AWPA -West Papua Update No 5/2025
17 September 2025
There was no improvement in the human rights situation in West Papua. Clashes continued between the TPNPB and the security forces. West Papuans continue to be arrested and intimidated as the take part in rallies on days of significance in their history or protesting against the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule.
In its August update , Human Rights Monitor reported that there are over 100,000 people in West Papua internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), with most of the displaced persons remaining displaced.
A number of events on West Papua are coming up which can be supported.
Upcoming Sydney Event- Cinema Resistenza, Wednesday 24 September
Cinema Resistenza: Perpera & My Name is Pengungsi (Refugee) — short films about West Papua. Hosted by FILEF – Federazione Italiana Lavoratori Emigrati e Famiglie
When 6:00pm Wednesday 24 September
Where Gumbramorra Hall, Addi Rd Community Centre
142 Addison Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204 Australia
Papuan journalist Victor Mambor will introduce two films that highlight conditions and developments in our near neighbour, West Papua, where there is civil and armed conflict, thousands of internally displaced people, and ongoing large-scale environmental destruction from mining and logging industries………..
Papuans Behind Bars
Quarterly Update April–June 2025
Report | 11 September 2025
Summary
During the second quarter of 2025, we recorded 47 cases of arrests, almost all of which were arbitrary and one of which involved arbitrary detention. It was noted that 30 people were released, while 17 were prosecuted, and torture or other ill-treatment occurred in 19 of the cases. In addition, we also saw that at least five human rights defenders were victims of arbitrary arrest.
In this period, at least nine detainees from previous periods received court judgments. Five were charged with possession of firearms and/or bladed weapons, two were charged with murder, while the rest were charged with violence against property/persons and theft with violence. They received sentences ranging from seven months to 10 years in prison. In addition, one activist had his prison term extended for no apparent reason………... https://papuansbehindbars.org/q2-2025/
New Report
Bringing it All Back Home: the role of British companies in the destruction of West Papua. Samira Homerang Saunders and David Whyte
The report, Bringing it All Back Home: The Role of British Companies in the Destruction of West Papua, is co-authored by Professor David Whyte and Samira Homerang Saunders from Queen Mary's School of Law. It presents the first comprehensive audit of British involvement in extractive industries and large-scale agriculture in the region. The research details how UK financial institutions, corporations and investors are connected to deforestation, mining operations and gas production projects in West Papua, and considers the social and environmental consequences for Indigenous communities.
Full Report
https://ccccjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BIWP-Digital.pdf
IDP update August‘25: Humanitarian crisis amidst ongoing military operations
Human Rights News, Reports / Indonesia, West Papua / 13 August 2025
The humanitarian crisis in West Papua continues. As of mid-August 2025, more than 100,313 people in West Papua [1] have been internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), with most of the displaced persons remaining displaced. New internal displacements due to security force operations were reported in the regencies of Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Puncak Jaya, and Pegunungan Bintang. IDPs from the districts of Tangma and Ukha returned to their villages on 10 July 2025, following the facilitation of their return by the Papuan Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP).
In July 2025, the Diocese of Timika raised serious concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in West Papua due to intensifying armed conflict between Indonesian security forces (TNI-POLRI) and the TPNPB. The conflict has escalated with security forces using sophisticated weapons, including aerial bombardments, mortars, land mines, and drones, while deliberately targeting not only armed groups but also civilian infrastructure such as villages, schools, hospitals, churches, and residential areas.
The Diocese of Timika has called for immediate humanitarian intervention, urging all parties to implement a humanitarian pause, cease hostilities in civilian areas, and create war-free zones to allow humanitarian assistance to reach displaced populations. The Church specifically demands that security forces stop military-style policies against civilians, including restrictions on farming and mandatory reporting requirements that threaten food security. Additionally, they are calling for the suspension of investments in West Papua, a review of natural resource exploitation permits, and a genuine government presence to provide essential services to IDPs. The Diocese emphasizes the need for civilized conflict resolution through political dialogue with neutral third-party mediation, highlighting that underlying issues include not only political independence but also investment-related concerns affecting indigenous communities’ customary rights………………….
