Talking Indonesia: roads, development and violence in Papua

In early December, at least 16 civilians and one soldier were killed, with five others missing, in attacks on workers constructing the Trans-Papua Highway in Nduga district in the Papuan highlands. The armed wing of the pro-independence Free Papua Movement, the TPNPB, has claimed responsibility, as part of the protracted conflict between the Indonesian government and sections of Papuan society. Indonesian police and military have launched joint operations in response, reportedly also causing several fatalities. The two Papuan provinces – Papua and West Papua – have the lowest human development index scores in Indonesia, and the Jokowi government has placed infrastructure projects like the Trans-Papua Highway at the centre of its approach to the area. In the wake of this attack, questions inevitably arise about Papuans’ attitudes to these development projects, and more broadly, the Indonesian nation and Papuans’ place within it. In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Jenny Munro, an anthropologist from the University of Queensland’s School of Science, and author of the book Dreams Made Small: the Education of Papuan Highlanders in Indonesia.