Papua Calls for Independence from Indonesia (2000)

Summary by Krater

This 2000 documentary report from ABC Australia explores the growing independence movement in West Papua, highlighting indigenous cultural gatherings, protests, and the tensions surrounding Indonesian rule and the massive Grasberg mine operated by Freeport.

From the video

Answers: What is the situation regarding the independence movement in West Papua?

• West Papuan independence movement
• Indigenous Papuan nationalism
• Grasberg gold and copper mine
• Indonesian military presence in Papua
• Papuan cultural congress

What it concludes

• The morning star flag is a symbol of the Papuan struggle for freedom, but flying it has historically led to severe police crackdowns and violence.
• Freeport is Indonesia's biggest taxpayer, contributing over a billion dollars to government coffers in recent years, making its loss a major blow to Indonesia.
• President Abdurrahman Wahid has promised to upstage the Papuan independence congress and cannot publicly support the breakaway movement due to strict government policy and financial reasons.
• Transmigration from Java has significantly changed demographics, with Indonesians growing from 4% of Papua's population in the early 1970s to nearly 50%.
• While the independence movement is growing stronger and gaining visible support, foreign powers like the US, EU, and Australia continue to back Indonesian rule, making true independence unlikely.