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Governance and the Cycle of Violence in Papua: The Nduga Crisis:

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Richard Chauvel
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Abstract

Indonesia's last regional conflict remains intractable. We are reminded of this by demonstrations and mass detentions in 2018 around the 1 December anniversary of Papua's ‘Independence’ Day and the killing a day later of at least 16 construction workers in the central highlands district of Nduga with the military operations that followed. These events will be discussed further in the paper after a brief outline of the conflict in Papua.

Keywords

PapuaIndonesiaNduga CrisisViolenceAutonomy Law
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , January 2019 , e5
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2019

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References

Notes

1 Reflecting its contested history, the western half of the island of New Guinea has had numerous names. In the last decade of Dutch rule it was known as Netherlands New Guinea. In 1961 the Dutch accepted the Papuan proposal that it be called West Papua. Under Indonesian rule it has been known as West Irian and Irian Jaya. In 2000 President Wahid accepted the Papuan preference for Papua rather than Irian. Since 2003 the territory has been divided into two provinces – Papua and West Papua – with capitals in Jayapura and Manokwari respectively. Following common Indonesian usage, in this article ‘Papua’ will be used to refer to both provinces, except where the reference is to only one of the provinces.

2 “Anggota DPR Papua Periode 2014-2019 Dilantik”, Tabliod Jubi, 31-10-2014

3 Netherlands Government Annual Report to the United Nations on Netherlands New Guinea, 1960, The Hague, pp. 6-7.

4 Jim Elmslie, “The Great Divide: West Papuan Demographics Revisited; Settlers Dominate Coastal Regions but the Highlands Still Overwhelmingly Papuan”, The Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus Volume 15, Issue 2, Number 1, Jan 15, 2017

5 Badan Pusat Statistik, Pembangunan Manusia, Data Nasional; Pembangunan Manusia, Provinsi Papua. The HDI figures are from 2017. HDI is useful as it provides a broader measure than economic development, by incorporating life expectancy and education indices as well as standard of living. HDI is also used in Indonesian government policy making.

6 Sekretariat Kabinet Republik Indonesia, “Presiden Jokowi Ceritakan Soal Papua hingga Diaspora pada WNI di Selandia Baru”, 20-3-2018.

7 International Coalition for Papua (ICP), Human Rights in West Papua 2017, p. 17

8 International Coalition for Papua (ICP), Human Rights in West Papua 2017. The Coalition, established in 2003, consists of the major human rights organisations represented in Papua as well as local and international faith-based organisations. Amnesty International Indonesia, “Don't Bother, Just Let Him Die”: Killing with Impunity In Papua, 2018, 2 July 2018, Index number: ASA 21/8198/2018.

9 Amnesty International Indonesia, “Don't Bother, Just Let Him Die”: Killing with Impunity in Papua, 2018 P. 16

10 International Coalition for Papua (ICP), Human Rights in West Papua 2017, Section 5, p. 6

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31 Nota Dinas, Direktur Jenderal Kesbang dan Linmas Ermaya Suradinata to Menteri Dalam Negeri, June 9, 2000, 578/CD/Kesbang/D IV/VI/2000.

32 Ermaya Suradinata, “Pemekeran Irian Jaya Merupakan Solusi Dalam mengatasi acaman disintegrasi Bangsa,” Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional Republik Indonesia, Jakarta, January 2002, p. 4.

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34 Badan Pusat Statistik, Sensus Penduduk 2010 - Penduduk Menurut Wilayah dan Agama yang Dianut | Indonesia. In the context of the Papuan provinces, it is important to note that there are long-established Muslim Papuan communities in west coastal areas, including Raja Ampat, Fakak and Kaimana. While the majority of the Indonesian settler communities in Papua are Muslims, there have been Christian communities from the neighboring Maluku islands resident in Papua since the Netherlands administration.

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