Indonesian occupying forces open fire on protest in Sorong
Susan Price Green Left September 2, 2025 Issue 1437
Indonesian security forces opened fire on a peaceful protest, in Sorong on August 27, which was supporting political prisoners Goram Goram Gaman, Maksi Sangkek, Piter Robaha and Nikson Mai. Photos: Jubi.id
Indonesian security forces opened fire on a peaceful protest in Sorong, West Papua, on August 27, killing one person and injuring several others, according to eyewitness reports received by Green Left. The security forces also arrested 20 people. They released 16 detainees two days later, but have arrested another four pro-democracy activists. Among those detained is the husband of respected pro-democracy leader and former political prisoner, Sayang Mandabayan, who is being hunted down by the occupation forces. Democracy activists are demanding immediate international attention to ensure Mandabayan’s safety. Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) spokesperson Joe Collins said the demonstrators were peacefully protesting against the transfer of four Papuan political prisoners — Goram Goram Gaman, Maksi Sangkek, Piter Robaha and Nikson Mai — from the Sorong State Court to Makassar. The four are facing trumped-up treason charges.
“[The protesters] were calling on the authorities to allow the prisoners to remain in West Papua, where they would have the support of their families and friends,” Collins said. “The security forces responded with their usual heavy-handed approach to peaceful rallies in West Papua with intimidation and arbitrary arrests.”
Jubi reported that Papuan mothers and the families of prisoners spontaneously occupied the yard of the Sorong City police headquarters on August 29. That day, according to Jubi, 16 detainees were released. Eight others remain in detention, including the four who were arrested on August 29. “Of the eight residents still under arrest, five are activists from the Pro-Democracy Papuan People’s Solidarity Front throughout Greater Sorong,” said Jubi.
Snap actions calling for an end to the repression were held at the Indonesian embassy in Canberra and its Naarm/Melbourne and Garramilla/Darwin consulates on September 2.
Indonesia’s repression of the West Papua pro-independence movement has escalated, with dozens of activists jailed on treason charges for seeking peaceful dialogue with the occupying Indonesian administration. Mandabayan’s home was raided twice in the past week. “This is a deliberate campaign to criminalise political leadership, intimidate women defenders, and silence West Papua’s democratic voices,” Australian West Papuan rights activist Ronny Kareni said.
“In West Papua, talking about peace is seen as treason. These raids, transfers and arrests are not isolated. They are part of a long-standing pattern of state systemic violence designed to crush West Papua’s movement for justice. Leaders like Sayang Mandabayan are not criminals — they are voices of democracy that the Pacific must defend.” These attacks come as Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, long accused of war crimes and notorious for his poor human rights record, tightens his grip on power.
Protesters across Indonesia are rejecting his authoritarianism — the parliament building in Makassar was set alight as thousands demanded democracy and an end to state violence. “While the Indonesian military persecutes urban activists, up in the mountains [of West Papua] they are torching villages and murdering with impunity,” Naarm activist Zelda Grimshaw said.
“The new generation of Indonesians understands that West Papua is Indonesia’s colony, and that whatever crimes the army commits there may one day be committed against them. They will not stand for another dictatorial government. Neither should we.”
The 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting will begin in the Solomon Islands on September 8. According to AWPA, at a prior PIF in Papua New Guinea, 2015, leaders pushed to “convey the views of the Forum to the Indonesian Government and to consult on a fact-finding mission to discuss the situation in Papua with the parties involved”.
“Ten years later, there still has been no positive response from Jakarta,” Collins said.
AWPA is urging PIF leaders to “vigorously follow up on their original request”. Jakarta must be pressured to “allow a PIF fact-finding mission to visit West Papua” and “invite the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the territory”.
