Will the indigenous people of West Papua become extinct in 2080?

  

Will the indigenous people of West Papua become extinct in 2080? Because of the slow genocide happening in West Papua, the taking of the rights of indigenous peoples' rights, and the lack of enforcement of human rights in West Papua. With this idea, the indigenous people of West Papua can be predicted to become extinct in the next 2080 years if this is ignored and not corrected by the government. 
 

Introduction 

                                                                   

“West Papua was originally populated by Melanesian people some tens of thousands of years ago. After little contact with the Western world, the Netherlands finally formally colonized it in 1898. The islands that now make up Indonesia was also colonized by the Dutch, but when the Republic of Indonesia became an independent nation-state in 1949, West Papua did not join the country. The Dutch government recognized that West Papua was geographically, ethnically, and culturally very different from Indonesia, and so the Dutch government began preparing West Papua for its own independence throughout the 1950s. At the end of 1961, West Papua held a Congress at which its people declared independence and raised their new flag – the Morning Star, But within months the dream was dead. The Indonesian government wanted all of the former Dutch colonies in the Asia-Pacific region, and the Indonesian military soon invaded West Papua. Conflict broke out between the Netherlands, Indonesia, and the indigenous population regarding control of the territory. (History of West Papua) To invade Irian Jaya (West Papua), President Soekarno ordered to seize West Papua and making it part of Indonesia. The operation was called the Trikora Operation (Tri Komando Rakyat) and was publicly announced on 19 December 1961 in Yogyakarta. Trikora operation has lost the lives of thousands of West Papuans. 

 

      source: Ecologist.org 
 
 

                                                                                           1. Slow genocide  

 A) Health 

“Perhaps not many people realize that the high levels of military operations (violations of human rights) in Papua have contributed to the decline in the number of indigenous Papuans. Dr. Jim Elmslie's research from the University of Sydney in late 2007, predicts that until 2030 more Papuan population growth will be dominated by non-Papuans (immigrants). What is surprising again is the conclusion and analysis of the research presented in the Indonesia Solidarity and the West Paper Project, 9-10 August 2007 in Sydney, Australia. that from 2030 to 2050, the indigenous people of Papua, the Melanesian race, will disappear from their homeland” (pogau) Population development in Papua is now starting to decrease from year to year. It has been known that the development of indigenous Papuans from 1970 to 1990 decreased very drastically. In 1970, the indigenous people of Papua reached 96 percent, while non-native Papuans reached 4 percent. However, in 1990 the native population of Papuans decreased to 74.6 percent, while non-Papuans increased to 25.4 percent. It is clear here that the population growth of indigenous Papuans is very slow, while the non-Papuan population has increased significantly. In 2000 the indigenous population of Papua became 59 percent and non-Papuans 41 percent; only in a period of 30 years, from 1970-2000, the indigenous population of Papua decreases while at the same time, the non-Papuan population increase from 4 percent to 41 percent. Non-Papuan growth occurs very massively and is uncontrolled in Papua. 

“What are we doing to save the Papuan generation, the Melanesians, from extinction? Wasn't the land of Papua created as a place to live and develop native Papuans? Although according to the results of Dr. Jim’s analysis, the population of Papua has decreased due to the high mortality of mothers and very minimal access to health facilities. Where the data from the Papua Statistics Agency (BPS), the results of the population census in 2000, revealed that 56.65 babies died out of 1000 babies born every year” (pogau). Health is one of the main issues in West Papua. The geographical conditions make the government and medical to reach out, especially in the mountain region where the airplane is limited, and the residential areas are very difficult to reach. Common diseases that are usually easily encountered in the community are HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Sometimes these diseases become one of the sources of the disappearance of native Papuans due to a lack of hospitals, lack of doctors, and very vulnerable areas. 

