Friday, August 22, 2025

1) West Papuan media plea for Melanesian support against Indonesian media blackout


2) Bombs fail to silence journo
3) Papua's Jayapura City to build three more kitchens for MBG program 
4) Moi Indigenous Youth Reject National Strategic Project in Sorong Special Economic Zone

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1) West Papuan media plea for Melanesian support against Indonesian media blackout 
By Pacific Media Watch -  August 22, 2025

By Andrew Mathieson

Exiled West Papuan media are calling for Fiji — in a reflection of Melanesian solidarity — to hold the greater Pacific region to account and stand against Indonesia’s ongoing media blackout in addition to its human rights abuses.

The leaders in their field which include two Papuans from Indonesia’s occupied provinces have visited the Pacific country to forge media partnerships, university collaboration and joint advocacy for West Papua self-determination.

They were speaking after the screening of a new documentary film, Pepera 1969: A Democratic Integration, was screened at The University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

The documentary is based on the controversial plebiscite 56 years ago when 1025 handpicked Papuan electors, which were directly chosen by the Indonesian military out of its 800,000 citizens, were claimed to have voted unanimously in favour of Indonesian control of Western New Guinea.

Victor Mambor — a co-founder of Jubi Media Papua — in West Papua; Yuliana Lantipo, one of its senior journalists and editor; and Dandhy Laksono, a Jakarta-based investigative filmmaker; shared their personal experiences of reporting from inside arguably the most heavily militarised and censored region in the Pacific.

“We are here to build bridges with our brothers and sisters in the Pacific,” Mambor told the USP media audience.

Their story of the Papuan territory comes after Dutch colonialists who had seized Western New Guinea, handed control of the East Indies back to the Indonesians in 1949 before The Netherlands eventually withdrew from Papuan territory in 1963.

‘Fraudulent’ UN vote
The unrepresentative plebiscite which followed a fraudulent United Nations-supervised “Act of Free Choice” in 1969 allowed the Indonesian Parliament to grant its legitimacy to reign sovereignty over the West Papuans.

That Indonesian authority has been heavily questioned and criticised over extinguishing independence movements and possible negotiations between both sides.

Indonesia has silenced Papuan voices in the formerly-named Irian Jaya province through control and restrictions of the media.

Mambor described the continued targeting of his Jubi Media staff, including attacks on its office and vehicles, as part of an escalating crackdown under Indonesia’s current President Prabowo Subianto, who took office less than 12 months ago.

“If you report on deforestation [of West Papua] or our culture, maybe it’s allowed,” he said.

“But if you report on human rights or the [Indonesian] military, there is no tolerance.”

An Indonesian MP, Oleh Soleh, warned publicly this month that the state would push for a “new wave of repression” targeting West Papuan activists while also calling the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) – the West Papuan territory’s peak independence movement – as a “political criminal group”.

‘Don’t just listen to Jakarta’
“Don’t just listen to what Jakarta says,” Mambor said.

“Speak to Papuans, listen to our stories, raise our voices.

“We want to bring West Papua back to the Pacific — not just geographically, but politically, culturally, and emotionally.”

Press freedom in West Papua has become most dire more over the past 25 years, West Papuan journalists have said.

Foreign journalists are barred entry into the territory and internet access for locals is often restricted, especially during periods of civil unrest.

Indigenous reporters also risk arrest and/or violence for filing politically sensitive stories.

Most trusted media
Founded in 2001 by West Papuan civil society, Jubi Media Papua’s English-language publication, the West Papua Daily, has become arguably the most trusted, independent source of news in the territory that has survived over its fearless approach to journalism.

“Our journalists are constantly intimidated,” Mambor said, “yet we continue to report the truth”.

The word Jubi in one of the most popular Indigenous Papuan languages means to speak the truth.

Mambor explained that the West Papua Daily remained a pillar of a vocal media movement to represent the wishes of the West Papuan people.

The stories published are without journalists’ bylines (names on articles) out of fear against retribution from the Indonesian military.

“We created a special section just to tell Pacific stories — to remind our people that we are not alone, and to reconnect West Papua with our Pacific identity,” Mambor said.

Lantipo spoke about the daily trauma faced by the Papuan communities which are caught in between the Indonesian military and the West Papua national liberation army who act on behalf of the ULMWP to defend its ancestral homeland.

‘Reports of killings, displacement’
“Every day, we receive reports: killings, displacement, families fleeing villages, children out of school, no access to healthcare,” Lantipo said.

“Women and children are the most affected.”

The journalists attending the seminar urged the Fijian, Melanesian and Pacific people to push for a greater awareness of the West Papuan conflict and its current situation, and to challenge dominant narratives propagated by the Indonesian government.

Laksono, who is ethnically Indonesian but entrenched in ongoing Papuan independence struggles, has long worked to expose injustices in the region.

