The Indonesian coin strategy: failures and alternative approaches in overcoming the Papuan insurgency

Abstract

This thesis examines some failures of the current Indonesian counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy in the Indonesian government’s efforts to eliminate the separatist insurgency in Papua. In doing so, this thesis uses the McCormick Diamond COIN model to measure and determine the mistakes of the Indonesian approaches from 1965 to 2014. This thesis finds that the Indonesian COIN strategy has no balancing concept in applying its approaches toward the conflict. This thesis proposes alternative options for the Indonesian COIN strategy to completely destroy the insurgents in Papua in the future. In exploring the alternative methods, this thesis also practices the theory of the Diamond COIN model as a framework that leads to the conclusion that the Indonesian government must keep using limited coercive and smart political actions in dealing with the Papuan insurgency.