1) Papua New Guinea calls for 'buffer zone' with Indonesia amid concerns over West Papua conflict

2) West Papua’s long struggle for independence under Indonesia colonialism 

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-02/png-calls-for-buffer-zone-with-indonesia-amid-australia-treaty/106090380

1) Papua New Guinea calls for 'buffer zone' with Indonesia amid concerns over West Papua conflict

By Papua New Guinea correspondent Marian Faa and foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic

• Topic:Foreign Affairs
   3 Hours ago
  
  

In short:

Papua New Guinea has raised concerns over its border with Indonesia, calling for the establishment of a new 10-kilometre "buffer zone" between the two countries.

It comes as Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia prepare to hold trilateral meetings to help assuage Jakarta's concerns over a landmark defence treaty inked by Australia and PNG in October.

What's next?

The first meeting of defence ministers — featuring Australia's Richard Marles and his Indonesian and PNG counterparts — will be held tomorrow morning in Port Moresby.

Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have started annual defence ministers meetings to build trust and boost military cooperation after a new defence treaty between Canberra and Port Moresby stirred anxieties in Jakarta.

Papua New Guinea has also raised concerns over its border with Indonesia, calling for the establishment of a new 10-kilometre "buffer zone" between the two countries, which military and government forces would be banned from entering.

It comes after Australia and Papua New Guinea inked a landmark mutual defence treaty in October, committing to defending each other in an armed attack.

Just over a month later, Australia and Indonesia announced they had concluded negotiations on their own security treaty, which is set to be signed in Jakarta by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Prabowo Subianto in January.

But Papua New Guinean Defence Minister Billy Joseph told the ABC that Indonesia had "raised concerns" about the Australia-PNG pact.

Under the deal, known as the Pukpuk Treaty, Australia has promised to help bolster Papua New Guinea's defence force by supplying weapons, military equipment, holding joint exercises and training.

The treaty will also allow Australia to recruit Papua New Guinean citizens into its defence force and vice versa.

It is Australia's third military alliance and the first in more than 70 years since Australia forged the ANZUS pact with the United States and New Zealand in 1951.

Dr Joseph said Indonesia, which shares an 820-kilometre land border with Papua New Guinea, was worried about the potential implications of the treaty.

"They have raised a few concerns, especially with regards to their sovereignty," he said.

Dr Joseph said the idea for an annual trilateral defence meeting between the three nations came about when PNG was consulting with Indonesia over the new agreement.

"It's something that we all thought was a good idea because we are good neighbours," he said.

"Transparency has been the name of the game for us and we have nothing to hide."

First Australia-PNG-Indonesia defence meeting taking place tomorrow

Indonesia's foreign ministry spokesperson sounded a note of concern when the treaty was inked, saying while "Indonesia respects the right of every country to reinforce its defence system", no treaty should escalate "geopolitical competition" in the region.

"Indonesia also expects Australia and PNG to consistently uphold transparency in the process of forming this co-operation agreement, as well as to honour their commitment to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, including Indonesia," they said.

But Jakarta has since struck a much less wary tone, with top commander Agus Subiyanto declaring later in October that "Indonesia and Australia stand side-by-side in maintaining stability, security and peace across the Indo-Pacific region".

One Indonesian government source told the ABC that while there were still reservoirs of distrust in the Indonesian system when it came to the treaty, Australia had done a "good job" explaining what the Pukpuk Treaty was about and allaying those concerns.

The first meeting of defence ministers — featuring Dr Joseph, Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles and Indonesia's Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin — will be held tomorrow morning in PNG's capital, Port Moresby.

One federal government source said the meeting could represent a "huge step" for Australia as it tries to build strategic trust between all three countries, although they cautioned that building trilateral military cooperation would take time.

The Indonesian government has been contacted for comment.

Papua New Guinea and Indonesia share an 820km land border

PNG proposes 'close collaboration' with Indonesia at border

Dr Joseph said PNG also held concerns about its border with Indonesia and the potential for tensions within West Papua to spill over into Papua New Guinean territory.

Indigenous groups in West Papua have been engaged in a decades-long struggle for independence from Indonesia, with reports of increasing violence and human rights violations within the territory.

Both Australia and Papua New Guinea are adamant that they respect Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua, although successive governments in Port Moresby have also raised their concerns about human rights abuses and violent crackdowns.

Dr Joseph said unrest in West Papua risked spilling over the border.

"We pretty much respect whatever happens within Indonesian territory to be an internal Indonesian matter," Dr Joseph said.

"But if it comes into the PNG side of our territory, definitely it involves us."

He said PNG had proposed building a 10km buffer zone along the border, which would become a "no-man's land" that would be free from military infrastructure.

"And then we build joint patrol posts along the way so that both TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) and PNGDF (Papua New Guinea Defence Force) can man, and both sides can police that no-man's land together," he said.

"That's the sort of close collaboration we want to see."

Posted 3h ago3 hours ago, updated 3h ago

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https://iexaminer.org/west-papuas-long-struggle-for-independence-under-indonesia-colonialism/

2) West Papua’s long struggle for independence under Indonesia colonialism 

By West Papua Campaign USA - December 1, 2025

By West Papua Campaign USA, Arso Gombo, and Mirius Wenda 

We are the West Papua Campaign USA, a nonprofit organization established in 2021 with the support of the Pacific Island Community Association of Washington State (PICA-WA). Our mission is to advocate on behalf of West Papua, addressing issues such as genocide, ecocide, ethnocide, education, immigration, refugee rights, and emergency assistance for West Papuan students in need. Our office is located near the Aurora Transit Center. Every December 1st, we commemorate the fallen leaders of West Papua’s freedom struggle.  

