Even as public attention has been drawn toward the American and Israeli strikes on Iran, there is one domestic event that cannot be forgotten. The escalation of conflict and violence in Papua continues unabated. Casualties keep mounting on the sides of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and Police (Polri), the Free Papua Movement (OPM), and civilians alike. OPM, whose objective is to Free Papua from Indonesian control, attacks that target not only TNI/Polri personnel but also civilians, particularly migrants, along with the destruction of public facilities, continue to occur. The question is: how long will this conflict go on? Why has it proven so difficult to eradicate this separatist movement? Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD once stated that the OPM was only a small group, or a “handful,” of people, and that 92% of the Papuan people were pro-Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).