Indonesia-Png Cooperation: Papua Strategic Roles

Abstract

<p>Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have built a strong relation since 1986 under the Treaty of Mutual Respect, Friendship, and Cooperation. Both countries have agreed to promote economic and political goals. Economically, Indonesia and PNG share a strong commitment to boost economic development in numerous strategic fields; and politically, both countries strongly adopt the principle of non-interference and subscribe to the notion of territorial integrity. To secure the goals, Indonesia and PNG have signed a number of MoUs in wide range of areas both in soft cooperation such as capacity building for oil and energy exploration and hard cooperation to combat cross-border crimes, drug smuggling and terrorism. Addressing the cooperation between Indonesia and PNG is the key to understand the dynamics of West Papua ongoing struggle within Melanesia forums such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).Having said that, this essay specifically addresses two main points. First, it examines the political interests of Indonesia throughcooperation with PNG and how this cooperation affects Papua status within Indonesia.Second, it discusses the strategic roles of Papua which shapes the cooperations. The essayargues that Indonesia uses the cooperation to secure its political goals to gain support from PNG and other Melanesian states to maintain its territorial integrity and to combat separatism and such cooperation is best understood in terms of Papua strategic roles for Indonesia.</p><p> </p>