This thesis addresses the struggles over land, natural resources, and their corresponding rights in West Papua, Indonesia. The struggles for independence and the territorial conflicts have provoked...Show moreThis thesis addresses the struggles over land, natural resources, and their corresponding rights in West Papua, Indonesia. The struggles for independence and the territorial conflicts have provoked the establishment of an indigenous-based independence movement, which opposes the central government policies and state-deployed security forces. To control the separatist movement, 45.000 Indonesian troops are currently occupying the region. This occupation has been ongoing for half a century. An estimated 500,000 Papuans have died at the hands of the military. All these events were linked to land tenure and land grabbing practices. Special attention is paid to the indigenous Papuans, as they rely on their lands for survival. Any incursion onto their land has created severe problems within and between indigenous communities. This thesis attempts to shed light on current events, the different actors involves and the impacts it has on the indigenous way of life of the Papuans.Show less