Human Rights Monitor
Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 14 August 2025
On 10 August 2025, at approximately 3:00 pm, the two women and two children disembarked from a passenger vessel at Bintuni Bay Port from Sorong, where Derina had received medical treatment. Upon arrival, officers from the Bintuni Police stopped and searched them, reportedly finding the clothing items bearing the Morning Star motif and camouflage pattern. Thereupon, police officers detained the women and children at the Bintuni Police Station. According to the relatives, the police gave them 30 minutes to contact an alleged TPNPB commander in Teluk Bintuni, demanding he return a firearm reportedly taken during the 2018 killing of a Brimob officer. Officers threatened to transfer the detainees to Manokwari if the weapon was not returned. No arrest warrants were presented. On 11 August 2025, the human rights organisation KontraS West Papua publicly condemned the detention, highlighting its arbitrary nature and urging the police to immediately release the detainees. Police officials later stated they were “secured” for questioning rather than formally detained.
Human rights analysis
The incident constitutes a case of arbitrary arrest and detention, prohibited under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party. The detention of two mothers, one of whom is pregnant, and two children without charge or judicial oversight also contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), particularly Articles 37(b) and 3(1), which require detention of minors to be a measure of last resort and mandate that the best interests of the child be a primary consideration.
The police’s attempt to use the detainees as leverage to secure the return of a firearm constitutes collective punishment, a practice explicitly prohibited under international human rights law. The refusal to allow family visits and to disclose the legal basis for detention further violates the right to prompt access to family and legal counsel, protected under Principle 15 of the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
Fifty-Fourth Pacific Islands Forum
The Fifty-Fourth Pacific Islands Forum was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands between from 8 – 12 September 2025
Climate change was of one of the main issues on the PIF agenda but civil-society organizations from within West Papua and the Pacific wrote to the PIF leaders urging that West Papua be discussed at the Forum. AWPA letter https://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2025/09/open-letter-to-pacific-islands-forum-leaders-2/
West Papua mentioned in the PIF communique
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16. Leaders reaffirmed the Forum’s ongoing recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty over West Papua (Papua). Recalling Indonesia’s 2018 invitation for a mission led by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Leaders tasked the Secretariat to work constructively with Indonesia on a proposed visit by Forum Leaders Envoys in 2026, in consultation with the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat.
PIF communique
West Papuan media plea for Melanesian support against Indonesian media blackout
By Pacific Media Watch – August 22, 2025
Melanesian supporters for West Papuan self-determination at The University of the South Pacific. Image: USP/NIT
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.
READ MORE: Papuan journalist award-winner Victor Mambor targeted for his reports
West Papua media at Pacific Journalism Review
Other West Papua media reports
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…………………………………
Green Left. Ali Mirin September 13, 2025 Issue 1438 World
West Papuans fleeing into the forest during an Indonesian military operation in Pucak Jaya, West Papua, in August. They are carrying an Indonesian flag to avoid being killed. Source: Veronica Koman/X
The arrival of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Port Moresby on September 2 marked the first official visit by a UN chief to Papua New Guinea, a moment of historic significance.
Grand Chief Bob Dadae warmly welcomed him, praising PNG’s achievements in peacebuilding and democracy as the country nears its 50th anniversary of independence.
Beneath this historic visit and the diplomatic celebration lay a deeper story — one that exposes the UN’s double face in Melanesia. On one side stands Bougainville, where dialogue and international support birthed a fragile but real peace. On the other side lies West Papua, where the same institution abandoned an entire people to silence, militarisation and slow extinction.
Bougainville: The long road to peace
The centrepiece of Guterres’ visit was a peace and reconciliation ceremony with the Autonomous Province of Bougainville — a milestone reflecting decades of dialogue after a brutal civil war that claimed more than 20,000 lives.
In 2019, more than 98% of Bougainvilleans voted for independence in a referendum. While non-binding, this overwhelming result built on years of patient negotiation between the PNG government and the Autonomous Bougainville Government, supported by international mediators, including Jerry Mateparae, Aotearoa New Zealand’s former governor general.
