ASIA/INDONESIA - Possible amnesty for political prisoners in Papua: Franciscans call for "initiative for a in-depth dialogue"

Jayapura (Agenzia Fides) – In order to manage the armed conflict that has plagued the Indonesian region of West Papua for decades, the Indonesian government, led by the new President Prabowo Subianto, is considering an amnesty for the independence rebels in Papua. The Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Immigration, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, described the proposal as "under study" and said that the government is working out the details of the amnesty plan, which would only be granted to those who swear allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia. The measure is "intended as part of the effort to resolve the conflict" and still needs the approval of the House of Representatives. Prabowo's amnesty proposal follows a similar initiative by former President Joko Widodo, who pardoned political prisoners from Papua in 2015.
Meanwhile, among the population of Papua, there is a certain skepticism about the central government's proposal. Father Alexandro Rangga (OFM), Friar Minor and Director of the "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" Commission in Papua, stressed to Fides: "It is true that the release of some prisoners imprisoned for political reasons could mean some relief for the families". However, he recalls that "the prisoners released in the past are no longer the same: they have suffered deep trauma, some no longer speak, perhaps because of the mistreatment they suffered. It will therefore be necessary to verify the condition of the released prisoners". In addition, there is a fundamental problem: "The government measure risks being an inadequate step if it is not embedded in a broader plan of 'holistic' dialogue, that is, at all levels, which fully takes into account the situation in the region and the suffering of the local population," the Franciscan priest notes. "The people of Papua fear that this is only a consolation and that fundamental issues remain unresolved," he notes. "We therefore call for an initiative for in-depth dialogue and the empowerment of all actors involved in order to get to the root of the problems and achieve peace," he says.
The Franciscan recalls what happened to the inhabitants of five villages in the Oksop district of central Papua, the territory of the diocese of Jayapura (see Fides, 17/1/2025). They fled to other areas at the end of November due to the deployment of military units in the area. According to the Commission of the Friars Minor, 300 people have been displaced to other villages and many others have hidden in the forest, "but according to the army and other officials, these reports are not true," he notes. "For this reason, our Commission for Justice and Peace is now preparing a detailed report with a list of the displaced and the problems they face; we intend to present it to the Indonesian President together with the bishops and religious leaders of Papua”. According to Father Rangga, “the real problem in Papua remains open, namely the military action of the Indonesian central government to promote its policies and projects in the territory. This approach leads to suffering on the ground and a feeling of violent imposition”. Papua, the easternmost region of Indonesia, which forms the western half of the island of New Guinea, has been a place of tension since its controversial incorporation into the Republic of Indonesia by military force in 1969. Inhabited by people of Melanesian origin and rich in natural resources, the region saw a separatist uprising in the early 1970s. Despite its wealth of resources, Papua remains one of the poorest regions in Indonesia, with high rates of poverty and illiteracy. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 6/2/2025)

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dialogue

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