1) Victim-activated explosive devices in Yahukimo – One Papuan civilian injured while working in his garden
31 December 2025 / 4 minutes of reading
On 23 December 2025, forty-year-old Papuan civilian, Mr Agus Magayang, suffered fatal blast injuries after allegedly stepping on a victim-activated explosive device placed on a civilian path used for daily movement between gardens and homes in the Jalan Gunung area of Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan province. Mr Magayang is an indigenous civilian displaced by armed conflict and security operations in the area. The incident raises serious concerns relating to the use of prohibited or indiscriminate weapons, the failure to protect civilians, including the endangerment and destruction of civilian property.
According to the victim’s wife and witnesses, the security situation in the Jalan Gunung area deteriorated following an exchange of fire on 13 December 2025 between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Indonesian security forces (TNI–POLRI). Following the clash, Indonesian forces reportedly intensified operations in and around civilian residential areas. A dozen civilian houses were reportedly damaged as security forces returned and indiscriminately opened fire in the residential area. Security force members killed livestock and devastated houses (see photos and videos below: source: independent HRD).
On 23 December 2025, Mr Magayang and his wife, together with other family members, went to their garden in the Jalan Gunung area to harvest crops for the upcoming Christmas celebration. Upon arriving at the garden, Mr Magayang’s wife and other relatives began digging up sweet potatoes while Mr Magayang wanted to work in a nearby garden. On the way back, he allegedly stepped on a device planted on the path, triggering an explosion. Witnesses reported hearing a loud blast and the victim’s screams. Family members reportedly ran to the location and found him lying on the ground with severe injuries. It is alleged that military members planted multiple devices around homes, gardens, and civilian activity routes in the area.
He was then evacuated to Dekai Regional General Hospital for medical assistance. Mr Agus Magayang sustained wounds to the head, right thigh, left hand, and abdomen as a result of the explosion. After admission to the hospital, he received only basic medical treatment because medical personnel were not fully available due to the Christmas holidays. The treatment was reportedly limited to wound cleaning and physical examination. These circumstances raise concerns about the availability and quality of urgent emergency care for critically injured persons.
Human rights analysis
From a human rights perspective, the alleged placement of victim-activated explosive devices on routes used by civilians would be incompatible with the fundamental obligation to protect civilians and to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants. Devices that detonate by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person are inherently indiscriminate when emplaced on civilian paths, particularly in or near residential areas and subsistence gardens.
These devices are incapable of reliably targeting a specific lawful military objective and may seriously harm civilians. Such conduct would raise acute concerns under Indonesia’s obligations to respect and ensure the right to life, to prevent foreseeable harm to civilians such as enshrined in Article 6 of the International Covenant on civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the right to life and the state duty to protect life, as well as Article 7 of the ICCPR regarding torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The security operations in Dekai on 13 December put civilian residents at serious risk of being injured, with bullets piercing through the walls of residential houses. Moreover, the planting of victim-activated explosive devices near gardens is in line with a wider pattern of security operations in West Papua being conducted with insufficient regard for civilian protection and human rights.
Indonesia joined the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention on 16 February 2007, when it ratified the Mine Ban Treaty. The Convention entered into force for the country on 1 August 2007, binding Indonesia to absolute obligations: never to use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer anti-personnel mines, and to destroy existing stockpiles. If substantiated, the allegations would constitute violations of the Convention’s core prohibitions and transparency obligations, raising serious questions about treaty implementation, national enforcement measures, and the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas.
Human Rights Monitor calls for an immediate, impartial, and effective investigation into the incident, including clarification of the weapon type, the location and circumstances of emplacement, the chain of command and potential command responsibility, and the identification of those responsible for any unlawful conduct. Authorities must take urgent steps to protect civilians by securing, surveying, marking, and clearing suspected hazardous areas in and around the Jalan Gunung area of Dekai City, with transparent risk communication to local communities.
Mr Agus Magayang during medical treatment at the Dekai Regional General Hospital on 23 December 2025
Security forces devastated houses and left behind bullet shells and a hand grenade, following an armed clash in Dekai on 13 December 2025
On 16 December 2025, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced plans to expand palm oil plantations across West Papua as part of a broader strategy to achieve energy self-sufficiency within five years. Speaking at a joint briefing with regional heads from across West Papua at the State Palace in Jakarta, Prabowo declared that palm oil, along with sugar cane and cassava, would be cultivated to produce biofuels and ethanol, potentially saving Indonesia hundreds of trillions of rupiah in fuel imports.
Environmental and human rights groups have strongly criticised the plan, warning that indigenous Papuans will bear the brunt of its consequences. According to Indonesian NGO Sawit Watch, palm oil plantations in West Papua had already reached the environmental carrying capacity threshold of 290,837 hectares by 2022, with 75,308 hectares located in primary forests and conservation areas. Greenpeace Indonesia described Prabowo’s approach as reflecting “colonial logic,” considering West Papua as empty land to be filled by state projects while ignoring the sovereignty of indigenous communities over their ancestral lands. Following the announcement of Prabowo’s plans, Greenpeace Indonesia released a documentary that elaborates on the potential environmental threats the project poses to primary rainforests and indigenous communities.