The UN played a decisive role: funding local initiatives; guaranteeing transparent elections; supervising weapons disposal; and building the administrative capacity for Bougainville’s transition toward independence, now targeted for 2027. In Bougainville, the UN lived up to its creed. Dialogue replaced violence. Trust took root where hatred had burned. The voices of the people were honoured.
Bougainville stands as proof of what is possible when justice is not delayed.
West Papua: A nation betrayed
Across PNG’s western border, West Papua tells a starkly different story. West Papua — once promised freedom — has been betrayed and condemned to silent death.
The betrayal began in 1969 with the so-called “Act of Free Choice”. About 1000 men and women, handpicked by Indonesia, were forced under the gaze of armed soldiers to “choose” integration with Indonesia. The UN, though present, closed its eyes. It blessed a fraud that mocked every principle of self-determination written in its own charter.
Since then, West Papua has endured militarised occupation, systematic human rights abuses and widespread displacement and replacement of Indigenous communities.
Calls for UN special rapporteurs and independent observers have gone unanswered for decades, while Jakarta tightly restricts international access to the territory. Unlike Bougainville, where international mediation created pathways to peace, West Papua remains trapped in cycles of violence and enforced silence.
The international community has not remained passive. More than 110 countries have now demanded that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights be allowed to visit West Papua. This groundswell includes support from the Pacific Islands Forum, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Commission. Despite this unprecedented pressure, Indonesia continues to block access, directly defying international demands.
West Papuans remain grateful for Pacific solidarity, yet Jakarta’s intransigence undermines the credibility of regional diplomacy itself, exposing how Indonesia holds the entire Pacific Islands Forum hostage to its domestic agenda.
The UN’s original failure
To understand today’s crisis, we must confront the UN’s original failure. In the early 1960s, West Papua was formally listed in the UN decolonisation list as a non-self-governing territory with recognised rights to eventual independence. But the 1962 New York Agreement, negotiated between the Netherlands and Indonesia without any Papuan representation, tragically buried that status.
Under this arrangement, the UN handed administrative control to Indonesia in 1963, paving the way for Indonesian military occupation. The promise of genuine self-determination in 1969 became a carefully orchestrated deception. Instead of challenging this fraud, the UN legitimised an outcome born of coercion and fear.
For Papuans, this remains the moment of ultimate betrayal: when the very institution created to protect their rights instead sanctioned their subjugation.
Rather than adopting PNG’s collaborative peace-building approach, Indonesia has systematically worked to shield West Papua from international scrutiny. At the 46th ASEAN Summit in May, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto proposed full ASEAN membership for PNG. While framed as regional integration, this initiative serves Jakarta’s strategic interests. Embedding PNG within ASEAN’s principle of “non-interference” strengthens Indonesia’s narrative that West Papua is purely a domestic matter, deflecting pressure for international oversight or a final UN-supervised resolution to restore West Papuans’ sovereignty.
Bougainville and West Papua represent two fundamentally different approaches to Indigenous struggles for self-determination. Bougainville proves that peaceful resolution is achievable when governments negotiate in good faith, international actors provide credible oversight and local voices are genuinely heard and respected.
West Papua illustrates the devastating alternative: militarisation, systematic exclusion and the denial of basic human dignity. Its continuing tragedy represents not failed peacebuilding, but deliberately unfinished decolonisation.
The UN’s unfinished business
The UN cannot celebrate Bougainville’s success while wilfully ignoring West Papua’s suffering. Its catastrophic failure in 1969 created unresolved political and humanitarian consequences that continue to push West Papuans into the brink of extinction.
The path to redemption requires concrete action: dispatching fact-finding missions to document the truth; deploying human rights monitors to protect Papuans; and creating conditions for peaceful, internationally credible resolution of this longstanding, neglected genocide.
Guterres’ historic visit to PNG demonstrated the UN at its transformative best — helping convert Bougainville’s devastating conflict into a viable path toward independence. But West Papua remains the organisation’s most shameful unfinished business, a betrayal that corrodes UN credibility throughout the Pacific region.
