Indonesia defends high number of military in Papua

Indonesia has defended the high number of military personnel it has deployed to West Papua, which dwarves the size of deployments to others parts of the republic.

But under Indonesian president Subianto Prabowo, a former military strongman, militarisation of Papua is changing gears and being shaped by a type of warfare that includes drone technology.

Recent research reported by Project Multatuli, says that 56,517 Indonesian military forces are deployed in Papua - at least six times more military per capita than any other region in Indonesia.

The figures also note that Indonesia's military far outnumbers the amount of Papuan pro-independence fighters, estimated at 1438 members of various disparate, small groups with only 361 firearms.

The research figures come amid ongoing violent incidents related to a long running conflict between Indonesia's security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army, or armed factions of the OPM Free West Papua Movement.

The Indonesian Embassy in New Zealand said not all the numbers are active combatants or personnel directed to fight Papuan resistance forces.

It said the assignment of military doctors, medics, and territorial development divisions was part of efforts to provide for communities in Papua.

"Continuing the expansion of provinces in Papua, previously from two to six, there will be obviously the need to provide security, health, and the capability to adapt to the new administration structure, with also the assignment to guard and maintain the land and maritime borders with our neighbouring countries," a statement from the Embassy said.

Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch Indonesia said that under the country's new president, Prabowo Subianto, there's been an escalation of military sent to Papua, with at least a battalion each year being deployed.

"The Prabowo administration is to increase the figure up to 42 battalions by 2029. Today, Papua has around 56,000 Indonesian soldiers. The ratio is one soldier per 100 civilians in Papua. It is much higher than the national ratio in Indonesia - one soldier per 696 civilians."

The purpose of the huge military deployment is working hand in glove with a gradual change in demographics in Papua, whereby Papuans are becoming a minority in many districts, and an increase in development projects backed by the Indonesian state.

"It obviously is more than securing the area and to protect the population, but to grab lands to clear forests and to occupy this vast land," Harsono said.

"The biggest detachments is in South Papua Province, including Merauke and Boeven Digoel regencies, where the Indonesian government is clearing nearly three million hectares of land and swamps, starting to produce what President Prabowo said to be the 'food and energy estate'."

Meanwhile, Papuans are not only seeing more military personnel in their homeland these days - they're witnessing a new type of warfare and technology being used by the Indonesian military.

"Military units, usually equipped with drones, are dispatched in areas where the Papuan militants operate. These units patrol their respective areas with foot soldiers and drone units also armed with grenades and other explosives attached to the drone."

Indonesia's military also works together with a large Indonesian police presence in Papua - the research figures showed there are 26,660 police deployed in Papua region.

Additionally, countless officers from the State Intelligence Agency, who are scattered through the region, work in tandem with the security forces to protect the interests of the Indonesian state.