 B) Military operation 

Many people do not know how bad and well the enforcement of human rights has been carried out by the Indonesian military against civilians in West Papua. It is now known that hundreds of thousands of native Papuans have died as a result of military operations carried out by the Indonesian military from 1961 to 2021. “The widespread violation of human rights in Papua is a serious threat to the extinction of native Papuans from their land. The Indonesian government and its military have carried out a number of large-scale operations in Papua, such as the Conscious operation (1965-1967), the Brathayuda operation (1967-1969), the wibawah operation (1969), the military operation in Jayawijaya, (1977) the clean sweep operation 1 & 2( 1981) ), the Galang operation (1 & 2, 1982), The Batch operation (1983-1984) and The clean sweep operation (1984). Not to mention, the military operations in Mapnduma, which claimed many civilian casualties (9196) and violations of human rights in Wasior (2001), military operations in Wamena (2003), and Puncak district (2004)” (pogau). It continues with Intan Jaya (2019-2021), Nduga (2017-2021), and other places like Puncak Papua and Pengunungan Bintang. “The Humanitarian Team formed by the Nduga Regency Government said 182 refugees had died in the midst of the armed conflict in Papua in 2018(BBC News), while in Intan Jaya, more than 20 people were killed, including three pastors who were shot by the Indonesia military. 

“While the popular understanding of genocide is that they occur on a large scale in a short period of time, there are also “slow-motion genocides”. Such is the case of West Papua, where intentional killings and other acts in violation of the Genocide conventions have been committed regularly by the Indonesian military and police forces since 1962. In aggregate many tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of West Papuan people, have been killed under Indonesian rule as the direct result of explicit government policies. A spokesperson for the influential independence activist group, Komite Nasional Papua Barat (KNPB, or West Papua National Committee), Victor Yeimo, describes the conflict in West Papua as a national emergency constituting genocide. He declares: “We don’t have to think [an] emergency is like a bomb [or] like war. Systematically, we have…an emergency. People from outside come, and they have places [in our society], and we are dying. Genocide [is] still happening in West Papua. And we are saying that it is an emergency for us” (King et al.) 

 

1. 2. Stealing the rights of the indigenous people & exploiting of the natural resources  

2. 
   

“Tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa bumi Papua memiliki somber daya alam SDA yang amat kaya Eksplorasi tambang yang dilakukan Freeport dan minyak dilakukan oleh British Petroleum BP serta berbagai pemanfaatan hasil hutan yang dipanen setiap tahunnya oleh berbagai investor dalam dan luar negeri membuktikan kekayaan bumi Cenderawasih Di Papua Barat misalnya sektor pertambangannya sudah mampu membertkan kontribusi lebih dari 50 perekonomian Papua Sayangnya kekayaan alam yang dimiliki oleh bumi Cenderawasih ini belum menjadi berkah bagi warganya Berbagai konflik yang terkait dengan pengelolaan sumber daya alam justru banyak mewarnai wilayah ini Sementara arga lokal tetap raja terkungkung dalam kemiskinan di tengah tengah kekayaan alam yang melimpah uah Terangkatnya persoalan pengelolaan sumber daya alam sebagai salah satu sumber konflik di Papua bersamaan dengan dimulainya ekstraksi tambang emas openpit terbesar di dunia oleh perusahaan pertambangan milikAmerika Serikat Freeport McMoRan Copper Gold Inc Hingga saat ini areal rtambangan Freeport di wilayah Timika menjadi medan konflik dan kekerasan antarsuku maupun yang melibatkan kelompok bersenjata dan aparat keamanan Data yang dikumpulkan oleh Tifa dalam Kajian Dinamika Konflik dan Kekerasan di Indonesia memperlihatkan bahwa konflik tentang sumber daya alam ini menyumbang 38 dari total konflik dan kekerasan yang ada di wilayah ini Rata rata ada sebanyak 86 insiden per tahun yang terjadi lantaran perebutan sumber daya alam” (Yanuarti)  It is undeniable that the land of Papua has a very rich source of natural resources and natural resources. Mining exploration by Freeport and oil was carried out by British Petroleum (BP) as well as various uses of forest products harvested annually by various domestic and foreign investors, proving the wealth of natural resource in West Papua for example, the mining sector has been able to contribute more than 50 to the Papuan economy. Unfortunately, the natural wealth owned by the land of Cenderawasih (Papua) has not been a blessing for its citizens. In the midst of abundant natural resources The raised issue of natural resource management as a source of conflict in Papua coincides with the start of the extraction of the world's largest open pit gold mine by the mining company owned by the United States Freeport McMorran Copper G. old Inc Until now, the Freeport mining area in the Timika region has become a field of conflict and violence between ethnic groups as well as those involving armed groups and security forces. conflict and violence in this region. On average there are 86 incidents per year that occur due to seizure of natural resources. 