This day marks our collective remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of West Papua. Beginning on December 1st, we also celebrate 19 days of independence, honoring the resilience, courage, and spirit of our people in the ongoing struggle for self-determination.  

West Papua’s independence movement started in 1961 after Dutch colonization for over 300 years. That same year, Indonesia invaded West Papua, which today is an Indonesian colony that has faced challenges such as genocide, ecocide, and ethnocide.   

Genocide & Ethnocide 

Genocide is extremely committed by Indonesia government since 1961 up to now, Indonesia have launched over 17 military operations in Papua, and thousands and thousands of West Papuan lives have been taken.   

According to The Neglected Genocide, a report published by the Asian Human Rights Commission, using historical records, field research and the testimony of survivors in 15 affected communities, the groups identified 4,146 victims of the killings but said the total number of victims who died from torture, disease and hunger as a result of the violence could be as high as 10,000. The report concludes that bombings and “indiscriminate shootings” occurred alongside “unspeakable atrocities including rape, torture and mass executions.” Villagers were slashed with razors and forced to have sex in public. Some were buried, boiled, and burnt alive. 

‘While clashes with the Indonesian military were nothing new for the Papuans,” the report writes, “what was happening in the Central Highlands during 1977-1978 was extraordinary in terms of the number of casualties as well as military officials and type of equipment deployed.’” 

The military operation listed above was conducted in West Papua over a two-year period. In that time, more than 5,000 West Papuans fled for their lives. West Papuan refugees now live around the border of West Papua, Indonesia, or Papua New Guinea. Some have run all the way to Australia and the United Kingdom due to ongoing aggressive military actions. 

According to Human Rights Monitor, “As of October 2025, more than 103,218 civilians across multiple regencies remained displaced due to military operations and armed conflict. The vast majority of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are Indigenous Papuans.” 

As a result, many IDPs do not have access to medical treatment, clean water, or food to eat. One refugee woman even gave birth in a jungle during one military operation. 

Serious concerns over healthcare and security in West Papua have sparked protests after two recent tragedies. 

In November 2025, in Jayapura, a pregnant woman named Irene Sokoy reportedly died—along with her unborn child—after being denied care at a hospital. Staff allegedly refused to admit her because she could not afford the costs of childbirth, a case that community members say reflects ongoing neglect of healthcare for Papuans. 

Separately, that same month, a high school student in Yahukimo Regency was seriously injured following an alleged Indonesian drone strike. The attack left him bedridden and prompted his family and local residents to gather in protest, demanding accountability from the Yahukimo government. 

Ecocide 

West Papua, home to the world’s third largest rainforest after the Amazon and Congo, is facing rapid deforestation. Since Indonesia’s takeover, illegal logging has surged. The UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific reports that Indonesia loses 1.6 to 2.8 million hectares of forest annually—about 3 to 5 hectares every minute—largely due to weak enforcement. In West Papua alone, 770,000 hectares of tree cover vanished between 2001–2024, according to Global Forest Watch. 

The Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE), Indonesian government’s planned mega rice and sugarcane project, covering land the size of Lebanon, is expected to accelerate destruction, threatening biodiversity, indigenous communities, and contributing heavily to global climate change. 

Indonesia nickel mining in Raja Ampat has also destroyed the beauty of the tourist area of the region, and many Papuans have gathered to protest it. However, the company still operates and destroys the habitat of mammals. 

“Over 500 hectares of forest and native vegetation have been cleared for nickel mines on the islands of Gag, Kawe and Manuran in West Papua, resulting in soil runoff and sedimentation that endangers coral reefs and marine ecosystems,” according to a study by Greenpeace andAP News. Forests are also being converted into palm oil plantations in West Papua; we need people to hear and help us to advocate for serious ecocide that is going on there.

Controversy has emerged in West Papua following reports that Indonesian authorities burned traditional cultural accessories, including head crowns, body ornaments, and ceremonial decorations, after taking control of the region from Dutch colonial rule. These items, once carefully documented and preserved in Dutch museums and books, are said to have been destroyed, erasing vital records of Papuan heritage. 

Among the most sensitive issues is the burning of head decorations made from bird-of-paradise feathers, a sacred symbol in Papuan culture. The bird-of-paradise has long held ceremonial and spiritual significance, with its feathers used in traditional attire to represent identity, status, and connection to nature. 

Local anthropologist Selpi Yeimo has publicly criticized the government’s actions, calling them an insult to Papuan cultural identity. Yeimo argues that if authorities wish to enforce bans on hunting paradise birds for conservation purposes, they must first consult with the cultural owners rather than unilaterally destroying heritage items. 

The incident highlights a broader tension between wildlife conservation policies and Indigenous cultural rights. While protecting endangered species is a global priority, Papuan leaders insist that solutions must respect traditional practices and ensure that cultural heritage is not erased in the process. 

The Natural Resources Conservation Center (BBKSDA) has faced backlash after burning traditional Papuan accessories made with bird‑of‑paradise feathers. Officials said the action was meant to protect the endangered bird from hunting, but many Papuans saw it as an attack on their cultural identity. 

Community members protested, accusing the institution of trying to eliminate Papuan traditions “one by one.” The bird‑of‑paradise holds deep spiritual and ceremonial meaning in Papuan society, and its feathers are used in headpieces and other cultural attire. Destroying these items was widely viewed as disrespectful to Indigenous heritage. 

Following the protests, BBKSDA issued an apology, acknowledging the sensitivity of burning cultural accessories. The incident has reignited debate over how conservation policies should be balanced with Indigenous rights, as Papuans demand consultation before decisions affecting their traditions are made. 

West Papua Campaign USA

 West Papua Campaign USA is Melanesian West Papuan-led non-profit organization committed to advocating for the rights and well-being of West Papuans in the United States.

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