Research conducted by academics at Gadjah Mada University has documented how existing palm oil operations have already disrupted indigenous livelihoods, creating what researchers term “a system of structural poverty.” In areas such as Boven Digoel and Merauke, communities have lost access to traditional sago hamlets and hunting grounds, forcing them to purchase food they once gathered freely. Indigenous workers employed on plantations face precarious labour conditions. They have been promised monthly salaries of around Rp 4 million (about € 200) but required to meet demanding daily targets of 60-120 kilograms, with no formal contracts or workplace protections.
The Pusaka Foundation has identified 94 palm oil companies operating in West Papua, with concessions covering a total of 1.3 million hectares. In Merauke, an existing food self-sufficiency project has already destroyed over 22,680 hectares of natural forest and triggered social conflicts and flooding. Critics note that approval processes frequently bypass the principle of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), reducing indigenous consultation to a mere formality and positioning Papuan communities as obstacles rather than rights-holders.
Military-backed deforestation in Merauke Regency
The situation in Merauke has become particularly alarming, with Indonesia deploying military forces to accelerate land clearing for a massive state-backed agricultural project. According to a Financial Times investigation, five battalions have been stationed in West Papua to support food security initiatives, with soldiers directly involved in forest clearing, operating heavy equipment, and overseeing the eviction of residents from their traditional lands. Between May 2024 and November 2025, more than 40,000 hectares were cleared at a rapid pace, with soldiers posting videos on TikTok posing with excavators and conducting regular patrols. Affected indigenous community members report that the military has been actively involved since the forest clearing began, disregarding the principle of Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) enshrined in international human rights treaties and national law.
The scale of planned development is staggering. The government intends to cultivate rice and sugar cane on three million hectares (see photo on top, source: Pusaka). This area equals five times the size of London, encompassing primary forests, grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands. A Greenpeace report released in December 2025 revealed that 560,000 hectares have been designated for sugar cane plantations alone, of which 419,000 hectares consist of natural forest. A government-sanctioned feasibility study acknowledged that development would overlap with protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and nature reserves, resulting in increased temperatures, disruption to water systems, and soil degradation, while generating an estimated 315 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Independent groups forecast emissions could be more than double that figure. The project is being led by coal miner and palm oil producer, Jhonlin Group, and the Merauke Sugar Group. US chocolate maker Hershey has since suspended both companies from its supplier list due to their involvement.
A coalition of civil society organisations has called on President Prabowo to withdraw his statement and halt extractive projects destroying West Papua’s forests. Critics call on the government to focus on intensifying existing plantations and investing in genuinely sustainable energy sources such as micro-hydro and solar power. The Indonesian Biology Consortium urged, the recent ecological disaster in Sumatra, where deforestation contributed to flooding that killed over 1,000 people, should serve as a stark warning against repeating such policies in West Papua.
3) Building Better Foundations for Young Learners in West Papua
Tackling barriers to improve early childhood education
Article UNICEF Indonesia
English Bahasa Indonesia
30 December 2025
On a windy afternoon in Pegunungan Arfak district, West Papua province, five-year-old Gracia waits by the roadside, her school bag resting near her feet, where a cat twirls playfully. From across the street, her teacher Bertha calls out, “Gracia, be careful when you cross the road!”
Inside the Sinar Hungku Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre, laughter fills the air. One by one, the children line up and greet Bertha with hi-fives and giggles – a ritual that marks the start of learning at the centre.
“A good day is when I arrive at school and the children greet me with smiles and warm hellos,” Bertha shares, embracing the children as the cool breeze sweeps through. “It becomes a source of motivation for me, to be more enthusiastic in delivering lessons and organizing activities.”
UNICEF/UNI920441/Chair
While the scene is lively today, the school is not always bustling with activity. Attendance fluctuates and sometimes dips significantly. Classrooms are often left empty due to harsh weather, children needing to join their parents in the fields to work, and absent teachers.
“There are not many teachers, and when they face obstacles or family matters, there’s no one else available to step in and take their place,” Bertha explains, her eyes reflecting deep concern.
UNICEF/UNI920428/Chair
As of 2024, only three of every five ECD centres in Pegunungan Arfak operate consistently throughout the school year. Many have intermittent closures due to staffing shortages or weather disruptions. Other schools throughout West Papua face similar challenges.
Teacher capacity is a major concern – most educators lack formal training in early childhood pedagogy, making it difficult to deliver effective, interactive lessons. Student participation has declined over the years. There is also a lack of assessment tools to evaluate learning outcomes for children with disabilities.
UNICEF/UNI920535/Chair
This uncertainty – never knowing when schools may reopen – leaves parents anxious. Yet, even as their hopes for their children’s future hang in the balance, many remain invested. “My hope is for my children to have a future that’s brighter [than mine],” says David, Gracia’s father, who continues to believe strongly in the value of education.
The stakes are high. Without access to quality, equitable and inclusive education, children miss out on developing their foundational skills, including basic literacy and numeracy. The consequences are long-term: limiting children’s learning and development, diminishing their opportunities for a better future.
