Toropo has said “PNG citizens should not involve themselves with the Indonesians and their internal issues”.
Successive governments in Port Moresby have worked hard not to sour relationships with Jakarta, almost to the point that there appears to be a standard operating procedure on “how to handle diplomatic relations with Indonesia in issues relating to West Papua” written for all new Prime Ministers entering the office.
From the outset of his term, Prime Minister James Marape has said PNG would respect “Indonesian sovereignty and their borders”. But he also acknowledged the delicacy involved, saying that such respect “must come in the context of human rights”. A diplomatic statement, for sure, but if Marape’s position was challenged by events, who knows what the result might be.
Meanwhile, authorities in the East Sepik province insist the video is really a non-issue. This seems unlikely to end the matter.
PNG and West Papua share a border, yet without the line on a map the people living on either side would be wantoks – people bound by kinship, language and community ties. Silence in the face of persistent evidence of abuses and crackdowns is not feasible. PNG should hold Indonesia accountable for rights violations.
West Papuans have been fighting for the right to self-govern for years, citing racial oppression and suppression of their black-Melanesian race as key factors, all while watching fellow Melanesian neighbours Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu having gained their independence decades before.
Underground advocacy groups and social movements have been formed in Asia-Pacific countries to draw attention to the plight of people in West Papua. But without the backing of governments, in modern times these efforts end up being merely hashtags that gain popularity when social media algorithms allow them to trend, only then disappearing into oblivion, waiting for the next story or batch of depressing photos leaked.
Some key PNG parliamentarians have been vocal about the record of violence and atrocities in West Papua.
In 2019, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop was reported to have said that European colonisers split up the island of New Guinea and gave the West Papuans to the Indonesians. “I call on Papua New Guineans to repent for neglecting West Papuans since becoming independent in 1975,” Parkop said, adding that people in PNG needed to speak up for their fellow Melanesians across the border.
Oro Governor Gary Juffa has also spoken out on many occations, saying PNG cannot be considered free as long as West Papuans are striving for freedom. He accused his own people of forgetting their brothers and sisters. “Our Melanesian people are suppressed and oppressed,” Juffa said during a Free West Papua music campaign in 2019. “We cannot be Christians, Melanesians and humans and pretend that what is happening is not happening.”
Prabowo echoed his appeal while receiving this gold and copper mining company's president director, Tony Wenas, who paid a courtesy call at the National Police's headquarters here, Monday.
At the meeting, Prabowo echoed the government’s genuine concern for improving the Papuans' quality of life by bolstering developments in health, education, infrastructure, people-oriented economy, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The Papuan communities are expected to enjoy the positive impacts of the government's development programs, according to Prabowo.
In enhancing community development programs, PT Freeport Indonesia is expected to be able to collaborate with the police that has a community-based program called "Binmas Noken", Prabowo stated.
"All elements can participate in developing Papua, including PT Freeport," he remarked.
In response to Prabowo's appeal, Wenas expressed his company’s support to the government's development programs in Papua through its corporate social responsibility programs in sectors, including health, culture, infrastructure, and people-based economy.
Prabowo also extended his gratitude and appreciation for the National Police's contribution to safeguarding Papua, including the gold and copper mining.
ANTARA noted that Papua and West Papua had struggled to improve the quality of their human capital, as their scores in Indonesia's 2020 Human Development Index remained under the national average recorded at 71.94.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Papua and West Papua, which received special autonomy funds worth Rp126.99 trillion since 2012, had recently scored 60.44 and 65.09 respectively on the 2020 Human Development Index.
Their scores remained lower than that achieved by Aceh Province that stood at 71.94.
Amid the government's endeavors to improve the human capital of Papua and West Papua, armed Papuan separatist terrorist groups still pose security threats to the provinces.
Over the past few years, armed groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in several districts in Papua, including Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak, to instill a sense of fear among people.
The recent targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and also civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya engaged in the construction of the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi Sub-district, Nduga District.
Such acts of violence have continued this year. On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatist terrorists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man, identified by his initials as RNR, was shot at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
In a separate incident on February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver. A motorcycle taxi driver was shot dead by an unknown gunman in Papua.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school. Related news: Papua needs people who can work outside the box: official
Related news: W Papua governor meets VP to discuss accelerated development
EDITED BY INE
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