Right now, obscured by a blockade of foreign media and humanitarian organizations, one of the least known and longest unresolved subnational conflicts in the Pacific is spiraling out of hand. For over 60 years, the former Dutch colony of Papua on the western half of the immense tropical island New Guinea, has been the site of repression by Indonesian security forces and resistance by the Indigenous Papuan population. Widespread abuses of human rights and the desire for self-determination fuel the unrest. The current situation is marked by militarization, increasing bloodshed and very high numbers of internally displaced persons. National and international interventions
to achieve de-escalation are urgently needed.
Madelyn van Rijckervorsel’s first-hand experiences, gathered from her own travels and field research, supplement an exposé of the complex historical and sociopolitical root causes of the conflict.
By Madelyn van Rijckervorsel.