“There is no hope from the Asian side,” Laksono said.

“That’s why we are here, to reach out to the Pacific.

“We need new audiences, new support, and new understanding.”

Arrested over tweets
Laksono was once arrested in September 2019 for publishing tweets about the violence from government forces against West Papua pro-independence activists.

Despite the personal risks, the “enemy of the state” remains committed to highlighting the stories of the West Papuan people.

“Much of Indonesia has been indoctrinated through school textbooks and [its] media into believing a false history,” he said.

“Our film tries to change that by offering the truth, especially about the so-called Act of Free Choice in 1969, which was neither free nor a genuine act of self-determination.”

Andrew Mathieson writes for the National Indigenous Times.


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2) Bombs fail to silence journo

Local News, News, Uncategorized | Published: 16 hours ago | Last Updated: 16 hours ago | By ALIFERETI SAKIASI


RENOWNED West Papuan journalist Victor Mambor has vowed not to be silenced despite years of threats, harassment and even a bomb attack on his home.

The 51-year-old founder and editor-in-chief of Jubi, West Papua’s leading media outlet, is in Fiji this week, where he spoke exclusively to The Fiji Times about his fight to expose human rights abuses.

“Despite them bombing my home and office with molotov bombs, I am still doing journalism today, because my people are hurting, and I won’t stop,” Mambor said.

In January last year, an improvised explosive device detonated outside his home in Jayapura in what he describes as a “terror” attack. Police later closed the case citing lack of evidence.

He was in Suva on Tuesday night as Jubi Media Papua, in collaboration with USP Journalism and PANG, screened its documentary Pepera 1969: A Democratic Integration?

“I believe good journalism is journalism that makes society better,” he said.

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3) Papua's Jayapura City to build three more kitchens for MBG program 
 August 21, 2025 22:10 GMT+700


Jayapura (ANTARA) - The Jayapura City government in Papua Province has prepared three sites for nutritional fulfillment service units (SPPGs), or kitchens that provide meals for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.

Assistant to the Jayapura municipal government, Widhi Hartanti, stated in the city on Thursday that two of the planned locations are linked to a vocational high school and a junior high school.

"The SPPGs to be developed by the Jayapura municipal government will be managed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN)," she said.

Separately, Secretary of the Jayapura Education Office, Yoppi Hanuebi, noted that Jayapura currently has seven operational SPPGs spread across four sub-districts, excluding South Jayapura, with the number expected to grow.

He added that the MBG program had so far reached 22,144 people in the city, including schoolchildren, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women.

President Prabowo Subianto introduced the MBG program as a strategic means not only to help improve people's nutritional intake and quality of human resources but also to stimulate economic activities, as it empowers farmers, ranchers, and other business players.

Since its launch on January 6 this year, the national program has catered to the nutritional needs of approximately 20 million as of August, with the broader target of covering at least 82.9 million people by the end of 2025.

This progress has been made possible by the presence of over five thousand SPPGs operating across 38 provinces forming Indonesia.

It should be noted that the BGN is not working alone in increasing the number of such kitchens, as other institutions, including the National Police (Polri) and Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), are also making contributions.

Polri Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has set a target of setting up 500 SPPGs by this year's end, while Kadin Chairperson Anindya Bakrie said that his side had provided Rp540 billion (over US$33 million) to build 270 kitchens.

Related news: Free meals program reach 23,540 students in West Papua's Manokwari

Related news: West Papua's districts told to form MBG program oversight teams

Related news: Government accelerates MBG program's implementation in Central Papua



Translator: Evarukdijati, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala




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A google translate.
Original Bahasa link

4) Moi Indigenous Youth Reject National Strategic Project in Sorong Special Economic Zone

Last updated: August 22, 2025 8:04 pm
Author : Gamaliel M. Kaliele
Editor : Angela Flassy
Published August 22, 2025







The Malamoi Movement, along with the Moi Maya Indigenous Youth Front (BPAN), held a symbolic demonstration in front of the gate of the Sorong Special Economic Zone (KEK) in Mayamuk District, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, on Thursday (August 21, 2025). - Jubi/IST


Sorong, Jubi – The Malamoi Movement to Save the People, Land & Forests, or the Malamoi Movement, along with the Moi Maya Indigenous Youth Front (BPAN), held a symbolic demonstration in front of the gate of the Sorong Special Economic Zone (KEK), Mayamuk District, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, on Thursday (August 21, 2025).

During the demonstration, the indigenous youth unfurled a banner reading "National Systematic Colonization" as a strong expression of their rejection of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) projects, which they believe are merely a cover for seizing customary land, destroying forests, and oppressing indigenous peoples in Papua and throughout Indonesia. Malamoi Movement Campaigner, Fiktor Klafiyu, emphasized that the PSN projects touted by the central government are bringing destruction, not prosperity.
He stated that the words "National Systematic Colonization" are not just slogans, but a reality they experience.

