Colonialism is often portrayed as a Western construct, one where European powers divided and conquered vast swaths of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. However, the reality of imperialism stretches far beyond European borders.
A striking case is Indonesia, where Javanese dominance has systematically expanded at the expense of the country’s diverse peoples. From the occupation of East Timor to the ongoing conflict in West Papua, Indonesia’s expansion is marked by bloodshed, repression, and an often-overlooked imperialist mindset.
The irony is that the West, which criticizes imperialism when it suits their geopolitical goals, has often turned a blind eye to these abuses—unless Indonesia’s allegiances shift.
East Timor: Decades of Bloodshed and Displacement
One of the starkest examples of Javanese imperialism is East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was invaded by Indonesia in 1975. With the backdrop of the Cold War, Indonesia received tacit approval from the West to annex the territory under the guise of preventing the rise of communism. What followed was 24 years of brutal occupation, where estimates suggest that as many as 200,000 Timorese—about one-third of the population—died as a result of military action, famine, or disease.
The Javanese-dominated Indonesian military’s scorched- earth tactics in East Timor left a legacy of mass graves, missing persons, and a traumatized population. The West’s support for the invasion—particularly from the United States and Australia—exemplifies how Javanese expansionism was allowed to proceed unchecked for decades. It wasn’t until 1999, when international pressure mounted, that a UN- backed referendum led to East Timor’s independence. However, by then, the damage had been done: entire communities were displaced, and scars from the occupation still remain.
Sadly Timor and President Horta now deal in Realpolitik with regards to Indonesia and have now all but abandoned their comrades in West Papua.
West Papua: A Struggle for Independence That Won’t Go Away
If East Timor’s struggle was resolved, West Papua’s resistance to Indonesian rule remains a festering wound. Annexed in 1969 through the highly controversial “Act of Free Choice,” West Papua was absorbed into Indonesia after a UN-sanctioned but highly manipulated referendum, where only 1,025 handpicked representatives—under intense military pressure—voted for integration with Indonesia.
For the indigenous Melanesian people of West Papua, the Javanese-dominated government represents an imperial oppressor. The Indonesian military continues to wage a violent campaign against West Papuan separatists, with tens of thousands of Papuans killed over the decades. The struggle for independence is not just about sovereignty; it is also a fight for survival, as the indigenous population is systematically marginalized, with their lands exploited for natural resources by Jakarta and foreign corporations.
Mass disappearances and killings continue to plague the region, with human rights organizations repeatedly calling for international intervention. Yet, much like in East Timor, the West has turned a blind eye. Why? West Papua is rich in minerals, including copper and gold, which multinational companies, particularly those based in the West, are eager to exploit. As long as Indonesia maintains control of these resources, the world seems willing to ignore the cries for justice from the Papuan people.
The Molluccans: A Government in Exile, A People Forgotten
The plight of the Moluccans, particularly those in the South Moluccas (Maluku), is another chapter in Indonesia’s imperialist expansion. When Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch in 1945, the South Moluccans were promised their own autonomy. However, when they declared an independent Republic of South Maluku in 1950, Indonesian forces swiftly crushed the movement.
Many Moluccans fled into exile, forming a government-in-exile in the Netherlands, where they still campaign for recognition. The Javanese-dominated Indonesian state, however, has quashed any attempts at secession with military force. The South Moluccas, which were historically distinct in culture and politics, were forcibly integrated into the Indonesian archipelago, their independence dreams shattered under the weight of Jakarta’s control.
Though the Moluccan struggle has largely been forgotten by the international community, the legacy of this oppression continues. Much like the people of West Papua and East Timor, the Moluccans have been subjected to military campaigns, mass killings, and disappearances. The dreams of a free Maluku are now only whispered among the diaspora and those still under the yoke of Indonesian rule.
Banda Aceh: The Forgotten War of the North
Further west, the story of Banda Aceh is another reminder of Javanese imperialism’s reach. The region has long fought for independence, with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) spearheading a decades-long insurgency. The Indonesian military, dominated by Javanese officers, responded with brutal force, subjecting Acehnese civilians to massacres, disappearances, and mass displacement.
Though a peace agreement was reached in 2005, following the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, the scars of the conflict remain. The Acehnese have long argued that their cultural and religious identity—distinct from the Javanese majority—was a key reason for their struggle. For them, Indonesian rule has always been about control and suppression of their unique identity, a form of internal colonialism driven by Javanese elites in Jakarta.
The Acehnese conflict is a reminder that Indonesia’s imperialist policies are not just about land and resources, but also about the cultural and political subjugation of its diverse peoples. Banda Aceh may have entered into a fragile peace, but the struggle for true autonomy lingers in the hearts of its people.
The West’s Convenient Blind Eye
What makes these conflicts even more insidious is the West’s willingness to ignore them. Indonesia’s imperialist actions have been supported—or at the very least, tolerated—by Western powers for decades. This support, however, is rooted in realpolitik rather than any genuine belief in Indonesia’s territorial integrity. The West’s interest in maintaining stability in the region and securing access to Indonesia’s vast natural resources often takes precedence over human rights concerns.
However, there is a looming irony. Indonesia has historically positioned itself as a neutral or non-aligned power in global geopolitics, but recent years have seen closer ties between Jakarta and Beijing. If Indonesia continues to drift toward China’s sphere of influence, the West might suddenly decide that the human rights abuses in West Papua, the legacy of East Timor, and the struggles of the Mollucans and Acehnese are intolerable after all.
In this scenario, the very same Western governments that have ignored Javanese imperialism for decades could hypocritically claim to care about the indigenous peoples they previously abandoned. The shifting tides of global power could see Indonesia’s imperialism reframed as a moral issue—just as long as it suits Western interests.
Conclusion: A Hypocritical Global Stage
The story of Indonesia’s imperialism is not just about Javanese domination; it’s about the world’s convenient disregard for imperialism when it suits their geopolitical goals. East Timor’s long-suffering population, the West Papuans still fighting for their freedom, the forgotten Mollucans in exile, and the Acehnese who waged a bloody war—all stand as testaments to Indonesia’s expansionism.
Colonialism, as history shows, is not exclusive to white Europeans. The Javanese-led government of Indonesia has its own history of conquest, subjugation, and cultural erasure. The question is whether the world will continue to ignore these struggles, or if the shifting global alliances will force the West to acknowledge the imperialism it has long tolerated.