TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - This year Indonesia is 78 years old. This is quite old for a person, yet quite young for a republic. We must still continue shaping the Indonesia we imagine as a nation, growing through different generations each passing day. Therefore, this year we highlight Papuan figures for the Independence Day edition.

We have chosen three figures: Frans Kaisiepo, Silas Papare, and Marthen Indey. All three have left their mark on Indonesian history as well as on Papua, which is currently still grappling with conflicts. Through these three figures, we intend to delve into the history around the independence proclamation, often referred to as an endless source of conflict.

All three are national heroes. However, this is an Indonesian perspective as they endeavored to integrate Papua into this nation. For tribal and customary leaders, they were accused of ‘selling’ Papua to Indonesia. The lengthy history of the Papuan people makes their integration into Indonesia a union that contradicts their history.

It is not easy to formulate and position these three figures in a fair and balanced context, considering both the Indonesian and Papuan viewpoints simultaneously. We are aware that this kind of viewpoint also appears to place Papua as not part of Indonesia.

And this is where the problem lies. Seeing Papua as an inseparable part of Indonesia is also problematic. The doctrine of the unitary state has actually perpetuated the ongoing conflict in Papua. Therefore, researchers refer to a ‘dual nationalism’ among the Papuan people.

In fact, this term can be misleading as it places nationalism as an established attitude, an imagination that is already present in the minds of the Papuan people. Perhaps, the effort for integration resulted in conflict due to imposing concepts and perspectives unfamiliar to the Papuan people at that time.

Therefore, this special independence edition attempts to address this complex issue by examining it from the social and political activities of these three men. They were activists, bureaucrats, once worked for the Dutch East Indies government, and politicians all at once. Through their life stories, we hope to learn that there are unresolved issues when discussing Papua.

The ongoing conflict is exacerbated by Jakarta’s pragmatic approach in viewing Papua. Therefore, Jakarta’s policies—focused on economic and infrastructural development—have never truly convinced the Papuan people to accept them. Because that is not the main issue that the Papuan people consider unresolved.

If they reject how Jakarta treats Papua, resulting in a desire for separation from Indonesia, it indicates a miscommunication and misguided perspective in comprehending the Papua issue as a whole. The stories of these three Papuan figures in this special independence edition could serve as a reference on how we should position Indonesia within Papua and Papua within Indonesia.

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