Guterres now faces a defining choice. If Bougainville is remembered as a triumph of international peacebuilding, West Papua risks being forever marked as the UN's greatest moral failure — unless decisive action is taken to ensure West Papuans’ survival.
History will ultimately judge whether this historic moment becomes a catalyst for long-overdue justice or merely another ceremonial gesture while Indigenous Papuans on the western side of PNG’s border face extinction.
[Ali Mirin is a West Papuan academic and writer from the Kimyal tribe of the highlands bordering the Star Mountain region of Papua New Guinea. He holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.]
Excessive force against peaceful protesters during New York Agreement commemoration in Sentani
Human Rights Monitor. 10 September 2025 /
On 15 August 2025, Indonesian police and Brimob forces used excessive force against peaceful KNPB protesters in Sentani, Jayapura Regency. The demonstration, part of region-wide commemorations from Sorong to Merauke, was organised to mark the controversial 1962 New York Agreement that transferred Papua from Dutch to Indonesian control.
Despite KNPB’s advance notice and emphasis on peaceful protest, security forces responded with violence, resulting in at least nine documented injuries and systematic violations of constitutionally protected rights.
Documented Violations
Use of Excessive Force
Beginning at 7:20 AM, security forces escalated tensions by deploying two Brimob vehicles, three police cars, and a personnel transport truck against peaceful demonstrators. After a 15-minute ultimatum, forces used water cannons and batons to violently disperse protesters, forcibly pushing them from Pos 7 intersection to GIDI Imanuel Church.
Documented Injuries
Human Rights Defenders confirmed nine people injured by police batons, including five specifically identified victims:
Nhofis Esema (23), KNPB Coordinator – head injuries
Eko Passe (22), KNPB member – head trauma, materials destroyed
Elky Matuan (25), KNPB member – head and body injuries during negotiations
Alory Wenda (22), KNPB activist – head and right hand injuries
Merontak Wallo (20), KNPB activist – head injuries near left ear
Four additional victims remain unidentified. All sustained injuries from police batons during what should have been protected peaceful assembly.
Destruction of Property
Security forces systematically destroyed protest materials, cutting command ropes and tearing pamphlets carried by demonstrators.
Legal Framework Violations
The police response violated multiple Indonesian constitutional and legal protections:
Constitution Article 28E: Guarantees freedom of association, assembly, and expression
Law No. 9/1998: Protects freedom of public opinion expression
Law No. 39/1999: Affirms individual rights to peaceful demonstration
Police Regulation No. 7/2012: Mandates police protection rather than repression of lawful demonstrations
These violations were committed under the authority of Jayapura Police Chief AKBP Umar Nasatekay, whose forces acted contrary to established legal procedures for handling peaceful demonstrations.
Pattern of Suppression
This incident exemplifies broader systematic suppression of democratic rights in West Papua. The violent response to peaceful commemoration of a historical agreement demonstrates Indonesian authorities’ intolerance for Papuan political expression, even when conducted within legal frameworks.
The timing is particularly significant, occurring amid West Papua’s ongoing humanitarian crisis where over 100,000 people remain internally displaced due to armed conflict between Indonesian forces and independence groups.
Demands for Accountability
Based on documented evidence, we demand:
Immediate investigation into excessive force used against peaceful protesters
Accountability measures against Jayapura Police Chief AKBP Umar Nasatekay and responsible officers
Medical assistance and compensation for injured demonstrators
Cessation of repressive tactics against Papuan civil society
Respect for constitutionally protected rights of assembly and expression
Conclusion
The 15 August crackdown represents a clear violation of international human rights standards and Indonesian constitutional law. The systematic use of violence against peaceful demonstrators exercising fundamental rights demands immediate investigation and accountability measures.
This case exemplifies the broader pattern of democratic space restriction in West Papua, where legitimate political expression is met with state violence rather than constitutional protection. International attention and pressure are essential to ensure Indonesian authorities respect basic human rights and democratic principles in Papua.
