Law, violence and colonial racism: a politico-philosophical contribution to international legal policy for West Papuan self-determination.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Brighton
Abstract
This project will explore a range of strategies for protecting the human rights of West Papuans, with particular
reference to rights to self-determination.
In 1963, West Papua New Guinea was taken over by the Indonesian government for what was supposed to be
a five-year period of temporary rule. Following this, 1,002 out of a population of over two million voted, under
significant pressure from the Indonesian military, to formally join Indonesia. West Papuans were slaughtered at
the governments command, igniting the Free West Papua movement for self-determination. The oppression of
West Papuans and their struggle against human rights abuses continues today.
Working in collaboration with International Lawyers for West Papua, ILWP, this project will bring together
philosophical and archival analysis in order to explore the coloniality of international law, bringing this to bear
on an analysis of legal avenues for protecting West Papuan human rights. It deploys Georgio Agambens
analysis of signatures and Achille Mbembes concept of Necropolitics, inspiring an archaeological study of the
colonial racism inherent in the history of international law, as well as how this links to the New York Agreement
that transferred authority of West Papua to Indonesia and its violent aftermath. This critical inquiry will then
serve to illustrate the relevance of this analysis for today's international legal strategies for West Papuan self determination available to the ILWP and across the United Nations system.
This inquiry is timely, as the cause defending West Papua's self-determination has recently been stimulated by
the work of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, with the emergence of the interim president,
Benny Wenda, and the creation of an independent government for West Papua with the vision for transforming
West Papua into a 'Green State', despite the absence of legal recognition
reference to rights to self-determination.
In 1963, West Papua New Guinea was taken over by the Indonesian government for what was supposed to be
a five-year period of temporary rule. Following this, 1,002 out of a population of over two million voted, under
significant pressure from the Indonesian military, to formally join Indonesia. West Papuans were slaughtered at
the governments command, igniting the Free West Papua movement for self-determination. The oppression of
West Papuans and their struggle against human rights abuses continues today.
Working in collaboration with International Lawyers for West Papua, ILWP, this project will bring together
philosophical and archival analysis in order to explore the coloniality of international law, bringing this to bear
on an analysis of legal avenues for protecting West Papuan human rights. It deploys Georgio Agambens
analysis of signatures and Achille Mbembes concept of Necropolitics, inspiring an archaeological study of the
colonial racism inherent in the history of international law, as well as how this links to the New York Agreement
that transferred authority of West Papua to Indonesia and its violent aftermath. This critical inquiry will then
serve to illustrate the relevance of this analysis for today's international legal strategies for West Papuan self determination available to the ILWP and across the United Nations system.
This inquiry is timely, as the cause defending West Papua's self-determination has recently been stimulated by
the work of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, with the emergence of the interim president,
Benny Wenda, and the creation of an independent government for West Papua with the vision for transforming
West Papua into a 'Green State', despite the absence of legal recognition
People |
ORCID iD |
| Robin Dunford (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Samuel Rua-Nimetz (Student) |