Socio-Political Interaction and Public Perception Toward Papuan Separatism: A Qualitative Study in Papua Island
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/ks.v8i2.52057Keywords:
West Papua, Public Perception of Separatism, Socio-Political Interaction, Conflict Governance, Identity Politics, Indonesian DefenseAbstract
Papuan separatism remains a complex issue shaped not only by armed conflict and historical claims, but also by socio-political interaction, governance experience, identity narratives, and public perception. This study aims to analyze how socio-political interactions among local communities, customary leaders, religious figures, youth actors, local government officials, and security-related stakeholders shape public perceptions toward separatist narratives in Papua. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine purposively selected informants and field observations conducted in Jayapura City, Papua Province, and Manokwari City, West Papua Province. Informants were selected based on their social roles, local experience, length of residence, and direct knowledge of community perceptions, governance practices, and conflict-related narratives. Data were analyzed using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, supported by NVivo 12 to organize codes, identify thematic patterns, and validate relationships among themes. The findings show that public perceptions of separatism are shaped by four interrelated factors: governance distrust, perceived inequality, identity-based narratives, and transnational advocacy. These factors interact through everyday experiences of public service delivery, security encounters, local elite behavior, and digital information flows. The study contributes to the literature by proposing an interactional model linking governance failure, perceived deprivation, identity reinforcement, digital narrative circulation, and separatist sympathy. Policy implications include strengthening inclusive dialogue, improving Special Autonomy governance, enhancing community-based public communication, and involving customary and religious leaders in conflict transformation.
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