Detailed Case Data
Region: Indonesia, Papua, Jayapura Regency, Sentani
Total number of victims: 9
# | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
1. | 1 | Nhofis Esema | male | 0 | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment | |
2. | 1 | Eko Passe | unknown | 0 | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment | |
3. | 1 | Elky Matuan | diverse | 0 | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment | |
4. | 1 | Alory Wenda | diverse | 0 | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment | |
5. | 1 | Merontak Wallo | diverse | 0 | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment | |
6. | 4 | diverse | adult | Activist | freedom of assembly, ill-treatment |
Period of incident: 15/08/2025 – 15/08/2025
Perpetrator: Indonesian Police, Mobile Brigades (BRIMOB)
Human Rights Monitor
Military operation in Puncak Jaya leaves 13-year-old girl wounded and village in ruins
Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 14 August 2025
In the early hours of 7 August 2025, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) reportedly raided the Oholumu Village, Mewoluk District, Puncak Jaya Regency, resulting in the burning of civilian homes, the destruction of church facilities, and the shooting of a 13-year-old girl named Y. W. The operation included aerial attacks by two helicopters at around 3:00 am, followed by arson and destruction of buildings, including the church facilities belonging to the Gereja Injili di Indonesia (GIDI). Y.W., a student from Oholumu, sustained a gunshot wound to her right thigh (see photo above, source: independent HRD). The bullet remains lodged in her body due to a lack of timely medical intervention. She was only transferred from Mulia to Jayapura for treatment on 14 August 2025, eight days after the shooting. Residents of the village fled following the attack, and many remain displaced.
According to the information received from local sources, TNI ground troops departed from Mulia towards Mewoluk District, moving through the forest. By 3:00 am, they had surrounded Oholumu Village. Two military helicopters arrived simultaneously, firing upon the area before landing. Ground troops subsequently burned several houses and church buildings. Y.W. left her home during the raid with a flashlight to relieve herself and was shot without warning by TNI personnel. She fell unconscious and remained unattended for hours. On 8 August 2025, villagers discovered her and transported her to Mulia for limited treatment. On 14 August 2025, she was referred to a hospital in Jayapura, where no surgical intervention has yet been performed due to financial constraints and the family’s lack of BPJS health insurance coverage.
Human rights analysis
The incident raises serious concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the prohibition on attacks against civilians under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State party. The use of lethal force against a clearly non-combatant child, the destruction of civilian infrastructure including religious facilities, and the forced displacement of the local population may constitute grave breaches and potentially amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The prolonged denial of timely, adequate medical treatment to a wounded minor also violates the right to health as guaranteed under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
13-year-old Y.W., receiving medical treatment in Jayapura
Two Australians Charged Over Suspected Arms Smuggling to Free Papua Movement
Tempo Reporter Dani Aswara September 15, 2025 | 06:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested two men from New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland on charges of attempting to supply firearms to the Free Papua Movement’s armed wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM). AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the agency takes arms smuggling to international groups very seriously.
“Anyone involved in the illegal arms trade from Australia with the intention of supplying them to international groups should be cautious,” Nutt said in a statement published on the AFP’s official website on Monday, September 15, 2025.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by the Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team (QLD JCTT), which includes the AFP, Queensland Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), and the New Zealand Police.
The probe began after the TPNPB kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens in Paro, Papua, in February 2023.
Mehrtens was held captive for 592 days before his release in September 2024.
Police allege that the suspects, a 64-year-old from NSW and a 44-year-old from Queensland, attempted to smuggle firearms and ammunition from Australia to Indonesia. Investigators also accuse them of discussing plans to obtain Australian military-grade weapons for the Papuan separatist group.
The NSW man faces four additional charges, including unlawful arms trading, illegal export of weapons equipment, and possession of 13.6 kilograms of mercury. He is also accused of smuggling rifle scopes to Papua during a trip in March-April 2024.
The Queensland man has been charged with possession of explosives without a permit. Both men are scheduled to appear before the Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 17, 2025. Queensland Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Heath Hutchings highlighted the importance of international cooperation in tackling arms smuggling.
