Open Up Papua To Scrutiny

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/open-up-papua-to-scrutiny-20111204-1odhq.html#ixzz1fb8qGI8U

December 5, 2011

"On the 50th anniversary of the independence ceremony last week, Papuans demonstrated they are far from reconciled to living as Indonesian citizens."

HALF a century ago, the Dutch encouraged the people of Western New Guinea, now generally known as Papuans or West Papuans, to look forward to independence. That hope was dashed by the Kennedy administration's decision not to support the Netherlands. After a UN interregnum, Indonesia was given charge of the territory with the undertaking to allow an act of free choice by its people about their future. That consultation, in 1969, was a charade, via a thousand cowed or bribed selected ''representatives''.

On the 50th anniversary of the independence ceremony last week, Papuans demonstrated they are far from reconciled to living as Indonesian citizens. Many thousands came out at great risk in far-flung towns to raise their Morning Star flag. They were forcibly dispersed. A gathering in October, in which prominent independence activists nominated leaders for their notionally independent nation, was broken up with several deaths from gunfire and about 300 arrests. The nominated leaders remain in jail, facing treason charges.

It is clearly an unhappy situation, heightened by the fears among Papuans over the rapid immigration from other parts of Indonesia, attracted by Papua's rich endowments of minerals, oil and timber. Most Papuans demonstrate peacefully for secession, but the tiny band of guerillas keeping up a token resistance helps the military justify its tight supervision of Papua's administration, which spins off many fund-raising opportunities.

As a result, Papua remains an exception to Indonesia's post-Suharto openness. Even today, foreign journalists, diplomats, researchers and aid workers are barred without special permission. The International Committee of the Red Cross is not allowed to open an office. Indonesian officials say they want Papua to develop without disturbance. They sound like the old Netherlands East Indies ''native experts''.

Wary of trouble with Indonesia on many other fronts, Canberra uses this screen as its excuse to profess ignorance about what's going on. The 2006 deal between John Howard and President Yudhoyono, after a boatload of Papuans crossed the Torres Strait to seek political asylum, turned this into an explicit bargain. But an implicit condition is that Indonesia can't expect immunity from criticism if it continues ruling with a heavy hand. A happier outcome for the Papuans - whether independent or within Indonesia - could come from further political evolution in Jakarta, notably in civil-military relations. An opening of Papua to the world's scrutiny would encourage this. Indeed it might be Jakarta's last and best hope of making the Papuans content to be part of Indonesia.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/open-up-papua-to-scrutiny-20111204-1odhq.html#ixzz1fb8kYz6Y

ENDS