The PSN projects have become a machine for destroying our lives. "Indigenous Papuans, in the name of development, our land has been seized, our forests cleared, our rivers polluted, and our living spaces destroyed. Papuans are raped against walls and killed when indigenous people speak out," said Fiktor Klafiyu.
According to him, the state-imposed development narrative always portrays Papua as a "backward" region that must be pushed forward with national investment and projects. However, he said, this view is wrong and demeans the dignity of indigenous Papuans (OAP).

"Development that doesn't respect customary rights is flawed development, development that carries the risk of conflict and destruction," he added.
As a young Moi indigenous man in Sorong, Fiktor Klafiyu strongly opposes all forms of National Strategic Projects (PSN) in Papua. He believes the government's promises that these projects will create jobs and boost the economy are empty promises.
"These projects destroy our forests, wipe out our gardens, take away our living space, and rob us of our traditional way of life. This is the true face of PSN—not prosperity, but plunder and destruction," Fiktor said.
He said the development practices imposed by the government only favor oligarchs and investors. Extractive industries disguised as development are simply a way for oligarchs to profit.
A similar stance came from Elon Salomo Moifilit, a representative of the National Development Planning Agency (BPAN) of Moi Maya. He believes that PSN and nickel downstreaming in Papua are a new face of colonialism that robs the rights of indigenous peoples throughout Papua.
"Our ancestral lands have been turned into fields of exploitation, forests have been cleared, rivers have been polluted, and our livelihoods have been destroyed. The development they claim is a path to prosperity is actually a path to the destruction of the indigenous Papuan people," said Elon Moifilit.
Elon stated that all these projects were never discussed with the indigenous people. There was no free, prior, and informed consent. All projects were unilaterally decided by the government. "This is clear evidence that this development is being forced. As a result, we only see new oppression, conflict, poverty, and suffering being passed down to future generations of Papuans," he said.
The action by indigenous youth in Sorong confirms that resistance to the National Strategic Project (PSN) is not the voice of a few, but a growing movement across Papua. From Merauke to Sorong, the voices of rejection continue to echo.
For them, the PSN is simply "Systematic National Occupation" and a new face of colonialism disguised in the jargon of development. We firmly reject the presence of all these companies throughout Indonesia and even throughout Papua. (*)

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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

1) Papua's OPM Accuses Indonesian Military of Planting Landmines in Yakuhimo


2) Jayapura upskills content creators in 10 traditional villages  



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1) Papua's OPM Accuses Indonesian Military of Planting Landmines in Yakuhimo 
 Reporter Andi Adam Faturahman 
August 20, 2025 | 03:40 pm  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement(TPNPB-OPM) has accused the Indonesian military (TNI) deployed in Yakuhimo regency of planting landmines to target the militias and individuals deemed affiliated with them.

The spokesperson of the TPNPB headquarters, Sebby Sambom, claimed the landmines were planted deliberately by the Indonesian forces in logpon (raft), the airport, and roads frequented by the militias. "Laki Magayang of the Kodap (Defense Regional Command) XVI Yahukimo militia is one of the victims of the TNI-Polri's crimes in Papua," said Sebby in a brief message on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.


Laki Magayang was reportedly killed in a shootout with the Indonesian forces at Kali Bonto on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Besides planting landmines, Sebby said, tTNI Soldiers also placed landmines on the bodies of wounded TPNPB militias. According to Sebby, this action was part of the psychological terror launched by the soldiers to instill fear in the liberation movement. 

Such actions are often carried out by soldiers deployed in Papua—for example, in the North Gome and Sugapa districts of Intan Jaya—resulting in numerous casualties among TPNPB militias and local residents. "The world must know that there are war crimes in Papua. The world must not turn a blind eye," he pleaded.

Meanwhile, when asked for confirmation, Colonel Candra Kurniawan, the Head of Information of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command, denied TPNPB's accusations about planting landmines and placing mines on wounded militias. 

He maintained that TNI soldiers are not equipped with explosives while patrolling. Thus, he said, the information  provided by TPNPB is false and should not be believed. "Propaganda like this has often been used to gain sympathy," Candra added.

Regarding the alleged death of TPNPB militias in Yahukimo, he mentioned that so far, the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Regional Command has not received any information about an armed encounter with TPNPB militias.

However, he added that TNI soldiers will remain on guard and intensify territorial patrols to maintain security in Yahukimo. "Measured actions are taken based on the situation. Initial handling is carried out in a humane manner," Candra stated.

Editor’s Choice: TNI Searches for OPM Militants Who Burned Indonesian Flags in Papua  


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2) Jayapura upskills content creators in 10 traditional villages  

August 20, 2025 16:46 GMT+700

Jayapura (ANTARA) - The Jayapura City Tourism Office held content management training for content creators in 10 traditional villages to produce engaging promotional content, to boost tourism.

