The Fantasy of West Papua Separatism

The low-level insurgency of Free West Papua separatist has two big branches, armed criminal group and political wing (domestic and international. All of those groups propagate the fantasy of West Papua separatism.

The persuasive power of the rhetoric of Free West Papua separatist is targeted to manipulate the empathic communion both in the conflicted area and the world by creating the dramatisation of every single event in support to separatist narrative. Some opportunist people like Veronica Koman, Keith Hyams, Anthony Craig, Paul Inggamen, and many others are actors of such cheap dramatisations.

Thus, a fantasy introduced in a small-group setting like the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB), which was established on 19 November 2008. KNPB is just a puppet crowd of the small-elite group the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC) based in Oxford.

The fantasy that West Papua separatist propagates is freedom. Everybody love freedom and deserve to have it. In contrast to such fantasy, Papuan in Papua and West Papua already have their freedom. Without separatism, all Papuan will have better future. The perpetuate conflict in the region is only exist because of separatism.

The fantasy of freedom for West Papua separatist is based on hatred against Papuan unionist and migrants from outside Papua and West Papua. The same fantasy is also based on a domination of social structure that the separatist leaders are supreme leaders above the chief of tribes.

This fantasy is repeated in many other settings, mostly through online propaganda. It eventually becoming part of the shared fantasy of a larger group including communist, anarchist activists and students in Indonesia.

My two simple suggestions for all Papuan and silent majority in Papua and West Papua: first, to increase their awareness. Second to speak their mind openly without provoking conflict. They should stand up to say NO to separatism.