To respond to these challenges, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Government of Australia, have partnered with local authorities since 2024 to improve learning in ECD centres across Pegunungan Arfak through the Early Grade Learning programme.
UNICEF/UNI920444/Chair
Efforts focus on building the capacity of teachers in play-based and interactive learning, providing culturally relevant local learning materials, and improving knowledge exchange between teachers in ECD centres and primary schools to help ensure a smoother transition from for students. The programme also empowers parents with skills and knowledge on positive parenting.
These joint efforts are making a difference.Teachers report greater confidence in using interactive methods and locally available materials to make lessons more engaging for their students. ECD centres that once struggled with irregular attendance are seeing more consistent participation, thanks to improved classroom practices and stronger support from parents. Parents are expressing a better understanding of the importance of early learning, nutrition and hygiene at home.
Local education officials are considering expansion of the approach to more centres across the regency. The district has begun mobilizing resources to strengthen ECD services, including monitoring teacher attendance and encouraging greater parental involvement, while addressing gaps in teacher capacity and learning materials.
“We will ensure that more training will be implemented and reach more teachers, so that every child in Pegunungan Arfak can experience quality early learning,” says the Head of the Early Childhood Education Section of the District Education Office.
UNICEF/UNI920440/Chair
Among those driving change are teacher facilitators who support both ECD and primary schools. They are helping strengthen teaching skills across subjects through creative and engaging methods.
“Teachers didn’t know there should be a standard operating procedure (SOP) before starting classroom activities,” explains Maria, a facilitator based in the area. “Before, the teachers would simply prepare the students (pick them up at home to help ensure they get to school) and greet them upon entering the classroom.”
UNICEF/UNI920619/Chair
Maria introduced teachers to new routines to start the day and shared practical techniques using simple, locally sourced materials. “We don’t always have to use numbers written on the board. Sometimes we can use stones, leaves, and other everyday objects to help early childhood students learn to count more easily,” she says.
UNICEF/UNI920420/Chair
For Bertha, all these efforts – from her own role as a teacher to the work of facilitators and partners – are part of a larger vision. “Early childhood education is very important. As mothers, we hope that these children receive their full rights as children, and that in 20 or 25 years, they will become a generation of remarkable individuals who return to develop the Arfak Mountains, especially our village,” she says.
4) Papua tightens border checks ahead of 2026 new year to stop drugs
December 30, 2025 16:07 GMT+700
Jayapura (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in Papua has stepped up surveillance and inspections along border areas ahead of the 2026 New Year celebrations, seeking to curb marijuana smuggling into the easternmost province.
Papua BNN chief Brigadier General Anang Triwidiandoko said on Tuesday that the agency has intensified monitoring through integrated inspections at key border points, particularly the Skouw crossing in Jayapura city, which authorities consider a high-risk entry route for illegal drugs.
“As the year-end approaches, we are tightening supervision in border areas because Papua remains highly vulnerable to illicit drug trafficking, especially marijuana,” Triwidiandoko told reporters in Jayapura.
He said the move follows directives from BNN headquarters that stress the need to strengthen border controls to protect communities from the threat posed by narcotics.
To bolster enforcement, the agency is coordinating closely with the Skouw Cross-Border Post (PLBN) and deploying joint inspection teams involving the Indonesian military (TNI), national police (Polri), customs and excise officers, and other relevant agencies.
These teams are conducting checks on travelers as well as their luggage and goods. “Cross-sector coordination is essential to ensure effective supervision and to create a deterrent effect for drug smugglers,” Triwidiandoko said.
He added that integrated inspection operations will continue on a regular basis, supported by temporary facilities that have been set up in border areas to serve as operational posts for officers on duty.
Looking ahead, the Papua BNN hopes to establish a permanent interdiction service post at the border to further strengthen oversight, particularly along unofficial routes that are often exploited by smugglers.
“Information we have gathered indicates that these illicit activities often involve teenagers,” Triwidiandoko said, underscoring concerns about the impact of drug trafficking on young people.
Papua shares a land border with Papua New Guinea, making it one of Indonesia’s most sensitive regions for cross-border crimes, including narcotics smuggling.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that increased movement of people and goods during holiday periods can heighten the risk of illegal drug flows, prompting tighter security measures ahead of major celebrations.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Amnesty International Indonesia reported that at least 5,538 people were arbitrarily arrested, subjected to violence, or exposed to tear gas in 2025 while exercising their right to express opinions in public, amid what the organization described as a growing repressive approach by the state toward public protests.
“Throughout this year alone, 5,538 people were arbitrarily arrested,” Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said in a statement issued on Monday, December 29, 2025.
Amnesty noted that large-scale protests took place between March and August 2025 over a range of issues, including revisions to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law, labor rights, national strategic projects, and parliamentary benefits.
Rather than engaging in dialogue, authorities were said to have relied on heavy-handed security measures to disperse demonstrators.
According to the organization, law enforcement frequently used excessive force during the protests. Amnesty also documented the deployment of tear gas canisters containing explosive materials during demonstrations in late August, warning that such weapons carried a high risk of causing permanent injuries.
Instead of conducting a thorough evaluation of these incidents, the National Police chief issued Regulation No. 4 of 2025, which Amnesty said loosened restrictions on the use of firearms by police officers.
