While looking through the articles form Al Jazeera I cam across a link of Indonesian troops attacking pro-independence activists in Eastern Papau.
Being form Indonesia I felt weird reading this. What I remember from my brief trips to Indonesia is a young democracy that had just gotten rid of a dictatorship, and was now following the footsteps of young United States. Perhaps Indonesia is following in the US's footsteps too closely as the Indonesian gov't is restraining pro independence protestors in Papau. Wait, America has never taken over a land held by people who were there first and wish to be independent right? Oh right.. Native Americans and Hawaii.
Is popular sovereignty accompanied with democracy and the capitalistic mindset a justification to take over another group of people who wish to govern themselves off of their own belief? Of course it is. As long as whatever territory you are taking over has resources for you to exploit. Papau deserves to reap the profits from their own lands, or even to conserve them if they choose to.
Papau is not a very well developed... state/province. I'm not so sure many people have been exposed to what Papau wants, independence. This happens because it's hard to promote a cause when you're already working, protesting, and taking care of a family... it gets hard to send videos to major/trust-able news companies with low tech and such. Many residents of Papau choose to stay away from modern technology and ideas, and I say let them live their lives as they wish.
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