Acting Head of the Jayapura City Tourism Office, Richard Nahumury, in Jayapura on Wednesday, stated that every piece of content created and shared on social media platforms can help the government promote the tourism and creative economy potential of each village.

"We hope that after participating in this training, they will be able to create content related to tourism potential, the creative economy, and all culinary and dance events while adhering to content creation standards," he said.

He explained that all participants will be given the opportunity to create content at the "Jayapura Fair" on August 20-21, 2025, and then present their results according to the standards learned in this training.

"We hope that in the future, every piece of content created and promoted on existing digital platforms will attract tourists to Jayapura City," he said.

He added that the content creator training in 10 traditional villages in Jayapura City aims to highlight each village's potential and introduce it to the wider community.

"This is also our effort to preserve the local culture of Jayapura City," he said.

Head of Marketing for the Jayapura City Tourism Office, Wasronah, said the training aimed to improve participants' understanding of the principles of planning and managing content creators.

"It provides practical skills in creating high-quality content, encouraging participants to develop their creativity and skills in content creation and digital marketing," she said.

The training involved 40 participants from 10 traditional villages and one administrative village, practitioners, and members of the general public interested in content creation. The training took place in Jayapura on August 20-21, 2025.

Related news: Jayapura has vast tourism potential: ministry

Related news: Developing birdwatching as Jayapura's priority tourism

Related news: Ministry to hold cross-border festival in Jayapura

Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Azis Kurmala


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Tuesday, August 19, 2025

1) West Papuan journalists call for Pacific solidarity


2) Papua Merdeka! From Papua to Palestine, occupation is a crime! 


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1) West Papuan journalists call for Pacific solidarity  

August 20, 2025 _  Ema Ganivatu





IN exile but unbroken, three West Papuan journalists are in Fiji calling on the Pacific to stand with them against Indonesia’s ongoing media blackout and human rights abuses.

Their visit is part of a broader effort to forge solidarity with Pacific neighbours, through media partnerships, university collaborations, and joint advocacy for human rights and self-determination.

Speaking after the screening of their latest documentary film “Pepera 1969: A Democratic Integration” at the University of the South Pacific, the team including Victor Mambor, co-founder of Jubi Media Papua, Yuliana Lantipo, senior journalist and editor, and Dandhy Laksono, Jakarta-based investigative filmmaker shared their personal experiences of reporting from inside one of the most heavily militarised and censored regions in the Pacific.

“We are here to build bridges with our brothers and sisters in the Pacific,” said Mambor.

“There is no hope from the Asian side,” added Laksono. “That’s why we are here, to reach out to the Pacific. We need new audiences, new support, and new understanding.”

The team urged Pacific people to push for greater awareness of the West Papuan situation and to challenge the dominant narratives propagated by the Indonesian government.

“Don’t just listen to what Jakarta says,” said Mambor. “Speak to Papuans. Listen to our stories. Raise our voices.”

“We want to bring West Papua back to the Pacific — not just geographically, but politically, culturally, and emotionally.”

Mambor described the continued targeting of Jubi Media staff, including attacks on their office and vehicles, as part of an escalating crackdown under Indonesia’s new President.

“Two of our operational cars were destroyed. Our journalists are constantly intimidated. Yet we continue to report the truth.”

The situation for press freedom in West Papua is dire. Foreign journalists are barred entry, internet access is often restricted during periods of unrest, and local reporters — especially Indigenous one’s risk arrest or violence for covering politically sensitive stories.

“If you report on deforestation or culture, maybe it’s allowed. But if you report on human rights or the military, there is no tolerance,” said Laksono.

Laksono, who is not Papuan himself but has long worked to expose injustices in the region, added:
“Much of Indonesia has been indoctrinated through school textbooks and media into believing a false history. Our film tries to change that by offering the truth, especially about the so-called Act of Free Choicein 1969, which was neither free nor a genuine act of self-determination.”

Journalist Yuliana Lantipo spoke of the daily trauma faced by communities caught between the Indonesian military and the West Papua National Liberation Army.

“Every day we receive reports: killings, displacement, families fleeing villages, children out of school, no access to health care. Women and children are the most affected,” she said.

As one of the few Indigenous female journalists reporting from conflict zones, Lantipo also highlighted how her identity both enables and complicates her work.

“Sometimes, as a woman, I can access conflict areas more easily, especially when traveling with elders or family members. But Indigenous male journalists, especially those with dreadlocks or visible Papuan identity, are often turned away or arrested.”

Despite the personal risks, Lantipo and her colleagues remain committed to their role.

“People need us to speak the truth. That is our responsibility. That is our profession.”

