This volume foregrounds the dynamics of displacement and the experiences of internal refugees uprooted by conflict and violence in Indonesia. Contributors examine internal displacement in the context of militarized conflict and violence in East Timor, Aceh, and Papua, and in other parts of Outer Island Indonesia during the transition from authoritarian rule. The volume also explores official and humanitarian discourses on displacement and their significance for the politics of representation.

Everything suggests that there is going to be more violence in Papua unless the government can produce a policy change that will have an immediate and visible impact on how ordinary Papuans are treated on a daily basis. For all the talk that has been devoted to the failures of Papuan special autonomy, both the central government and Papuan representatives bear responsibility for failing to enact the implementing regulations that might give it more of a chance. Ultimately the answer has to lie in local government that is more, rather than less, representative and working with, rather than undermining, local representative institutions. Good local government in Papua, as elsewhere in Indonesia, is key to preventing, managing and resolving conflict. Some urgent measures to improve security policy are needed from Jakarta, but Papuan officials have a critical role as well.

The Papuan conflict has been on the international radar screen since Indonesia became an independent state in 1945. Since the surrender of the territory of Papua to Indonesia in 1962, a low-intensity military conflict has been building. Most Papuans believed that their right to self-determination was sacrificed on the altar of geopolitics. Later, when East Timor seceded peacefully from Indonesia, Papuans expected the same right. When this did not happen, the conflict intensified. In this pivotal work, Bilveer Singh examines the history of the Papuan struggle, and approaches to conflict resolution through the framework of its geopolitical implications. Asserting that the Papuans were treated unjustly by Indonesia and the international community, it is not surprising that many have come down squarely on the side of Papuan independence as a way out of the imbroglio. While to some extent the Papuan's case cannot be denied, definite political and strategic realities should not be ignored. Unfortunately for the Papuans, their territory has immense geopolitical, geostrategic, and economic significance - not only for Indonesia, but also for others such as the United States, China, Australia, and a number of European countries. Papua is wealthy, under-populated and backward in terms of human resource development. Its future as a distinct entity is in real danger as the Papuans are becoming the minority in their own homeland. Due to the asymmetry of power, the Papuans' struggle has not made a breakthrough that would force Indonesia to rethink the future of the territory in any fundamental way. In order to unravel the dynamics involving Papuan separatism, this study describes the Papuan political landscape. Singh explains what makes Papua unique, and how its makeup has affected the territory's political dynamics. He analyzes the emergence of Papua as a geopolitical trophy, calling into question the degree to which Papuan nationalism has crystallized. Finally, he questions whether Papua is emerging as a regional flashpoint, and, in view of its geopolitical importance, the various options available. "Papua: Geopolitics and the Quest for Nationhood" will be of interest to scholars of international relations, comparative politics of Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific, and policymaking.

In Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), the Indonesian archipelagos easternmost province, pro-independence groups have waged a long struggle against the central government. Now, a confluence of factors in the international community, Indonesia, and Papua present an opportunity to resolve the conflict. Following up on the Councils 2003 Indonesia Commission report, Peace in Papua surveys the issues and recounts the current state of play. The report makes recommendations for the Indonesian government, Papuans, and other countriesparticularly the United Statesfor moving forward toward a resolution, while still addressing other challenges in Indonesia.