At least 500,000 dead, thousands of others tortured and raped, thousands more ‘disappeared’. Homes burnt, livestock killed, lives ruined.
Written like that you’d think this was a scene from hell. This is the unfortunate reality of life in modern day for the people of West Papua where 40 years of illegal Indonesian occupation has created a hell on earth for those living there. A land where people are put in prison for raising a flag, or tortured if they play traditional music, and killed if they call for their basic human right of self-determination.

The legacy of Indonesian rule is covered in blood. Indonesia may pretend to the world that they are a great democracy and that the evil regime of Suharto is long forgotten, but recent events in West Papua show that Indonesia is up to its old tricks again. It’s hard to forget the level of horror felt around the world ten years ago when Indonesia launched a genocidal sweeping of the East Timorese people. Add to that human rights atrocities committed by them in Aceh, Sumatra and Sulawesi against indigenous people, and it makes you wonder quite why western powers have agreed to do business with Indonesia.

Propped up by Western powers who have helped its weak and ailing economy, it’s hard to know how much longer western powers will turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by Indonesia in West Papua remain to be seen. The cover-up in the recent killing of the Australian mining worker at Freeport was another example of how democracy and transparency are as far removed as can be from the Indonesian regime.

What is clear is that the failure of Western powers to come together and act against Indonesia will have major repercussions for the wider region in the long run. The ‘Nazi’ esque genocide of the West Papuan people means that Indonesia simply cannot be trusted not to turn on yet more ethnic groups in the region. Only through foreign intervention will peace and justice ever come to West Papua. Until then it seems likely that the killing fields, the rape, murder, intimidation, brutality and injustice will remain. For the good of humanity, change must come.

News that three people including an Australian mine worker were killed in the Papua province of Indonesia over the weekend, once again casts a dark cloud over Indonesia’s activities in the region, and the role that the Freeport gold and copper mine has had in sowing deeper grievances amongst the Papuan people.
Seven years ago Indonesian forces killed two Americans close to the mine. A well publicised cover-up ensued with the the blame laid on members of the Free West Papua movement. Mass ’sweeping operations’ against the local population ensued leaving hundreds dead. Fast forward a few years and a sense of deja vu is in the air. This time it’s reported that bullets were removed from the body of the Australian man prior to him being examined by an Australian doctor in Indonesian attempts to remove crucial evidence.
Since their illegal occupation of West Papua in the early 1960s, it is estimated that Indonesian forces have killed over 500,000 Papuans. Let us not forget the evil genocide committed by Indonesia in neighbouring East Timor too only ten years ago, and you’re left with a human rights catastrophe unfurling now in Papua. Add to that the fact that army generals wanted from crimes against humanity in East Timor have been sent to Papua by the Indonesian government, and its little wonder that a climate of fear is escalating in the region.
The Freeport mine is at the centre of much of West Papuans grievances. A joint venture between US mining giant Freeport McMoRan and UK multi-national Rio Tinto, not only does the mine carve a crater in the landscape visible from space, but its toxic tailings over ancient tribal lands have caused mass environmental devastation on a scale not replicated anywhere around the world. To rub salt into Papuan wounds, over 90% of revenue from the venture are cyphoned straight to Jakarta. Little surprise that West Papua remains the poorest part of all Indonesia, despite having the richest of resources.
Let us hope that those fighting for freedom in West Papua will succeed against their Indonesian occupiers. If there is any justice in this world, the people of West Papua will be given their fundamental human right of self determination. They have been denied that right for too long. Until that day comes there will only continue to be bloodshed, hurt and suffering. Their struggle will never stop until freedom comes.