Indonesia and West Papua have a long history that cannot be explained with just words. For one year, West Papua was formerly ruled by the United Nations. And then, on May 1, 1963, power was transferred to the Republic of Indonesia.
After that, there are problems resurrecting around the independence of this part of Papua. These problems are mostly about the unjust feelings of the people. They were concerned about the transfer from the Netherlands to Indonesia before the liberation of the country.
Another thing is about the difference between the majority of the people and also the disadvantages of development projects. With the problem increasing, supporters appear in both parties. One party supported the independence of West Papua and the other the unity of the Republic of Indonesia.
This article will not focus on the conflict between the two, but on the two supporting parties who have expressed their views on the subject.
Supporters of Indonesia and West Papua Explained
The conflict between Indonesia and West Papua has increased since 1969 in the OPM movement. The movement claims that they are entitled to independence on their lands due to differences with the rest of the Indonesian province.
Multiple countries and organizations are voicing their support for the independence of West Papua. These supporting moves are loudly being voiced by the Melanesian Pacific Island states. With Vanuatu as the most vocal and longstanding partner in this movement. Vanuatu’s support is in the form of providing asylum to the people who are in favor of West Papuan independence.
Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
In 2015, a group of countries in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) gave some kind of pro-West Papua support to the international world. The members of MSG are Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.
Moreover, in 2017 and 2018, certain politicians outside the Pacific area also voiced their support for the movement. Such politicians come from Britain and Australia.
For Indonesia, there are certain parties that still support the sovereignty of the Indonesian government over West Papua. The support comes from Australia’s major parties, the Liberal Party and Labor Party. The Australian stand on this matter is based on the treaty back in 2006. The treaty is called the Lombok Treaty.
These matters concern how both countries should not participate in an activity that could threaten the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the parties.
The treaty refers to the separatism movement by the West Papuan pro-independence that has been going on for years. Therefore, with that treaty being signed, Australia is inclined to support the Indonesian government over the western side of Papua.
The US Government
The US government also claimed Indonesian government support for the pro-independence movement in West Papua. Other neighboring countries have also staked a claim in this matter.
The claim is given by the Timor-Leste government to the Indonesian government’s sovereignty. This support raised some questions from many parties. Timor-Leste also fought for its independence after being part of Indonesia.
The refusal of the Indonesian government over West Papua independence is motivated by the fact that it will affect the other provinces to do the same and threaten the territorial integrity of the nation.
Conclusion
Indonesia and West Papua may have certain bad histories that could be the force in certain conflicts between the two. Instead of thinking about the negative, we need to force ourselves to focus on the more urgent matter, which is unity. It is what allows a country to thrive and grow. Unity keeps every country better than ever. Nothing could ever be gained from war or conflict.