Now, due to the work contract between foreign investment and the central government in Papua, various companies in Papua have indirectly or directly destroyed the environment of Papua. The livelihoods of the community are generally provided by forests such as sago and yams, but now the community forests are cut down and turned into company land; the result is that the community suffers and finds it difficult to get food. Clean water, which is a source of livelihood for fish, is no longer healthy, and many children are victims of malnutrition due to an unhealthy environment.   

  

                                                                                              3. Money & Religion 

 

A.       Money (Special Autonomy/ Otonomi Khusus) 

 “Special Autonomy (OTSUS) for the Papua Province is a special authority recognized and given to the Papua Province to regulate and manage the local community's interests according to its own initiative based on the aspirations and basic rights of the Papuan people. The granting of authority was carried out so that the administration of governance and the implementation of development in Papua Province could fulfill a sense of justice, accelerate the achievement of people's welfare, support the realization of law enforcement, and show respect for human rights (HAM) in Papua Province, especially the indigenous Papuan people.” (BPKAD) Otsus is designed to advance the Papuan people and to dampen the spirit of struggle for native Papuans to separate themselves from the Indonesians. In the implementation of Otsus, the implementation of the rights of the Papuan people is only 2 out of dozens of articles that have been achieved. Otsus is given to Papuans, but strangely almost all Papuans refuse Otsus. Papuans think that Otsus is given to kill Papuans; for example, Papuans before Otsus were very diligent in gardening and working, but once they got Otsus, Papuans felt they deserved money without working and made them become Papuan figures who were lazy and only dependent on money from the government. There used to be many gardens, but now everyone is lazy to work. In the past, people worked to get money, now, they only write proposals to the government, and the funds will be disbursed. In addition, Otsus is given by the government without any supervision in its use. Because of the lack of supervision of the use of the special autonomy funds, many Papuans are corrupt, and the special autonomy funds are not distributed to the community in the form of health development and improving the welfare of the Papuan people. Until now, the rights of the Papuan people have not been guaranteed by Otsus. In fact, Otsus has experienced rejection, and Otsus has become a destroyer of the lives of Papuans. 

 

B. Religion 

 

Papuans are known for interfaith tolerance. Religious conflicts in Papua are very rare, even almost never. Indonesia is one of the largest Islamic countries in the world; no wonder they have plans to convert Papuans, and that, too, has worked in a number of ways. “Menurut ustadz “Sabun Mandi” yang pernah mengislamkan 12.372 orang warga asli Papua di Kabupaten Wamena ini, sikap tegasnya tersebut tak terlepas dari sejarah perjuangan dakwah di tanah kelahirannya itu”(Azis) Dai from Papua Ustaz Fadlan Garamat stated that he had converted 12,372 indigenous Papuans in Wamena Regency into Muslim. Pondok Pesantren Nuu Waar Al Fatih Kaffah Nusantara (Islamic doctrine school) has 750 students, 95 percent of whom are from Papua. This place is located in Bekasi, West Java. They took Papuan children from the interior of Papua, who were still young children, and with the excuse of taking them to a good education, but could not be separated from Islamic religious education. They were brought to West Java and taught about the religion of Islam. This method is indirectly included in the criteria of slow genocide written by the United Nations resolution regarding indigenous people, in the United Nations rules if someone is brought from his group and makes him forget his group and teaches him a new culture and forget about his original culture then it is a form of slow genocide. In conclusion, if this continues to happen, Papuan will no longer become Islam, too, or there might be a fight among religious people. 

