Open letter to Pacific Islands Forum Leaders

 Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

 

4 September 2025

Open letter to Pacific Islands Forum Leaders

 

Dear Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, 

 

I am writing to you concerning the human rights situation in West Papua. 

We understand  there are many issues of concern to discuss at the 54th Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Summit in Honiara and in particular that climate change is a priority issue for the Leaders and the People of the Pacific.  AWPA believes that the issue of human rights in West Papua is also a major issue of concern.  

 

I would first like to thank the PIF leaders for discussing  the human rights situation in West Papua at previous Forums and mentioning the issue in the official Forum Communiques.  Unfortunately, since last year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting in Tonga , the human rights situation in West Papua has deteriorated further. AWPA will not go into great  detail  concerning the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua of which  the PIF Leaders would be  well aware. 

 

However, numerous recent reports have documented the human rights  violations in the territory, the burning of residential houses during military operations and the targeting of civilians, human rights defenders and local journalists.  Papuans are regularly intimidated  and arrested  by the Indonesian security forces for acts,  such as simply raising their national flag, the Morning Star or commemorating days of significance in their history as a way  of protesting the injustices they suffer under Indonesian rule. 

 

There are regular clashes between the security forces and the  West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB ) who are fighting for their independence.  Human Rights Monitor in its IDP update (August 2025) reported there are more than 100,313 people in West Papua who  have been internally displaced as a result of armed clashes between the security forces and the TPNPB.  

 

 

In the most recent incident in West Papua, the Indonesian security forces cracked down on peaceful protestors in Sorong,  Southwest Papua Province on the 27 August. The demonstrators were protesting the transfer of 4  political prisoners from Sorong to  Makassar City, South Sulawesi. They 4 prisoners have been charged with treason. The  demonstrators were peacefully protesting  the transfer of the prisoners and urging  the authorities to allow the prisoners to remain in West Papua where they would have the support of their families and friends.

 

The Indonesian security forces responded severely  to the peaceful  protests, firing tear gas and live ammunition. Up to 23 people were arrested. They were eventually released.  At a protest in Manokwari,  a resident is believed to have died due to the  effects of the tear gas. This  heavy-handed approach by the security forces was condemned by Amnesty International Indonesia. In a statement,  Amnesty’s Executive Director strongly condemned the brutality of the security forces during the demonstrations and urged the authorities to release the four Papuan political activists from all legal charges.

 

In light of the seriously deteriorating  human rights situation  in West Papua, AWPA urges the PIF Leaders to again discuss the human rights situation in the territory.  

 

Its now 10 years since the PIF Leaders  at their 46th PIF meeting in Port Moresby in 2015, “requested the Forum Chair 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. AWPA urges the Forum  Leaders  this year to vigorously follow up on their original request , urging Jakarta to not only allow a PIF fact finding mission to  West Papua but to also urge Jakarta to invite the UN  High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the territory.

 

AWPA believes that if enough outside attention is brought to  the issue of West Papua,  Jakarta may try to control its  military in the territory and stop the human rights abuses.

 

Yours sincerely

Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)

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