Substantive Autonomy for Indigenous Papuans: Lessons from the Bangsamoro Peace Agreement in the Southern Philippines

Abstract

Special autonomy has been in place in Papua for more than two decades as a state accommodation instrument for the political demands of Indigenous Papuans (OAP), yet implementation remains marked by recurring armed violence, political distrust, and limited OAP participation in policymaking. This contrasts with the Southern Philippines, where the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) produced the Bangsamoro Organic Law (2018), establishing autonomy with broader legislative authority and political representation. This article analyzes the factors explaining these divergent outcomes and formulates institutional lessons for strengthening substantive autonomy in Papua. Using a qualitative library-research design with comparative document analysis of regulations, peace agreement texts, institutional reports, and academic literature, the study finds that the divergence rests on four dimensions: the formation process (imposed versus negotiated), the scope of substantive authority devolution, the strength of indigenous political representation mechanisms, and the availability of post-agreement sustainability mechanisms. Papua's autonomy remains largely administrative-fiscal in character, without meaningful reformulation of political power structures for OAP, whereas Bangsamoro's autonomy emerged from lengthy negotiations involving binding political representation and phased normalization. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), opening inclusive dialogue, and establishing an independent post-autonomy evaluation mechanism to transform Papua's autonomy from procedural to substantive.