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View all search resultsWhy a nonmilitaristic approach needed to solve Papua conflict
The string of shooting incidents only adds to a series of violence besetting the provinces of Papua and West Papua.
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hooting incidents were rife again in Papua during the past month. In the afternoon of April 25, the head of the Papua office of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) was shot from a close distance in Beoga district in the highland regency of Puncak, indicating that the shooter had weaponry skills and a territorial understanding of the site.
Only days later, a crossfire in Ilaga regency cost the lives of a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police officer and a suspected member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM).
Prior to the two incidents, civilians and ordinary, nonpartisan citizens, including teachers, fell victim to conflicts between security forces and armed groups.
The string of shooting incidents only adds to a series of violence besetting the provinces of Papua and West Papua. Academics have consistently dubbed the warlike situation on Papuan land the most protracted self-determination movement in Indonesia's history when compared to the Aceh conflict (1976-2005) and East Timor (1975-1999) (Heidbuchel, 2007: 157; Bhakti, Yanuarti & Nurhasim, 2009: 17-18; Wassel, 2014: 2-5).
As usual, security troops have been deployed to hunt down perpetrators of the shooting incidents. The fight against the Papuan armed rebels has taken a new twist as the government declared them terrorist groups.
The persistent use of a militaristic approach has left a question about the fate of nonarmed civilians who have always been caught in the middle of the conflict. These civilians include Papuan people and migrants who arrived in Papua to make a living. Do they have the right to express their desire for a peaceful life and freedom from fear?
More importantly, how do we interpret the existence of the continuous armed conflict in a territory known for its richness in natural resources?
