There are differences in the democracy experienced by Indigenous West Papuans and Aboriginal Australians.
Democratic Freedom of Indigenous West Papuans in Indonesia and Aboriginal Australians
28 October, 2024

Democratic Freedom of Indigenous West Papuans in Indonesia and Aboriginal Australians

/ 3 months ago
There are differences in the democracy experienced by Indigenous West Papuans and Aboriginal Australians.

Democracy has long been considered an important pillar of human rights and social progress. In Indonesia, especially in the West Papua region, and in Australia with its Aboriginal population, the dynamics of democratic freedom and the right to elect leaders have a very complex history and social context between the two. There are differences in the democracy experienced by Indigenous West Papuans and Aboriginal Australians.

Indigenous West Papuans have had the right to vote since integration with Indonesia in 1969 through the Act of Free Choice. In Indonesia, democracy is regulated by a direct election system for district, provincial, and national levels. West Papua also adopts the same model where people have the right to elect local leaders such as regents, governors, and presidents.

Indigenous West Papuans held general elections to determine their own regional leaders in 2006, both for the Governor and Mayor and Regent. This was after Indonesia enacted Law Number 32 of 2004, where regional heads were directly elected by the people through the Election of Regional Heads and Deputy Regional Heads.

In Australia, democracy is also implemented through a direct election system, both at the local, state, and federal levels. Aboriginal people as the original inhabitants of Australia have long faced various forms of discrimination and marginalization. The right to vote for Aboriginal people was only recognized in 1962, which marked a new beginning for them to participate in the political arena. However, access to truly participate fully in the democratic process still has major obstacles, especially in terms of their representation in government policies.

The indigenous people of West Papua in Indonesia have indigenous West Papuan parliamentarians in the Indonesian Parliament through parliamentary elections. There are six provinces in Papua (Papua, West Papua, South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Barat Daya), each province has representatives who sit in the Indonesian parliament based on direct elections. In the 2024 election, 38 Indonesian parliamentary seats will come from 6 provinces in West Papua. The 38 parliamentary seats consist of 18 People’s Representative Councils and 20 Regional Representative Councils.

Although Aboriginal people in Australia have been recognized for their voting rights since 1962, their representation in parliament is still very minimal. This right to vote gives them the opportunity to participate in democratic processes and to voice their interests. However, the structural and social challenges faced by Aboriginal communities often hinder broader political participation.

The number of Aboriginal representatives in the Australian parliament remains low, although there are some Aboriginal figures who have succeeded in holding important positions. Factors such as discrimination, lack of access to education, and economic disparities contribute to low levels of political participation. In addition, the existing political system may not always support or reflect the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal people.

In 2023, Aboriginal representation in the Australian parliament reached a significant number, with a total of 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MPs elected to the Australian Federal Parliament. The 11 members consist of eight senators in the Senate and three in the House of Representatives.

Although the indigenous people of West Papua elected their own governor through the 2006 election, there was an indigenous West Papuan figure who served as governor of the Papua Province in 1962-1964, namely Elias Jan Bonai who became the 3rd Governor of Papua.

In 1999 after Indonesia reformed, there was a native West Papuan figure who first became a Minister in the Indonesian government cabinet, namely Freddy Numberi who served as Minister of State for Empowerment of State Apparatus.

While in Australia, for the first time, an indigenous Australian succeeded in becoming governor in 2013. Adam Giles made his mark as the first Aboriginal person to serve as Governor in the Northern Territory Province. While the first Aboriginal descendant to be appointed as a cabinet minister in the Australian government in 2019, namely Ken Wyatt.

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