Indonesia

Papua: The Dangers of Shutting Down Dialogue

The Papuan People’s Council, the key institution charged with easing tensions between Papuans and Indonesia’s central government, may be about to collapse, with grave consequences given the region’s current volatility. Created in late October 2005 as the centrepiece of the autonomy deal, the Council was almost immediately confronted with two major crises: stalled talks over the legal status of West Irian Jaya and riots over the giant Freeport mine. If the Council can now manoeuvre its way through the two crises, it may yet be able to take on other outstanding grievances and become what Papua has always lacked, a genuinely representative dialogue partner with Jakarta. If it fails, local resentment against the central government will almost certainly increase. The central government should realise it is in its own interest to help the Council succeed. More...