The group described the regulation as dangerous, arguing that it could further expand opportunities for abuse of power.
“The authoritarian character of the government and parliament is evident in the way these policies are formulated,” Usman said.
Amnesty also raised concerns over the enactment of the revised TNI Law and the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), noting that several provisions could enable arbitrary arrests and broaden the use of coercive measures by law enforcement agencies.
Beyond mass arrests, protesters were also subjected to stigmatization, the organization said. Officials and security forces frequently labeled demonstrators as “anarchists,” “provocateurs,” or even “terrorists.”
In some cases, activists faced prosecution, while alleged perpetrators of violence were not adequately investigated.
“This is a classic tactic used to silence criticism,” Usman added.
Repression, Amnesty said, extended beyond street demonstrations. Throughout 2025, at least 283 human rights defenders were attacked, ranging from criminal charges to attempted murder, with journalists and indigenous communities among the most affected.
Amnesty warned that these patterns point to a serious contraction of civic space in Indonesia. If left unchecked, the organization cautioned, repressive law enforcement practices risk becoming the new norm.
There has been no improvement in the human rights situation in West Papua. Clashes have continued between the TPNPB and the security forces. The latest military operation occurred on the 10 December when the Indonesian Security Forces conducted surveillance using three helicopters in the skies over Gearek District, Nduga Regency. The helicopters landed and dropped officers in Wene Worasosa Village. Before landing troops one of the helicopters fired from above and near a resident's house, firing three mortar rounds. Villagers fled to the forest and other districts in fear of their lives. (Report below).
7-year-old Arestina Giban was shot in Nduga, and her body was never found.
December 27, 2025 in Press Releases Reading Time: 3 mins read
Author: Jubi Admin - Editor: Syofiardi Bachyul
Refugees from Gearek District, Nduga Regency, met the sub-district head's entourage and students in six vehicles. (Doc: YKKMP/Humanitarian Team)
Jayapura, Jubi – A written report by Yefta Lengka (Humanitarian Activist and member of the Humanitarian Team) was sent to Jubi.id as a press release. The report was written based on the results of a nine-day investigation by the Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP) and the Humanitarian Team in Nduga Regency, Papua Highlands Province. The Humanitarian Team was led by Theo Hesegem, Executive Director of YKKMP.
The report states that on December 10, 2025, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) conducted surveillance using three helicopters in the skies over Gearek District, Nduga Regency, without any reason. "The community was confused and wondering. Fear gripped them."The following day, on December 11, 2025, three helicopters and three drones monitored the skies over Gearek District. The helicopters landed and dropped officers in Wene Worasosa Village."Prior to this, one of the helicopters fired from above at the edge of a resident's house and fired three mortar rounds," the report stated.
Seeing this, the residents fled towards the Kali Mbunu forest to save themselves. They took shelter in the forest for a day. From there, they fled to Enggolok and spent the night there. Afterward, they continued their journey to Wendama Terminal towards Kenyam.
They walked to Nggeni Village and met the sub-district head's entourage and students in six cars. They arrived in Kenyam on December 14, 2025. There, they were housed at the Kenyam Elementary School. The evacuees were given three rooms to stay in.
The total number of affected residents reached 580. Seventy-one of them fled to Kenyam. The rest of the population fled to the forest and neighboring villages. Sixty-one of them fled to Kali Mbunu in two locations, and they have not yet returned to their villages.
Other refugees are located in seven villages: Sanelak (49 people, who returned on December 14, 2025), Pasir Putih (13 people, who have not yet returned), Engglok (1 person, who has returned), Tribit Village (14 people, who have not yet returned), Yunusugu Village (315 people, who have returned), Kenyeam (71 people, who have not yet returned), and Nggebem (2 people who went to the Bethel congregation, who have not yet returned). "The attack was carried out indiscriminately. There was no resistance or retaliation from local residents," the report stated. Refugees from Gearek District, Nduga Regency, encountered the sub-district head's entourage and students traveling in six cars. (Doc: YKKMP/Humanitarian Team). "The people of Wene Worasosa Village, Gearek District, were confused and didn't understand what was happening, as were the neighboring villages," the report continued.
The report stated that due to the sound of helicopters, gunfire, and mortar explosions, local residents fled into the surrounding forest. "Under duress. Without carrying anything. Without retaliating with anything. Survival was the primary goal at that time."
The Humanitarian Team report explained that after the Indonesian Military (TNI) conducted a one-day and one-night operation, they left Wene Worasosa Village, Gearek District, Nduga Regency, at 7:30 a.m. WIT the following day. They did not return until the humanitarian team went into the field to investigate, monitor, and install billboards.
