Kashmir, Hong Kong and West Papua: A tale of 3 protests!

Convergence is a rare concept. The world is built on diversity, and anything that is too similar immediately becomes the centre of attraction; an anomaly so to say. So, what are the chances that 3 regions in the same continent would face problems of uncanny similarity? Protests have become the norm in West Papua, Hong Kong and Kashmir over the last few months. There is a common template to the demands being made by the people living there. There is a stench of betrayal that fills the room when their far more powerful mainland tries to negotiate a truce. There is a case of divided loyalty and identity that haunts the residents of these 3 places. And there is a colonial hand in the mess that they find themselves in.

KASHMIR

The perennial bone of contention between India and Pakistan, Kashmir has long been the unscalable mountain for leaders on both sides. The present government has brought with it a new approach to the issue. Forceful integration. ‘Kashmir is an internal matter of India’. This has been New Delhi’s stand at all international summits since it decided to suspend Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. J&K is now like any other ordinary state in India. But is it? Which other state in India does not have Internet connectivity? Which other state in India has this kind of heavy military presence? Kashmir never was like any normal Indian state, and is unlikely to become one in the near future.

Kashmir’s monarch ceded with India after coming under attack from Pakistan. By the time fighting stopped, Pakistan had under its control what is today know as PoK. India’s J&K and Pakistan’s Azad Kashmir is separated by the Line of Control, one of the most militarily active borders in the world. Since then, it’s been a game of claims and counter-claims. India claims Kashmir to be rightfully its. Pakistan has a similar claim.

The current lockdown was triggered by the current government in India. On August 5^th, India’s Home minister announced that Kashmir would be stripped of its special status. And how many Kashmiris were consulted before this move? None. Since then, Kashmir has been under lock and key. While the government maintains that peace is returning to the valley, the situation on the ground is far from ideal. Protests are being suppressed without mercy, and information flow is being contained. Kashmiris are reeling under the apathy of the Indian state. The world community is feigning ignorance. It wants India and Pakistan to solve the dispute bilaterally. India’s stand on Kashmir largely reflects the mindset of a large majority of Indians. They want Kashmir to remain an integral part of India. And New Delhi will not give up an inch of space while dealing with Pakistan. Banking on Islamabad to have a reasonable conversation is ‘unreasonable’. Imran Khan has terror groups, rogue military elements and unhappy citizens to satisfy -- a seemingly impossible task. One, that gives Khan little leverage on Kashmir. He wants to tell the world about Kashmir, but the world is least interested in listening to him.

Kashmir is not returning to normalcy. It is limping towards a forced stalemate. Their political leaders are under house arrest, mainstream opposition leaders are turned back from the airport, and communication is down. This is why you don’t see stunning visuals of protest like in Hong Kong. The resentment is there, so is the will. But the will to live is much stronger.

HONG KONG

Protesting against China is an extremely suicidal thing to do. Beijing does not care about human rights, let alone liberty. For them, Hong Kong is a cash bag…their personal cash bag. But the cash bag has now started to think for itself. The cash bag now wants freedom to express its own identity. And the cash bag has nearly brought the mighty China onto its knees.

One country, two systems. That is the template in Hong Kong. It has its own governing and economic system, but the Chinese shadow has always been present. As Hong Kong grew into a financial hotspot, China’s interests became even more blatant. the extent of Chinese influence is quite evident. Look at the city’s chief executive Carrie Lam. Lam herself is a Beijing sympathiser. The controversy in Hong Kong started with the introduction of an extradition bill. The bill would have enabled China to extradite criminals from Hong Kong and try them in the mainland. A seemingly benign bill. But in the hands of China, the bill would have been nothing short of a purge on human rights. Hong Kong was not going to be silent. Thousands took to the streets in a largely leader-less movement. Symbols of Chinese authority were attacked, and transportation was choked. Asia’s financial hub was grinding to a halt.

China started to flex its muscles. Military build-up was Beijing’s answer to the problem, as it is in most cases. But the protesters were having none of it. After weeks of violent clashes and disruptions, Carrie Lam suspended the bill indefinitely. But suspension keeps the possibility of reinstatement open. So, the protests continued with renewed vigour. Leaders emerged from among the masses. Young crusaders like Joshua Wong and Denise Ho became internationally recognised faces. Things were going out of hand. So Lam decided to get rid of the bill completely. She also launched a slew of programs to foster understanding between the rulers and the subjects. Protesters were not satisfied. Here’s the thing about victory, and freedom. It has to be absolute, or nothing.

Hong Kongers now have 5 major demands. Demands that are unlikely to be met by their government. But the protests in Hong Kong are a success story. Not only did it galvanise more than 7 million citizens, it also punctured China’s supposed invincibility. For the first time in its history, Beijing had to concede space. Knowing Xi and his henchmen, they will be planning for retribution.

WEST PAPUA

West Papua enjoys autonomous status in Indonesia. And with good reason. Indonesia has long been treating West Papua like an unwanted child. It is one of the least developed provinces in the country, and has been subjected to racial discrimination. Armed struggle by West Papuans is not a new thing. Every time, Indonesia has responded with an iron fist.

The date is August 17^th, Indonesia’s day of independence from the Dutch. An unruly mob of Indonesian nationalists surrounds a hostel in West Papua and hurls racial slurs at the students. The reason? The students allegedly mishandled the national flag. Even the police got involved. They hurled tear gas inside the building and arrested the students. This once again sparked the long dormant dream of freedom in the minds of West Papuans.

Unlike the previous occasions, West Papuans are not alone. They have found supporters from within other provinces in Indonesia. Something that is likely to work in their advantage. Protesters want an end to the racial discrimination that they are facing every day. They want to express their own identity which is distinct from the Indonesian one. And for this, they want a referendum on freedom, something Indonesia will be sceptical about. Indonesia have tried the violent route this time too. They beefed up security across the peninsula, and called for an Internet blackout.

Unlike Hong Kong and Kashmir, West Papua has skipped under the radar of mainstream media. Hong Kong is wealthy, and Kashmir brings with it, India and Pakistan. The rationale of the media is quite evident. What do the West Papuans bring to the table? Aspirations and tales of systemic discrimination? The media still hasn’t learnt to monetise those.

There are lessons to be learnt from these protests. Lessons for the media, lessons for the world community, and lessons for concerned citizens. Take Australia for example. Its Prime Minister slammed China when they likened Hong Kong protesters to terrorists, but its stance changes when it comes to West Papua. Australia is considering handing over West Papuan activist and lawyer Veronica Koman to Indonesia. Similarly, what do you think would be India’s stance on the stand-off in Hong Kong? If Kashmir is India’s internal matter, shouldn’t Hong Kong be China’s and West Papua be Indonesia’s? China has expressed displeasure over India’s move to suspend Kashmir’s special status. At the same time, it has been discrediting the protesters in Hong Kong.

There are more parallels to what’s happening in these three places. All three countries are being governed by strong leaders. Widodo and Modi are of course democratically elected, while Xi has virtually appointed himself president for life. The convergence of these three protests is a great opportunity for the world to take a look at itself. To understand the hypocrisy of many states, and even their own double-speak, unlikely as it may seem. And to the people of Kashmir, West Papua and Hong Kong – you are not alone!