West Papua: Indonesia’s 26th Province or Australia’s New Neighbor?

Abstract

West Papua is the easternmost part of Indonesia (Figure 7.1). It is Indonesia’s largest Province (with a land area twice the size of the United Kingdom’s). The island containing West Papua (also known as West Irian and Irian Jaya) and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the world’s second largest island (after Greenland) and it remains one of the least explored places on earth. However, the island is very rich in minerals and energy (Suter, 1997). West Papua’s status as a part of Indonesia is due to an accident of history. The Dutch established their claim to the western part of New Guinea first and this colonial connection provided the bridge over which the post-independence Indonesian Republic traveled to gain control of West Papua. If the United Kingdom had acted more quickly in its colonial expansion in the late 19th century and early 20th century, then West Papua would today either be an independent country or a part of PNG. Such are the vagaries of the legacy of European colonization. This chapter is in three parts. The first part provides some historical background to West Papua. The second part deals with the current conflict in the territory. Ironically, despite all of the wealth in West Papua, it still remains the country’s second poorest Province (after West Nusa Tenggara). The West Papuan resentment at their poverty adds to the causes of conflict. West Papua is one of the most heavily militarized areas of Indonesia. The final part examines in more detail at Australia’s links with the territory and some of the policy implications. No two neighbors in the world are more unalike than Australia and Indonesia. They are so close geographically – and yet so distant culturally and politically. Tensions over West Papua have only added to that gulf. The tensions look likely to continue.