7-Year-Old Child (Arestina Giban) Shot in the Head
In this incident, according to an investigative report by the Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP) and the Humanitarian Team, a 7-year-old child named Arestina Giban was shot from a plane while her mother was running with her eldest child into the forest. "The child was shot in the head (the back of the brain penetrated the front), destroying her head and face. Seeing her child shot and falling from her shoulder, the mother tried to save her eldest child and hid him behind her aunt's grave," the report stated. After hiding her eldest child, she couldn't resist going to retrieve her child's body. As she was about to visit the child's body, which lay on its back, she was hit by shrapnel from a mortar shell dropped from a nearby helicopter. The shrapnel lodged in her right thigh. Because she was shot, she couldn't visit her child's body. She simply lay down on the road, closed her eyes, and covered herself with a cloth. She then fled and hid not far from her house. "At that time, the deployed troops conducted an operation and destroyed all the residents' houses. One of the TNI officers who passed by the victim's body kicked it, causing it to fall into a ditch. This happened while the mother and her eldest child were watching from hiding," the report stated. Due to the uncontrolled gunfire and extensive drone surveillance, they fled into the forest and away from the settlement.
Arestina Giban's body 'forcibly disappeared'
After the incident, the report stated that a day later, several people searched for Arestina Giban. However, she was not found at the scene. They searched for the victim for three days, but still, she was nowhere to be found. Arestina Giban's mother (7 years old) recounted her experience to the Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP) and the Humanitarian Team. (Doc: YKKMP/Humanitarian Team) "To date, the Humanitarian Team conducting the investigation has not been able to find [the victim's body]. The team did find indications of burial nearby, due to a fishy odor. However, the team hesitated to exhume the site because they suspected the Indonesian military had planted a mine with Arestina Giban's child's body. Therefore, the Humanitarian Team left the scene and left." The victim's mother is said to be still recovering and remains in a refugee camp because her house was severely damaged.
Elius Baye (35 years old) dies in refugee camp
After two days of refuge, Elius Baye, the head of a family with a child, died in a refugee camp in Yunusugu Village, Tomor District, Asmat Regency. Elius Baye had previously been ill in his village. However, due to the attack, he fled to save his family. Baye died one day in the refugee camp. (*)
Human Rights Monitor
Military operations in Papuan highlands continue as people launch series of protests against militarism, demanding withdrawal of troops
People across West Papua have been protesting against the growing militarisation and ongoing expansion of military operations in the Papuan central highlands. Between late October and early November 2025, Papuans in the towns of Nabire, Enarotali, Sugapa, and Jayapura went to the streets to protest against the central Government’s approach to settling the longstanding conflict in West Papua through the expansion of military presence and military operations, which are frequently accompanied by extra-judicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, and ill-treatment of civilians. Most victims are indigenous Papuans, caught in the crossfire between the military and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), or being executed or tortured because security forces suspect them of being associated with the TPNPB.
The central Government has been ignoring the people’s call to put an end to the military expansion in West Papua. As a former military general under the military dictator Suharto, President Prabowo Subianto continues the path of his predecessors, pursuing a security-based approach to end the armed conflict in West Papua through violent means. Meanwhile, calls for peaceful dialogue keep emerging from cultural and political institutions in West Papua.
Churches in West Papua expressed similar demands. Bishop Bernardus Baru has initiated nine consecutive days of mass for peace and called for an end to armed violence and the deployment of non-organic troops to West Papua.........................
This year marked the 64th anniversary of the first official flying of the Morning Star flag in 1961, in the then Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea. As the Dutch prepared to give the West Papuan people their freedom, it is one of the great tragedies that at their moment of freedom it was cruelly crushed and West Papua was basically handed over to Indonesia in 1963 by the international community. A betrayal of a whole people. Sixty-four years later, the West Papuan people are still struggling for their right to self-determination.
The Morning Star flag was raised on Leichhardt Town Hall.
AWPA thanks the Inner West Council and all West Papuan supporters for their support in raising the West Papuan flag in Sydney.
West Papua flag raised in solidarity over Leichhardt Town Hall
December 1st commemorated across West Papua and the world
DECEMBER 2, 2025
December 1st marked the 64th anniversary of West Papua’s original Independence Day in 1961. The Morning Star was raised in all seven regencies across West Papua, in a firm rejection of Indonesia’s strict ban on the flag.
In Oxford, UK, the Morning Star flag was raised above the Oxford Town Hall while ULMWP President Benny Wenda gave an address inside. President Wenda’s pre-December 1st address can be viewed here and his speech can be read here.
An incomplete round up of December 1st flag raisings is included below:
Travellers flying over Merauke, on West Papua’s southern coast, have long been treated to a sight that’s hard to find remaining anywhere in the world: an expansive lowland filled with natural forests, savannahs, and vast wetlands. But these days, they’re also likely to see a landscape in the midst of change. Excavators turning green cover and blue creeks into brown mud. Felled logs piling up in rows.
In the forests and riverside villages, Indigenous Marind, Yei Nan, and Muyu communities are anxious. This new destruction stalks their livelihoods and threatens land passed down through generations. Companies are even encroaching upon the customary territories of Indigenous Peoples who refuse to surrender their land.
In the Marind homeland, land grabbing and forest destruction are taking hold in the name of the Indonesian government’s program for food and energy self-sufficiency – designated as a National Strategic Project (PSN). President Prabowo Subianto has framed this ambition as strengthening national resilience to legitimize massive military involvement. A new Regional Military Command has been established in Merauke, estimated to house over 5,000 combat personnel. On the roads of Merauke, military vehicles and soldiers passing by have become a common sight. But for Indigenous West Papuans, given the military’s long history of brutal violence, their presence is a terror in itself.
