Conflict Management in Indonesia – An Analysis of the Conflicts in ...

Prohibiting the use of Papuan culture, languages,
tradition, and ways of life and national symbols
such as the Morning Star Flag; 129
The spread of HIV/AIDS from sex-workers
arriving in West Papua from other parts of
Indonesia. As of 2009, 4,500 suffer from HIV and
1,055 from AIDS in West Papua. 130 Comparatively,
the level of HIV/AIDS in West Papua is much
higher than in other parts of “Indonesia” and
Papua New Guinea.
The Free Papua Movement and West
Papua National Coalition for Liberation
Papuan people have engaged in various forms of
resistance to Indonesian rule. This section will focus
on two key actors: the Organisasi Papua Merdeka
(OPM) or Free Papua Movement, and the West Papua
National Coalition for Liberation (the Coalition). 131
The central objectives of the OPM and the Coalition
are to liberate the people of West Papua from
Indonesian colonialism, discrimination, exploitation,
and to establish a democratic, just, peaceful
and prosperous independent state of West Papua. 132
The OPM
The resistance movement came to life on July 26,
1965 with the creation of the OPM. However, a silent
resistance movement had already started in West
Papua during the Dutch Colonial period. Ferry
Awom 133 , with the Papuan Kasuari Battalion 134 and
129 Specifically, “Government regulation No: 77/2007 prohibited the use
of Morning Star-the flag of the OPM as cultural symbol”. Agus, Alua,
’MRP described as a child who was born in the jungle’ Cenderawasih
Pos, 19 June, (2010).
130 In the gold mining district of Degeuwo in Paniai regency, there are
234 sex workers (from Jakarta and Surabaya) and some 152 people
were reportedly infected by HIV and AIDS in the gold mining area
between 2007 and 2009. See Manufandu, Septer, (2009), p.28.
131 The OPM is the main resistance movement in West Papua which has
a political and military wing. The military wing of the OPM is called
Tentara Pembebasan Nasional (TPN). The Coalition aims to bring
all resistance movements into one body for national unity and the
unification of common perceptions. More than 28 resistance movements,
including the OPM, joined the Coalition.
132 Ondawame, Otto, One People, One Soul, West Papuan Nationalism
and the Organisasi Papua Merdeka, (Adelaide: Crawford House
Publishing, Political Program, 2010), p.85-86.
133 Ferry Awom was a member of the Papuan Voluntary Forces (called
the Papuan Kasuari Battalion) and was trained by the Dutch to defend
West Papua from the Indonesian occupation.
134 The Papuan Kasuari Battalion was formed during the Dutch colonial
administration and aimed to defend West Papua from an Indonesian
invasion in 1962 during a brief war between the Dutch and Indonesia.
employees of the department of forestry and agriculture
135 , declared an independent Papuan state
after attacks on military and police posts. 136 Although
the movement was crushed four days later by the
Indonesian military, it fuelled Papuan nationalism
and the OPM increased its military activities in the
border region with Papua New Guinea. All military
activities were carried out by the OPM in the early
period but since the establishment of the National
Liberation Army of West Papua (NLAWP) in 1968,
military activities have been carried out by the
NLAWP. Its political vision and mission was to
achieve independence for West Papua by destroying
Indonesian colonialism. Simultaneously, Papuan
leaders in the Netherlands established the National
Liberation Council (NLC) in 1968, which was responsible
for political lobbying. 137 The relationship
between the OPM inside Papua and the NLC in
the Netherlands was good. The leaders of the NLC
advised the leaders of the OPM, and the NLC supported
independence.
The OPM, through the President of the Provisional
Revolutionary Government of West Papua,
General Seth Rumkorem, again unilaterally declared
independence on 1 July 1971. He called for a fair and
democratic referendum under the direct supervision
of the UN. However, in 1976 the leadership split
between the two main leaders of the OPM; Jacob
H. Prai, who was Chair of the Senate of the West
Papuan Provisional Parliament, and Seth Rumkorem.
This caused a restructuring and re-orientation of the
OPM, which widened its influence and decentralized
power within the organization. More negatively,
the split caused internal power struggles which
threatened both the OPM’s unity and reputation. 138
Seth Rumkorem led a military unit called Tentara
Pembebasan Nasional (TPN) or the National Liberation
Army. He established four regional command
structures mostly in the northern parts of West
Papua such as Biak, Japen-Waropen, Manokwari and
Sorong. Jacob H. Prai led a group called Pembela
135 Manokwari was the main training centre for agriculture and forestry
in West Papua during the Dutch Administration and, as a result,
workers were elite and understood their rights to self-determination
and independence well. For this reason, they joined the Kasuari
Battalion.
136 MacDougall, J., “Sebuah Cita-cita dari Hutan Irian”, Apakabar Daily
Newspapers, Jakarta, 25 September, (1995). See also: Ondawame, Otto
(2010), p.64.
137 Ondawame, Otto (2010), pp.74-78.
138 Ondawame, Otto (2010), pp.81-110.
An Analysis of the Conflicts in Maluku, Papua Poso and Papua Poso 47