Peace in Papua

Overview

For four decades Papuans have struggled, sometimes violently, over their integration into Indonesia.

Yet recent events in Indonesia have created an opportunity to make progress on resolving the conflict. Following up on the Center for Preventive Action’s 2003 report Peace and Progress in Papua, this Council Special Report, Peace in Papua: Widening a Window of Opportunity, urges the Indonesia Government to follow through with its commitments to achieve a comprehensive solution to the conflict in Papua by engaging with legitimate representatives of Papuan society, fully implementing special autonomy, improving local governance, and reforming security arrangements. The United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN member states can encourage Jakarta with quiet diplomacy. They also should provide a technical and financial assistance package to provide professional training, natural resource management, public sector reform, and civil society development.