Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Jayapura (Agenzia Fides) - The sudden occupation of forest areas and villages of indigenous peoples by the massive deployment of military units in the Indonesian region of Papua is becoming a constant that marks the life of an entire region with its human and natural heritage. This is what happened to the inhabitants of five villages in the Oksop district (in central Papua, in the territory of the diocese of Jayapura), who fled to other areas, such as the neighboring Oksibil district, at the end of November due to the deployment of military units. "The presence of the military in the Oksop district has caused fear and insecurity in the community. Various actions by the military, such as setting up posts in churches and using public facilities without permission, have further aggravated the situation," says Father Alexandro Rangga (OFM), Friar Minor and Director of the "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" Commission in Papua. According to the Franciscan Commission, 300 people have been displaced to other villages, while many are hiding in the forests. "The fundamental problem in Papua is the way in which the Indonesian central government pursues national projects with a military approach. In addition, the massive presence of the military also brings with it activities promoted by the military itself, with conflicts of interest and operations on the edge of legality," notes the Franciscan. As an official statement from the Diocese of Jayapura confirms, "the security situation in Oksop district remains unfavorable." Indeed, "the refugees are reluctant to return to their home villages because they are afraid." The presence of more and more troops - three troops were sent between January 13 and 15, 2025 alone - has increased tensions. "The displaced people have had traumatic experiences when they had to leave their homes," reports the Franciscan. In response to this emergency, the Church of Jayapura and the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission are calling on the government to "withdraw the armed forces from Oksop district and open a space for dialogue to find a peaceful solution" and, in the meantime, "provide adequate humanitarian assistance to the refugees." The path of dialogue, says the Franciscan, "is the only way to end the violence and create a sustainable peace in Papua." Assessing the overall situation, Father Rannga notes that "the situation has worsened in recent years." "Although the Indonesian government has moved from a 'security' approach to one that speaks of 'welfare' on a verbal level, in reality soldiers are still being deployed to carry out all kinds of programs on the ground," he explains. "This is worrying because people have already had a long and traumatic experience with the military. In total, there are between 60,000 and 100,000 internally displaced people in Papua, mainly from Maybrat, Kiwirok and Intan Jaya." In addition, the Indonesian government "has been creating food plantations in West Papua since 2020 (often for palm oil plantations, editor's note) without obtaining the consent of the indigenous peoples, who feel cheated of their land: they use the local authorities or the army to take over the land by force, and this approach leads to clashes and discontent," he continues. "As the Commission for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, we have drawn the attention of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) to these problems: ancestral ownership of land, inequalities between indigenous Papuans and migrants, access to health and education facilities," said the religious. Tensions in the area date back to the controversial 1969 referendum that incorporated Papua into the Republic of Indonesia, inaugurating a long period of progressive impoverishment and marginalization of the indigenous Papuans. The rise of separatist armed groups (such as the West Papuan National Liberation Army (TPN-PB), the armed wing of the Papua Liberation Movement) sparked a low-intensity conflict that forced thousands of people to flee and further complicated life in a region already characterized by underdevelopment. In addition, projects to exploit Papua's enormous natural wealth (palm oil, copper, gold, timber, natural gas) do not benefit the indigenous population, who instead bear the negative impacts such as land destruction, contamination of water sources and the resulting health problems. In the meantime, the internal migration program (“Transmigrasi”) promoted by Jakarta changed the demographic composition of Papua, weakening the socioeconomic status of indigenous Papuans and limiting their employment opportunities. Locals complain that they have "become foreigners in their own country". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 17/1/2024)