The government’s rhetoric is harshly ironic, because in reality the project enhances neither food security nor political security. For many Marind, food security and political freedom means moving through their natural forests, savannas and wetlands, encountering abundant wild foods. Converting those landscapes into intensive monocultures such as sugar or oil palm plantations amounts to enslaving living organisms. As Marind woman Rafaela explained to environmental anthropologist Sophie Chao: “Free beings make free food. Forest foods taste of freedom. And nothing tastes as good as freedom.”
Greenpeace Indonesia investigated one of these government food and energy projects in West Papua, namely the Merauke Sugarcane PSN, which targets an area of 560,000 hectares – the size of the island of Bali. A consortium of ten companies is set to work on the project. Nine out of the ten are connected to two corporate groups with long track records in the palm oil industry.
If this sugarcane plantation project is not stopped, it will sow disaster through the destruction of West Papuan forests, which now serve as a global climate and biodiversity shield. Greenpeace Indonesia invites you, the reader, to join us in urging the government to stop the Merauke Sugar PSN and save Papua’s forests. As West Papuans say, ‘Papua bukan tanah kosong’ – Papua is not an empty land. Read the Inside the Merauke Sugarcane Project report here (also available in Indonesian).
West Papuan Protest Against Merauke Sugarcane Nat. Strategic Project
Igor ONeill December 19, 2025
Jakarta, 18 December 2025 – Greenpeace Indonesia today brought the voices of West Papuan environmental protesters to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. Through creative performance, West Papuan youth and impacted landowners portrayed the struggle of Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands are being seized for the Merauke Sugarcane National Strategic Project (PSN) that the ministry is overseeing. Activists also erected an art installation crafted from sugarcane stalks reading “STOP PSN”.
Alongside messages in Indonesian and English, protesters carried banners in the Yei language, spoken by one of several Indigenous Peoples in the south of West Papua threatened by the sugarcane project. Slogans included “West Papua is Not an Empty Land”, “PSN Out of Our Lands” and “Save Forests, Stop Sugarcane”.
The action highlighted massive deforestation looming over Merauke, a threat promoted this week by President Prabowo Subianto during a meeting on the government’s plans for West Papuan development. Addressing regional heads from across West Papua, with the heads of the Indonesian Armed Forces, National Police, and State Intelligence Agency in attendance, Prabowo revealed plans to expand oil palm, sugarcane, and cassava plantations to secure fuel and bioethanol supplies.
The President’s statements are deeply ironic, delivered as parts of Sumatra remain paralyzed by a deadly ecological disaster that has claimed over a thousand lives, driven by climate change and decades of industrial deforestation. The devastation in western Indonesia has evidently failed to dampen the government’s ambition to pursue “false solutions” that would sacrifice pristine landscapes in the east of the country.....................
Military drone attack on civilian house in Dekai kills Papuan 17-year-old pupil – one person injured
26 November 2025 / 2 minutes of reading
On 25 November 2025, at around 9.00 pm, residents on Gunung Street in Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan province, observed a military drone repeatedly circling above their neighbourhood. According to eyewitnesses, the drone flew several loops over the area and then hovered for a few minutes above a cluster of civilian houses. The aircraft reportedly switched on a green light, followed by a yellow and then a white light, illuminating one particular house before releasing an aerial explosive.
The explosive fell onto a civilian house and detonated with a powerful explosion in the middle of the residential area. Inside the building, a 17-year-old senior high school student named Listin Sam and another young man, Mr Yondinus Dapla, were asleep in the same room when the blast struck the house. Both were hit by shrapnel and debris (see photos below, source: independent HRD). Neighbours and family members rushed to the house, evacuated the victims, and brought them to the Dekai Regional Public Hospital (RSUD Dekai) at around midnight. Despite receiving emergency medical treatment, Listin Sam died at approximately 2.05 am at RSUD Dekai, while Mr Yondinus Dapla survived and remains under medical care.
On the morning of 26 November 2025, at about 6.00 am Papua time, the victim’s family returned to RSUD Dekai to negotiate with police officers to retrieve Listin Sam’s body for burial. The family and the head of Duram District stressed that the victims and the wider Duram community are civilians with no involvement in the West Papua National Liberation Army (see photos and videos, source: independent HRD). The family also brought a photocopy of Listin Sam’s school diploma to underline that he was a student at SMA Negeri in Dekai and not affiliated with any armed group. Community representatives and relatives went to the Yahukimo Police Station to demand accountability for the drone attack, while local human rights defenders and church-based legal aid networks began documenting the incident and issuing urgent calls for advocacy. They called upon all armed actors to move hostilities away from civilian residential areas……………………
Amnesty International urges investigation into the drone attack in Yahukimo
November 27, 2025 in Press Releases Reading Time: 2 mins read
Author: Jubi Admin - Editor: Arjuna Pademme
Jayapura, Jubi – Amnesty International Indonesia is urging a thorough investigation into the drone attack in Dekai City, the capital of Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains.
Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive Director, Usman Hamid, stated that his organization condemns the attack, which killed one civilian and injured another, on Tuesday evening (November 25, 2025).
"We strongly condemn the cruelty of the drone attack that killed one civilian and injured another in Yahukimo. This incident shows that residents continue to be victims of the escalating conflict in Papua between security forces and armed groups without serious efforts to protect the community," Usaman Hamid said in a written press release on Thursday evening (November 27, 2025).
He stated that the drone attack, which resulted in the death of civilians, violates international law. Furthermore, news reports indicate that the drone attack destroyed a house in Dekai City.
"Indonesian authorities are obliged to comply with their obligations under international law, which require all parties to armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and to refrain from carrying out indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians," he said.
Amnesty International also called on Indonesian authorities, including the police, to conduct a prompt, independent, impartial, and effective investigation into this deadly drone attack. Amnesty International is urging all parties to immediately form a joint fact-finding team to investigate this bloody incident. The police must also immediately reveal to the public who owned the drone.
"We also urge the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and other independent institutions to actively conduct an open and impartial investigation to ensure justice for the victims' families," he said. He stated that regardless of the perpetrators, whether state or non-state actors, the case must be tried through a general court as stipulated in the Criminal Code. This step is considered crucial to ensure the principle of equality before the law and to avoid impunity, which has often been the pattern when security forces commit violence in Papua.
Previously, a drone strike killed one civilian and injured another on Jalan Gunung, Dekai City, Yahukimo Regency. The drone strike hit a civilian's house in Dekai City and killed a student at SMK Negeri 2 Dekai who was sleeping at the time of the attack. The deceased victim was identified as Listin Atin Sam, also known as Bulmak Sam (17), and the injured victim was Yondinus Dapla, who was sleeping in the same room at the time of the incident. (*)
In the third quarter of 2025, we received reports of at least 54 cases of arbitrary arrests. Thirty-nine people who were arrested have been released, while 14 others remain in detention, and one person died. Of the 14 people detained, one has been transferred to the state prosecutor’s office. Of all the cases, at least 37 people were arbitrarily detained, 30 people were tortured or subjected to other ill-treatment, and six were minors.
During the same period, courts handed down prison sentences to at least seven prisoners who were arrested in previous periods. Almost all were found guilty of violating articles of the criminal code related to the possession of weapons, while two others were accused of involvement in murder and theft. Their sentences ranged from 10 months to 10 years in prison.
By the end of the period, at least 79 West Papuan political prisoners were either on trial or imprisoned after being convicted by a court. At least 55 West Papuan political prisoners were still serving sentences in prison. In addition, 24 others were still on trial in various courts, such as in Wamena, Papua Pegunungan, Nabire, Papua Tengah, Sorong, Papua Barat Daya, and Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan.
Senator THORPE(Victoria—Independent VIC Whip) (13:54): I send my strength and solidarity to my brothers and sisters in West Papua, where 15 civilians were recently massacred by the Indonesian military. Reports from West Papuan advocates detail door-to-door raids, homes destroyed, civilians killed and communities terrorised. Since Indonesia's occupation began in 1962, more than 500,000 West Papuans have been killed in what has been described as a slow motion genocide. This is a devastating continuation of settler colonial dispossession and resource extraction.
West Papuans have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands while the military drives the destruction of two million hectares of rainforest for palm oil and the obliteration of a sacred mountain for a foreign-owned gold mine. Indonesia continues to ban journalists, UN fact-finding missions, NGOs and aid agencies, seeking to silence witnesses to its crimes. In the words of West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, this is a David versus Goliath battle. West Papuans are defending their ancestral lands with bows and arrows and a few guns taken from raids, while the Indonesian military uses drones, missiles, helicopters, sniper rifles and fighter jets.
The Albanese government remains silent and complicit, allowing these atrocities to continue with impunity and even providing military equipment to Indonesia. I join with West Papuan advocates in calling for this government to demand that Indonesia permits a UN human rights fact-finding mission, lifts the blackout and facilitates access to journalists.
Human Rights Monitor
Kinmom-Snerbo Villagers set up road blockade in protest against Indonesian Air Force’s land eviction
7 November 2025
On 27 October 2025, residents of Kinmom-Snerbo Village in Biak Regency, Papua Province, staged a road blockade to protest the Indonesian Air Force’s (AURI) continued construction activities on their traditional farmland. The protest began in the morning hours as the community, consisting mostly of subsistence farmers, expressed outrage over the destruction of their gardens. The gardens are their main source of food, income, and education for their children. The villagers accused the Air Force of forcibly evicting them without prior consultation or compensation, in disregard for their customary land rights.
According to local accounts, the conflict escalated after AURI personnel and contractors began clearing and building on land that has been cultivated by the community for generations. The Kinmom-Snerbo villagers, whose livelihoods depend on these farmlands, have long used the area for planting staple crops and supporting family welfare. The construction resulted in damage to mature crops and newly planted gardens, effectively depriving the families of their primary means of subsistence. In response, the villagers blocked access roads to the construction site to halt further destruction and demand dialogue (see photos below, source: independent HRD).