“This operation sends a clear message: those seeking to profit from the illegal arms trade will be identified and prosecuted,” Hutchings said.
In response, TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom denied receiving weapons from Australians. “The TPNPB at the national command has protocols. We at the Central Headquarters Management have never received weapons from Australian citizens. We consider the accusations unfounded because we have no official knowledge of any weapons assistance from Australian citizens,” Sebby stated.
Event-WCC to participate in UN Human Rights Council Side Event, “Human Rights in Indonesia”
The World Council of Churches will host a UN Human Rights Council side event, “Human Rights in Indonesia—One Year into the New Administration,” to be held in Geneva on 22 September.
Walking to Kiwi, Pegunungan Bintang regency, West Papua, on 16 September 2021 the village was attacked by air by Indonesian forces destroying and damaging many houses and public buildings including a clinic and church. People from the village fled into the surrounding jungles, Photo: Sean Hawckey/WCC
The event will consider the policies of the new Indonesian administration on human rights in Indonesia, with a focus on the human rights situation of the Indigenous peoples in West Papua.
The gathering will bring together Indigenous Papuan human rights defenders and researchers to give an overview of the human rights situation one year into the mandate of the new administration.
Amplifying Indigenous Voices and Exposing an Alarming Authoritarian Drift
The side event, co-organised by the World Council of Churches and Franciscans International, and supported by several international human rights organisations, comes at a critical time in Indonesia's democratic trajectory. Just one year after President Prabowo Subianto took office in October 2024, the country has witnessed alarming signs of democratic backsliding and a deteriorating human rights climate.
Widespread protests over austerity measures and political corruption have been met with heavy-handed crackdowns. At least 3,000 cases of arbitrary arrest during peaceful demonstrations have been reported, with confirmed deaths and injuries raising serious concerns about police brutality and impunity.
In West Papua, the situation is even more dire. Over 100,000 Indigenous Papuans are currently internally displaced, facing severe shortages of healthcare, food, clean water, and access to education. Despite urgent humanitarian needs, the Indonesian government continues to block international aid from reaching affected communities.
The event seeks not only to document these violations but also to place the spotlight on the long-standing structural injustices faced by Indigenous Papuans. The lack of legal recognition under Indonesian law, including the decade-long failure to pass the Indigenous Peoples Bill (RUU Masyarakat Adat), leaves communities vulnerable to eviction, environmental destruction, and systemic marginalisation..
As the Human Rights Council enters its 60th session, the event will serve as a vital platform for holding the Indonesian government accountable and amplifying calls for justice, dignity, and peace in Indonesia and West Papua.
Event Details
Title: Human Rights in Indonesia – One Year into the New Administration
Date: 22 September 2025
Time: 13:00–14:00 CEST
Location: Room VII, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Organisers: World Council of Churches, Franciscans International
Watch the event live here
Adelaide Event
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Vale John Martinkus
1969-2025
Photo from The AGE
John died on Sunday 14 Sept in Melbourne, aged 56..
John was the author of books on Aceh, East Timor, West Papua and Iraq, bringing knowledge of the conflicts in our region to the general public.
His articles, Quarterly Essay, and book on West Papua increased awareness of the issue in Australia.
Vale John Martinkus. Condolences to his family and friends
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The AGE
‘He went where others weren’t’: War correspondent John Martinkus dies
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Opinion pieces/reports/media releases etc.
Open Letter from Pacific CSOs to PIF on the Situation in West Papua
Statement-West Papuans to commemorate their day of betrayal.
https://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com/2025/08/west-papuans-to-commemorate-their-day.html
Eighty years on, Indonesian indigenous peoples still face the ‘imperial boomerang’
‘Paradise Silenced’ Photo Book: Greenpeace’s Two Decades Documenting Stories and Struggles in West Papua
https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/press/67670/paradise-silenced-west-papua-photo-book/
Investigate police violence at protests against transfer of Papuan political prisoners Source Amnesty
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