West Papua is well known for its many other armed organizations and groups. These groups are a threat to the people and region of Papua. Some of them aim to separate themselves from the Republic of Indonesia.
Members of the organization also aim to achieve independence for their group and intend to secede. They want to build a state and power that belongs to their group. This will further complicate the situation.
Therefore, they did not hesitate to kill and shoot civilians who they felt would threaten the realization of these ideals. Several innocent people were shot and they damaged several facilities and threatened to kill the Javanese in Papua.
They were threatened with this and spread by the Free Papua Organization group after the government officially designated the Papuan Weapons Criminal Group as a terrorist. This is done by the government to protect the people and territory of Papua.
The government can be more assertive than that because the OPM is now considered an organization demanding the separation of Papua. They also carry out acts of armed violence that disrupt the stability of national defense and security in West Papua.
With the OPM’s actions getting worse, the government is trying to bring the state up in the defense and security sector in Papua. This makes Indonesia’s legitimacy and reputation worse in the eyes of the Papuan people.
The Government Must be Firm in Dealing with OPM in West Papua
The government is considered indecisive by simply labeling the OPM as a terrorist. Precisely by taking this step, carrying out military action will be seen as increasingly becoming the target of criticism from many parties because of human rights violations.
This is very different from the status of rebels and separatists who are supported by all Indonesian people. It is even more dangerous if the government follows Benny Wenda’s request to resolve this issue peacefully through diplomacy.
If it is implemented, then the bargaining power position of Indonesia and Papua in the eyes of national and international will be commensurate. This means that de facto Indonesia recognizes the existence of an independent West Papua state represented by the OPM.
This step will make it more difficult for Indonesia in the eyes of the international community, especially at the United Nations. Because in fact, international law has been on the Indonesian side all this time. So the government’s less decisive steps will make it difficult for Indonesia in the future.
If the government is not firm, the OPM will continue to demand the government to negotiate through international diplomacy, which means that Indonesia will lack control in managing the conflict in Papua.
The problem is, if the government is not firm, the positive prospects will continue to be on the OPM site. This is because there is an opportunity at the international negotiating table and the government must choose the right steps for the good of West Papua.
What the Indonesian Government Should do in Conflict Resolution
With massive support nationally, the government can declare a declaration of war against the OPM. Of course, this is done with measurable targets to minimize the occurrence of human rights violations against civilians.
The target that the government should focus on should be OPM organizationally. This declaration of war makes the OPM an enemy of Indonesia, if it does not surrender, it must be prepared to accept political, economic, financial, and military risks.
In the international realm, the government must carry out a containment strategy against OPM. The OPM movement to carry out diplomatic must be closed. This must be supported by Indonesia’s partner countries at the United Nations.
Indonesia must convince the international public that the Papua conflict is in Indonesia’s internal affair. In this way, Indonesia will gain legitimacy in the international arena so that all actions taken do not depend on UN agencies.
China has also carried out a strategy like this for the Uighur, Tibet, and Hong Kong issues. In the international realm, even Middle Eastern countries rarely discuss their country’s policies on the issue of Tibet and Hong Kong.
West Papua Conflict Resolution That Wants Independence
Negotiations to get such recognition need a return commensurate with the countries that support Indonesia. The government can get full support from America and Israel if Indonesia normalizes relations with Israel.
If that happens, America’s allies will also follow America’s strategic partners like Saudi Arabia. However, this step must also be followed by economic policies in Papua. However, the government is also afraid to be firm because of the issue of human rights.
The government must make West Papua more advanced and fair in addition to infrastructure. The government must also overcome poverty in Papua with a high unemployment rate.
Under such conditions, an evaluation of economic and fiscal policies must be implemented by the Indonesian government. This will affect the thinking of the Papuan people because they already feel the existence of the State of Indonesia.
The resolution of the Papuan conflict must be handled more seriously and appropriate strategies and methods should be developed. The government should pay more attention to security, welfare, and justice for the people of West Papua.