Jubi Media Papua

Founded in 2001 by West Papuan civil society, Jubi Media has become one of the most trusted and independent sources of information from the territory. With more than 30 reporters and 50 staff, the media house has built a reputation for fearless journalism.

Jubi means ‘to speak the truth’,” said Mambor. “We created a special section just to tell Pacific stories — to remind our people that we are not alone, and to reconnect West Papua with our Pacific identity.”




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2) Papua Merdeka! 
From Papua to Palestine, occupation is a crime! 

By Tyberius Seeto and Kayla Hill August 20, 2025 ACAR HONI 2025 

Content warning: this article contains descriptions of cultural violence, physical violence, and sexual abuse.

Introduction

On 17th August, Indonesia celebrated 80 years of independence, an end to a 350 year rule riddled with mass atrocities committed by the Dutch, as well as an eventual end to the Japanese empire during World War II. What soon followed after this declaration of independence was a four year war between Dutch colonial forces and Indonesians, who took up arms to rightfully resist their occupiers. This resistance would lead to Indonesia’s liberation, breaking the shackles of Dutch colonialism. Such struggle, however, would be exploited to appropriate West Papua’s own independence movement and instead take over the neighbouring country completely — the colonised becomes the coloniser.

After four years of struggle, Indonesia gained independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Indonesia subsequently stressed its right to West Papua given the countries’ shared struggle of colonisation through the Dutch East Indies. Over time, President Sukarno spouted rhetoric about the ‘uncivilised’ nature of West Papuans who were incapable of self-governance, as well as the claim that the Dutch were holding onto West Papua as a desperate means to hold diminishing power in the region.

Many futile negotiations took place over the next decade between Indonesia and the Netherlands. During this time, Indonesia used diplomacy to advance its goals for West Papuan land. Indonesia used the 1955 Bandung Conference, a gathering of Third World countries to discuss anti-imperialism and western-decentralisation, as a means to enhance the legitimacy of its claim to West Papua. Simultaneously, the height of the Cold War gave the US a chance to expand its influence, with Indonesia slowly turning to the Soviet Union for support in the occupation of West Papua. To quell the communist influence in South-Eastern Asia, the US eventually threatened to withdraw Marshall Aid away from the Netherlands if they did not give up the land to Indonesia.

In 1961, West Papua held a congress in which they declared their independence, and expressed support for the Luns Plan, a proposal by Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns that the Netherlands cedes sovereignty over West Papua and the UN administers a plebiscite over West Papua’s self-determination.

In 1962, the New York Agreement was signed by Indonesia and the Netherlands, in which West Papua would be transferred from the Netherlands to the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority for administration, and eventually to Indonesia. One of the stipulations within the agreement was that Indonesia conduct a referendum in West Papua over their self-determination. As Douglas Gerrard describes it, the New York Agreement is to Papua the Balfour Declaration to Palestine, with both Indigenous peoples “shut out of the negotiations that signed away their land.”

In 1969, the Act of Free Choice (known as the act of No Choice) was conducted by Indonesia. 1000 West Papuan tribal leaders were hand-picked and taken at gunpoint to vote against self-determination. The UN accepted the results of the referendum despite the autocratic electoral procedures.

Following the results of the plebiscite, Indonesia launched a military invasion on West Papua, throwing Morning Star flags into bonfires and destroying Indigenous artefacts. Indonesian occupation would expand.

West Papua today

The violent occupation of West Papua is upheld in all areas of life. Its tactics — state violence, displacement, resource extraction, and political repression — are evident among all other occupiers, such as: Israel, Australia, Amerikkka, Canada. 

ICF Brutality

Tens of thousands of Indonesian police and military personnel, henceforth referred to as the Indonesian Colonial Forces (ICF), brutalise, humiliate, drown, starve, rape, and shoot West Papuans. These are some of the most notable examples.

Operation Kikis (‘Chipping Away’) was conducted on the Central Highlands of West Papua between 1977 and 1978 in an effort to punish the Free Papua organisation (OPM) for their direct action against the Grasberg mine. In this massacre, over 4,000 West Papuans were killed, many by bombings. During the attacks, the ICF mass-arrested West Papuans and drowned them in containers that were often thrown into rivers, and buried people alive in wells that were then covered with soil. Survivors recount violence being especially targeted towards tribal leaders. Lieutenant Colonel Soekemi forced tribal leaders to drink the blood of Nalogian Kibak, who the ICF murdered. In a similar act of cruelty, the ICF also forced elderly West Papuans to eat soldiers’ faeces and drink military officers’ urine. Sexual assault was another major feature of Operation Kikis. The ICF forced a couple to have sex in public and filmed it, distributing it widely to frame West Papuans’ ‘animalistic’ nature. Soldiers raped West Papuan women in Jayawijaya to death with heated iron rods. Female victims’ breasts and genitalia would be mutilated. The ICF would cut the penises from killed Papuan men and force them into Papuan women’s mouths. Reverend Matius recounted his traumatic experience of witnessing the ICF insert batteries into a Papuan woman’s vagina.

