Analysis of Securitization and Political-Diplomatic Aspects in Indonesia's Policy on the 2019 Internet Shutdown in Papua
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Abstract
Digital democracy is currently developing very rapidly in various regions in Indonesia, especially the Papua region. This region presents an intriguing case for digital democracy because it is the only region that is still struggling, both politically-diplomatically and armed, to become independent from Indonesia. Issues such as historical problems, capitalism and development failures, political violence and human rights violations as well as the marginalization of indigenous Papuans are the main issues campaigned by pro-independence activists, both domestically and abroad through digital channels such as websites, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In 2019, when the racial riots that started in Surabaya and Malang spread to the Papua region, the Indonesian government adopted a policy to limit and even shut down internet access in Papua. The internet shutdown policy is the first time the Indonesian government has implemented it in Papua. This research uses a qualitative case study method by carefully analyzing the Indonesian government's policy of shutting down the internet in Papua during the riots in 2019. The findings of this study show that the Indonesian government securitized the riots that occurred in Papua in 2019. Using securitization theory, this study examines how the state discursively frames the Papuan issue as a security threat. It does this by examining how Indonesian authorities justified drastic measures like internet access restrictions by framing online hoaxes as existential threats. In conclusion, the internet shutdown implemented by the Indonesian government represents new form of security policy. It reflects a broader pattern of government measures in Papua, aimed at controlling the flow of information to the outside world. This control is intended to protect Indonesia’s political and diplomatic interests and to maintain national sovereignty, although it comes at the cost of civil liberties.
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References
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