Racism, rage and rising calls for freedom in Indonesia’s Papua
- Protests that began in early August were sparked by a viral video that showed Indonesian military officers taunting Papuan students with racist slurs
- Separatists now hope that the seething anger, resentment and rage on the streets can be transformed into real momentum for independence
At the base of the verdant mountains of Sentani, where dense, tropical jungle overlooks a sprawling teal lake, worshippers stream into church, men in suits and ties and sandals or batik shirts, women with colourful woven bags strung from their foreheads and slung over their backs.
Grey clouds hang low over the house of worship, a wood and tin shed with concrete floors and large open windows that let in the thick humid air.
The ring of evangelical hymns gives way to the rousing words of Rev Benny Giay, one of Papua’s staunchest supporters of self-determination. His fury is palpable.
“They called us animals!” he rails from the pulpit as women in the pews before him click their tongues in disgust. “Now there are anti-racist protests all over. It is like an earthquake!”
Ignited by malicious racial slurs two weeks ago, the protests in West Papua have spread and intensified, with thousands taking to the streets in a series of rolling and in some cases violent demonstrations.