Twenty years later was the 1998 Biak massacre. The West Papuan Morning Star flag was raised at a water tower in the town of Biak during an independence demonstration involving a declaration of demands regarding West Papuan sovereignty, chants, singing, and traditional dance. The ICF attempted to move the crowd on; met with resistance, they opened fire on the demonstrators, killing over 150 West Papuans and terrorising hundreds more over the following days. A citizens’ tribunal was held for the massacre at the University of Sydney in 2013, revealing horrific testimonies of sexual abuse and slaughter. One ICF soldier threatened a West Papuan woman with “we are going to use this [a razor blade] to cut off your vagina, from above and below and from the left to the right.” She testified that “A lit candle was penetrated inside me, they cut off my clitoris and they raped me.” To this day, the Morning Star flag is still banned and West Papuans continue to be charged with treason for raising it.

The 2011 Papuan Congress — a gathering of thousands of Papuans to discuss their struggle — was met with brutal violence by the ICF. The ICF beat, hit, and opened fire on delegates;300 were arrested and two died.

Danny Kogoya, the Jayapura regional commander of OPM, was poisoned to death in 2013 with toxic chemicals during his time at a police hospital where his leg was amputated without his consent. The autopsy was subsequently blocked by Indonesian officials.

In 2014, a 12 year old in Enarotali was assaulted with rifle butts by the ICF, after he and his friends shouted at soldiers whilst setting up Christmas decorations. The following day, around 800 West Papuans gathered in peaceful protest outside Indonesian military and police buildings. Protestors engaged in various traditional Papuan practices including performing the waita dance, singing, mimicking the bird of paradise, and holding ceremonial items. The ICF began to strike protestors with batons to disperse the demonstration before opening gunfire, murdering five West Papuan teenagers.

In 2015, the Timika Region was invaded by the ICF in response to Indonesian police officers and a Freeport mine security guard being killed. The ICF burnt down the village of Banti, displacing thousands of West Papuans. Additionally, over 100 villagers were indiscriminately arrested and tortured. Later that same year, one West Papuan highschooler was killed and another critically wounded from shootin. The ICF falsely claimed that the victims’ fathers were in OPM.

In 2019, 43 Papuan students in Java were arrested for the alleged vandalism of an Indonesian flag on Independence Day. During the confrontation, the ICF teargassed the students and called them monkeys. This triggered protests across West Papua, wherein the Indonesian government shut down the internet, and the ICF killed at least 10 Papuan protestors.

In September 2021, following allegations by the Indonesian government that OPM had caused conflict in the region, the ICF launched a military attack against Papuans in Kiwirok. Over 150 bombs were dropped over Kiwirok through rockets and drones, and ICF soldiers used snipers and M16s against civilians, ultimately killing over 300 West Papuans. Thousands of Papuans fled Kiwirok to isolated mountains. They continue to be displaced to this day, out of fear of Indonesian retaliation.As of 2023, the ICF still guards Kiwirok, placing stun grenades on tripwires in the journey back to Kiwirok, and shooting at Papuans who try to return. Due to the isolation of the mountains, at least 2,000 displaced Papuans from Kiwirok have died from starvation, and many others of sickness as well.

In 2023, the ICF raided the Fakfak Regency. During these raids, the ICF killed five Papuans by shooting them when they ‘resisted arrest’. The ICF arrested 12 others, including women and children. 500 West Papuan villagers in the Fakfak Regency became displaced when fleeing the raids, in fear of ICF response. A week later in the Yahukimo Regency, the ICF killed five West Papuan teenagers on the suspicion that they were members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

On the 10th of August 2025, the ICF immediately and lethally escalated their response to reports of alcohol consumption among young Papuans in Dogiyai. The ICF indiscriminately shot the group of Papuans, resulting in two teenage Papuans being seriously injured from gunshot wounds to their shoulders. Hostility against Papuans continued throughout the day, and the ICF shot dead 14 year old Martinus Tebai.

Ecocide

The exploitation of West Papua’s rich natural resources has been a central weapon of its continued colonisation. Imperial powers have preyed upon the country’s gold, copper, palm oil, and nickel reservoirs.

The Grasberg mine is one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world. Freeport, the U.S. company that holds primary ownership of the mine, was given a 30 year contract by Indonesia two years before the Act of No Choice. This agreement lacked any stipulations about environmental or social responsibilities, giving Freeport free reign for exploitation. The entire operation is expected to create 6 billion tonnes of waste. The mine is also partly owned by Rio Tinto — the same corporation that destroyed the 46,000 year old Juukan Gorge cave in Australia to expand an iron-ore project. 

