Confrontations result in multiple arrests . . .
Indonesian forces arrested at least 38 protesters last week for raising the Papuan flag in Indonesia’s easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua on the anniversary of the region’s independence from Dutch colonial rule. Raising the flag, a symbol of Papua and West Papua’s fight for independence, is illegal in Indonesia, and the protesters were charged with treason. These recent arrests follow violent demonstrations in August and decades of tensions between Papuans and the Indonesian state. Indonesian forces have long been accused of committing violence against Papuans, causing generations of refugees to flee across the border into neighbouring Papua New Guinea.
A contested history with Indonesia . . .
The people of Papua and West Papua, formerly a singular Western New Guinea, declared independence from the Dutch on December 1, 1961 by raising the ‘Morning Star’ flag. The declaration was rejected by the Netherlands and later by Indonesia, which annexed the region in 1963. The territory officially joined Indonesia in 1969 through the Act of Free Choice, wherein selected representatives voted in favour of incorporation. Papuans view this as a sham process, and since integration have experienced numerous incidents of violence committed by Indonesian forces. As a result, many have been displaced to Papua New Guinea along the Fly River close to the border. The last official count of refugees in 2014 recorded 5,500 people settled near the river.
Regional fights for independence . . .
Papua New Guinea is also experiencing an internal fight for independence. On Wednesday, the autonomous region of Bougainville concluded a referendum where 98 per cent of voters chose complete independence from Papua New Guinea. The result, however, is non-binding and remains subject to the national government’s endorsement. Analysts argue that Indonesia is likely to be watching developments in Bougainville closely, as the referendum results may set a regional precedent for its own eastern provinces.