  

                                                                                                        4. Conclusion 

 

The Indonesian government has done various things to Indonesianize the Papuan people, but the Papuans still and very difficult to become Indonesians, and they don't feel independent as Indonesian citizens. The result of bad history and the lack of seriousness of the Indonesian government in finding a way out to solve the west Papuan problem makes Papuans think that they have no hope of becoming part of Indonesia because all they do is focus on taking the natural resources but ignoring indigenous Papua on its own land. Papuans feel that they will become extinct if every year, an average of more than 100 people die as a result of military violence, and half of the 1000 babies born must die because of malnutrition and poor health quality in Papua. The government is also not serious about listening to the aspirations of the people in developing Papua; they are more concerned about foreign investment and the benefits they get from Papua. The government seems to have ignored the future of the native Papuans. They don't think about where and where Papuan people will look for food if all the places have been cleared for foreign companies. 

The high rate of migration from outside Papua Papua makes the ratio of non-Papuans far beyond native Papuans, and it seems that non-Papuans are a minority in their own land. Seeing all this, if the Papuan government and the Indonesian government do not improve, it is estimated that by In 2080, the Papuan people will become extinct because only a 30-year period from 1970-2000, the population of Papuan people drops from 95% to 56%. And it can be estimated that in 2030 Papuans will become 17% of the total population of Papua, and in 2060-2080, the native Papuans will completely become extinct from the land of Papua. Once General Ali Murtopo "said that Indonesia does not need native Papuans, we only need natural resources." 

  

  

Citation source: 

Azis, Azhar. “Ustaz Fadlan: Saya Tidak Marah, Ini Orang Papua Bung!” Indonesiainside.id, Indonesia.id/News, 28 Feb. 2020, indonesiainside.id/news/nasional/2020/02/28/ustaz-fadlan-saya-tidak-marah-ini-orang-papua-bung. 

History of West Papua. 17 Aug. 2016, www.freewestpapua.org/info/history-of-west-papua/. 

king, winter, et al. “Indonesia Huma Rights Abuse in West Papua: Application of the Law of Genocide to the History of Indonesia Control.” Indonesian Human Right Abuse in West Papua-Yale Law School, Yale University, Apr. 2004, law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/news/westpapuahrights.pdf. 

 “Korban Meninggal Akibat Konflik Di Nduga, Papua 182 Orang: 'Bencana Besar Tapi Di Jakarta Santai-Santai Saja'.” BBC News Indonesia, BBC, 14 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-49345664. 

Penerimaan Dalam RANGKA Pelaksanaan Otonomi Khusus Bagi Provinsi Papua. bpkad.papua.go.id/dana-otsus/18/penerimaan-dalam-rangka-pelaksanaan-otonomi-khusus-bagi-provinsi- 

Penerimaan Dalam RANGKA Pelaksanaan Otonomi Khusus Bagi Provinsi Papua. bpkad.papua.go.id/dana-otsus/18/penerimaan-dalam-rangka-pelaksanaan-otonomi-khusus-bagi-provinsi-papua.htm#:~:text=Otonomi%20Khusus%20bagi%20Provinsi%20Papua%20adalah%20kewenangan%20khusus%20yang%20diakui,hak%2Dhak%20dasar%20masyarakat%20Papua 

Pogau, Oktavianus. “Operasi Milter Dan Depopulasi Orang Asli Papua.” StackPath, Suarapapua.com, 17 July 2019, suarapapua.com/2019/07/07/operasi-militer-dan-depopulasi-orang-asli-papua/#:~:text=Penduduk%20asli%20Papua%20sebesar%2074.6,anak%20yang%20cukup%20tinggi%20atau. 

Yanuarti, Sri. “KEMISKINAN DAN KONFLIK PAPUA DI TENGAH SUMBER DAYA YANG MELIMPAH.” Jurnal Penelitian Politik, LIPI (Lemabaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia), 2012, ejournal.politik.lipi.go.id/index.php/jpp/article/view/446/259. 

 
 

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