The Tanah Merah palm oil project spans over almost 3,000 square kilometres,close to twice the size of New York City. The project has, since its inception, been plagued with corruption. An investigation conducted by The Gecko Project and Mongabay found that permits for the project have consistently been falsified. Such forgery enables ecocide to go unchecked, with the deforestation required for the project projected to create 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The Tanah Merah project uproots the Awyu people’s inherent ties to the land. Hendrikus Woo describes this innate connection: “without our ancestral forest, our people cannot survive.” Projects such as Tanah Merah commit not only physical acts — of ecocide and forced displacement — but also acts of cultural erasure, spiritual violence, and social disempowerment.

Despite claims by Indonesia that extraction projects such as these offer economic opportunities to otherwise impoverished West Papuans, it is precisely the imposition of exploitative, capitalist systems into West Papua that deprives the people of autonomy. The true beneficiaries of extraction are Indonesia and foreign investors from imperial states that benefit from colonisation: USA, UAE, Australia.

Furthermore, Papuan resistance to Indonesian ecocide is met with collective punishment.As outlined in the previous section, direct action by militant and peaceful Papuans alike leads to intensified ICF hostility. West Papuans are oppressed through violently extractive industries, and any dissent to these circumstances only exacerbates the colonial power that enables such industries in the first place.

Transmigration

Indonesia’s transmigration program is an egregious part of its erasure of West Papuans. The program is a legacy of the Dutch East Indies continued by the Indonesian government, dispossessing West Papuans from their land by moving Indonesians away from densely-populated Java. West Papuans currently make up less than 50 per cent of Papua. In 1971, they made up 96 per cent of the population. This is ethnic cleansing. West Papuans continue to be forced out of their homes through bombings, evictions, land-clearing, and armed force. Not only does transmigration inflict cultural violence, but the dispossession of land economically disempowers West Papuans. Such impoverishment forces them to engage in colonial economic and physical relations to the land, particularly extraction industries.

Political repression

The ban on raising the Morning Star flag, unlawful arrests of activists, internet blackouts, as well as the well documented cases of state-sanctioned violence from both the ICF and Indonesian police are salient examples of political repression in West Papua.

Some key activists in the movement have been forced to flee overseas to escape persecution from Indonesia over the fight for independence. Benny Wenda, founder of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, a coalition of pro-independence groups, escaped prison after being wrongly accused of leading an attack on a police station in 2000 which killed three Indonesian police officers. Wenda was not even in the country at the time of the attacks nor at the alleged planning of the attacks — a clear case of Indonesia’s intent to jail activists for their work. With the help of other activists, Wenda fled the country and now lives in the United Kingdom. 

The Indonesian government has barred human rights organisations and NGOs operating in West Papua while under its occupation. In 2015, CNN Indonesia reported that the Indonesian government had ordered all international NGOs to shutter their offices and leave the region. Prior to this order the Red Cross and Peace Brigade International closed their offices in West Papua in the 2010s.

For foreign journalists, covering West Papua comes with close monitoring from Indonesian authorities. A complete ban on foreign journalists was lifted by former President Joko Widodo in 2015; however, journalists have still been detained and prevented from doing their jobs. In 2018, BBC Indonesia bureau chief Rebecca Henschke was detained after posting photos of supplies sitting on a dock during a measles outbreak. The photos “hurt the feelings of soldiers” according to a ICF spokesperson as Henschke captioned the supplies as aid. The spokesperson said that it did not show aid but supplies from a local merchant. In 2020, editor for environmental news Mongabay Philip Jacobson was arrested and deported for “visa violations” after meeting with the provincial government in Kalimantan and the Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (IPAA), an indigenous rights advocacy group, to understand more about  local environmental issues. Indonesia claims the meeting breached the visa rules journalists use in West Papua. However, speaking to Vice News, the head of the IPAA said the arrest of Philips is most likely a response to his plan to cover Indonesian law prosecuting farmers for using fire to clear land plots.
While foreign journalists face arrests and deportations, local West Papuan journalists are more likely to face violence. Last year the offices of local tabloid Jubi Papua, who cover human rights abuses in West Papua, were firebombed by two unknown men. Despite clear security footage of the men and the motorcycle they rode on, no arrests were made by Indonesian police, a recurrent issue the publication has faced whenever they’ve become victims of violence. In 2023, editor for Jubi Papua Eddy Mambor, who had faced violence throughout his tenure as editor, had a bomb explode outside his house. Indonesian police failed to not only arrest the perpetrators but also failed to produce key evidence such as clear security camera footage as well as eye witness testimonies during their official recollections. Mambor did not find out the case was thrown out until several months later after being contacted by Papuan representatives from the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights. The International Federation of Journalists have said these instances set a dangerous precedent of impunity for crimes against journalists in the region, calling for transparent, effective investigations that considered all evidence.

