Indonesian Unity in the Shadow of Disintegration: A Critical Interpretation of Pancasila and the National Polemic in Papua

This paper critically explores the idea of Indonesian Unity in the Shadow of Disintegration through a hermeneutic interpretation of Pancasila, particularly the third principle, Persatuan Indonesia (the Unity of Indonesia), in relation to the national polemic and socio-political conflict in Papua. The study argues that the distortion of Pancasila’s implementation during the Old and New Orders has weakened its moral and unifying power, leading to fragmented nationalism and the rise of identity-based tensions across Indonesia. Using content analysis and hermeneutic methods, this paper interprets Pancasila as a collective imagination a cultural and ideological ritual of togetherness that transcends ethnic, religious, and linguistic boundaries. The discussion reveals that in Papua, the national unity discourse is often overshadowed by unresolved historical injustices, human rights violations, and the failure of state policies to accommodate local aspirations. The research suggests that national unity can only be realized through dialogical engagement, legal fairness, and moral reconciliation that acknowledges Papua’s historical wounds. The paper concludes that Pancasila must be reconstructed as a living ethical framework that promotes equality, justice, and solidarity within Indonesia’s multicultural and multi-religious society.