Would the Grass Truly Be Greener In a Papua That Governed Itself?

The Indonesian government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to maintain control of its Papuan provinces: intense military presence and intense public spending. Neither is working.

Since July 2011, violence and pro-referendum campaigning has surged in Papua. In August alone, two Indonesian soldiers were shot dead in separate incidents in Abepura and Puncak Jaya, and there were demonstrations in Jayapura and Mimika for a referendum on whether the Papuan provinces should remain with Indonesia. On Aug. 22, more than a hundred Tiaka villagers reportedly tried to vandalize an oil rig being guarded by the police, and two of these villagers were killed. And now comes news of deadly clashes in Freeport between the police and striking miners.
It is time to consider a radical alternative roadmap to peace.
Many Papuans who have experienced integration with Indonesia feel the grass could be greener in an independent Papua. But this may change if Papuans get a clearer vision of what an independent Papua might look like. Raed more>> Would the Grass Truly Be Greener In a Papua That Governed Itself? | The Jakarta Globe