Australia’s complicity

Like its complicity in the genocide and occupation of Palestine and Aboriginal land, the colonial powers of Australia continue to aid in the oppression and occupation of West Papua.

In an effort to maintain its colonial grasp of Papua New Guinea in the ‘60s, Australia initially supported the Netherlands plans to give West Papua full autonomy and independence. However, Dutch concerns of a military incursion into the region by Indonesia would later quell this plan, after the United States said it would not aid the Dutch militarily if independence were to happen. Australia would also backtrack on their support for this plan. 

As West Papua fell into Indonesian control, thousands of innocent West Papuans would become victims of atrocities by ICF, as the OPM began to ramp up resistance against the colonial force. 

Like in Palestine, Australia would play a role in the violence through military support of the ICF, with a 2013 report by the Asian Human Rights Commission finding that the Australian government supported the colonial forces with two helicopters. These were used during Operation Kikis, which saw the killing of 4,146 known people while some survivors estimated that around 13,000 were killed in the region. The Australian government also sent out Royal Australian Air Force fighters to the region, for mapping purposes which were used to aid the ICF across the Highlands of West Papua. 

The previously mentioned Biak Massacre in 1998 is yet another example of Australia painting its hand red with the blood of West Papuans by destroying photographic evidence of war crimes being committed by the ICF. An unredacted intelligence report, written by a former Australian military attaché and intelligence officer, given to Guardian Australia in 2021 revealed the extent of the massacres committed against West Papuan demonstrators. The local water tower, where demonstrations took place riddled with bullet holes as well as oral evidence by Australian volunteer aid workers on the island detailing the length of gunfire produced by the ICF. One local man also gave the officer a roll of film which contained photographic evidence of the senseless brutality inflicted against demonstrators. However, it was later found that the photographic evidence which was handed to the officer was destroyed by the Department of Defence in 2014. This was due to policy surrounding the handling of intelligence material after West Papua activist Anthony Craig requested an unredacted copy of the intelligence report without redactions from the National Archives of Australia.

In both examples, Australia has chosen to hide its complicity behind a charade of “raising concerns with the Indonesian government”, not being able find evidence in the Department of Defence and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade archives, or even destroying any key evidence under the guise of government policy.

Despite Australia’s historical denial in its complicity, the Australian wing of weapons manufacturers BAE Systems, Northrop Grunman, Thales, and Rheinmetall Defence — who provide the ICF with ammunition, tanks, and Bushmasters — are more than comfortable to have their profits covered in the blood of West Papuans, with a full green light from the Australian government. Australia also provides Indonesia with “counter-terrorism” through training programs and equipment to the Indonesian National Police through the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In 2011, the AFP donated three patrol boats which cost around $10 million including operational cost as well as $7.3 million worth of funding to the Indonesian National Police Cybercrime Unit. This support by the AFP is likely used to quell protests against the Indonesian occupation.

While the West Papuan boycott movement has not achieved similar levels to the BDS movement for Palestine, groups like the OPM have called for targeted boycotts against products whose companies source their palm oil from West Papua, such as Oreo, KitKat, and Smarties, while other groups have advocated for a total boycott of Indonesian sourced products. Despite the ongoing violence and repression, hundreds of thousands of Australians continue to flock to Bali as a holiday destination, financially aiding Indonesia through its tourism sector. If the Free West Papua movement were to reach the same international momentum that we are seeing for Palestine, the decision of Australian holidaymakers could make a difference. 

From Papua to Palestine, occupation is a crime! 

Australia’s continued support of Indonesia and its total denial of its complicity in war crimes however suppresses the support needed for a Free West Papua.

Conclusion

Indonesia continues to hold itself on the global stage as an ally to Palestine, refusing to recognise the Israeli occupation and sending aid to Palestine. While doing so, Indonesia violently occupies West Papua and enact its own genocide against West Papuans. The Act of “Free” Choice in the ‘60s was not a fair and equal representation of what many wanted.The autonomy of West Papuans was shackled by Indonesia’s flagrant disregard for the New York Agreement, which requested ALL 800,000 West Papuans to take a vote. Instead, a handpicked group of 1,025 West Papuan, voted whilst they were threatened with violence against themselves or their families if they voted for independence. What came after this sham vote — the ethnic cleansing, the ecocide, the enablement and complicity by Australia — is clear evidence that Indonesia’s grip is not welcome nor is it legal. 

Freedom for some is freedom for none. The very spirit that liberated Indonesia from the Dutch has been lost. Indonesia has become a traitor to its own struggle of decolonialism and appropriated the very logics of extraction and exploitation by the Dutch.

Papua Merdeka and Merdeka to all those occupied, from Gadigal to Gaza and from the West Bank to West Papua.

 

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