Indonesia Commission: Peace and Progress in Papua

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The way to avoid conflict in the remote and impoverished, yet resource-rich, Indonesian province of Papua is to give it greater self-governance and a stake in the development of its vast natural wealth. Failure to prevent conflict in Papua would likely cause a spiral of deadly violence destabilizing Indonesia.

These are the central conclusions of the Council's Indonesia Commission: Peace and Progress in Papua, chaired by Admiral Dennis C. Blair, former commander-in-chief of the United States Pacific Command, and including scholars, business and financial executives, former government officials, and leaders of nongovernmental organizations.

The key to peace and progress in Papua, the Commission argues, is immediate implementation of the "Special Autonomy Law," which promises substantial portions of the province's wealth to Papuans. Initially enacted by the Indonesian authorities, it was never put into force. Power-sharing represents a win-win situation. Special Autonomy preserves Indonesia's territorial integrity while advancing the needs of Papuans.