For decades, the people of Kinmom-Snerbo have maintained peaceful and productive use of the area, in line with traditional Papuan land stewardship practices. The current military intrusion represents a violation of the community’s customary rights and raises concerns regarding Indonesia’s compliance with national and international human rights standards, including the right to property, livelihood, and participation in decisions affecting indigenous land (as enshrined in Articles 17 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and ILO Convention No. 169).
The affected communities have urged the Indonesian government and the Air Force to immediately cease all construction activities, enter into transparent consultations with the affected community, and provide restitution for destroyed farmland. The local government is called upon to respect the principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and to ensure that the rights of indigenous Papuans are fully protected in all military and development projects in the regency.
Kinmom-Snerbo Villagers in Biak, Papua Province, staged a road blockade on 27 October 2025
AUSTRALIAN GREENS STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT PRABOWO'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA
2025-11-12
As President Prabowo Subianto visits Australia this week, we must not let diplomatic pleasantries overshadow serious human rights concerns. Indonesia is a friend of Australia and friends must be prepared to share hard truths, each way.
We are deeply troubled by reports that 959 people, including 295 minors, have been charged following peaceful protests in Indonesia in August 2025. The National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia documented hundreds of injuries and arbitrary arrests during police crackdowns. We call for the immediate release of all detained protesters and accountability for police brutality.
We acknowledge the many achievements of Indonesia in the decades since serious democratic reforms were initiated. We also acknowledge Indonesia’s leadership in the non-aligned movement including its leading Australia by acceding to the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons.
While acknowledging these and other achievements there continue to be grave concerns about the ongoing human rights situation in West Papua, including restrictions on press freedom, peaceful assembly, the use of arbitrary force and the right to self-determination for Indigenous Papuans.
We join with many in urging President Prabowo to abandon the designation of Suharto as a national hero. His regime was responsible for mass killings, arbitrary detention, and gross human rights violations in East Timor, West Papua, and Aceh.
Australia’s cruel 2014 ban on refugees from Indonesia must be lifted. It is not the act of a friend and neighbor to so blatantly ignore international law and Indonesia knows the cost of this.
Australia's relationship with Indonesia should be built on shared values of human rights and democracy. The Prime Minister must raise these issues directly with President Prabowo during this visit.
Human rights are not negotiable and friends acknowledge this as we work together for a more peaceful and respectful world.
KNPB Makassar Region: Burning of Morning Star Flag by Mass Organizations is Wrongful
December 18, 2025 in Press Release Reading Time: 2 mins read
Author: Jubi Admin - Editor: Arjuna Pademme
A group of mass organizations held a demonstration in front of the Makassar Police Headquarters on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). During the demonstration, the combined organizations burned the Morning Star flag - IST
Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) of the Indonesian Consulate in Makassar stated that the burning of the Morning Star flag by mass organizations during a demonstration at the Makassar Police Headquarters, South Sulawesi, was wrongful. This statement was made by Jecky Richard Matuan, spokesperson for the KNPB Indonesian Consulate in Makassar Region, in a written press release on Thursday (12/18/2025).
Previously, a joint group of mass organizations, Laskar Monumen Mandala, Forbes Makassar, and the United Indonesian Youth Alliance, held a demonstration in front of the Makassar Police Headquarters on Wednesday (12/17/2025). During the demonstration, the combined mass organizations burned the Morning Star flag. They stated this as a form of rejection of the separatist movement, the Free Papua Movement (OPM), in South Sulawesi. They demanded that security forces take firm action against treasonous acts committed by pro-OPM groups in South Sulawesi, and reject all forms of support from groups supporting the OPM and other Papuan separatist movements.
"We believe that the actions of this mass organization are deeply wrong, because the mass organization burned the Morning Star flag and prohibited public expression of opinion under the pretext of nationalism for the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," said Jecky Richard Matuan. He said that several local media outlets in Makassar are now accompanying their reporting by constructing wild, negative narratives about the KNPB and the activities of the KNPB in the Makassar region.
According to him, the actions taken by the KNPB Makassar region were not criminal acts, but rather aimed to encourage the public to increase local food production. They taught people not to depend on external food sources but to instead increase and preserve local food.
"Then, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, mass organizations staged a demonstration and burned the Morning Star flag in front of the Makassar Police Headquarters. They prohibited the planned demonstration by Papuan students in Makassar on December 19, 2025, to commemorate Trikora," he said.
According to Matuan, at the same time, several mass organizations also staged a demonstration in front of the Kamasan 4 Papuan student dormitory in Makassar. The demonstration lasted about 10 minutes, after which they read a statement and dispersed. Jecky Richard Matuan stated that it is important to understand that the right to express opinions in public is guaranteed by the Indonesian constitution, as outlined in Law Number 9 of 1998. "This means that this group of mass organizations has the potential to undermine the nation, because they overly promote nationalism of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) without understanding the NKRI constitution. It's a different story altogether," he said. The KNPB Makassar Region also appealed to all Indonesians in general, and especially Makassar, that the KNPB is not a criminal group; it is a Papuan people's media outlet that engages with urban civil society. The KNPB's struggle is a peaceful, non-violent struggle, so don't be easily swayed by the narratives created by the media to marginalize the KNPB. (*)
