Thousands of Papuans protested on August 15 in West Papuan cities to denounce Indonesia’s continued violence, occupation and plunder of their territory. The action coincided with the commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of Indonesia’s illegal seizure and occupation of West Papua.

As on many occasions in the past, state forces violently dispersed the rallies. The protesters were shot with rubber bullets and teargas. In Nabire, the provincial capital of Central Papua, a rallyist was injured while 95 people were illegally arrested. Actions in five other towns were also violently attacked.

Violence by Indonesian forces against Papuans fighting for national liberation and secession is common. By 2023, military violence have forced at least 76,000 Papuans to flee.

In the first half of 2024, the groups recorded more than 266 victims in 39 cases of human rights violations. These incidents usually follow the entry of private companies into Papuan ancestral lands.

During this period, Indonesian armed forces killed nine members of the West Papua National Liberation Army. Twelve were tortured and 98 were arbitrarily detained. Tens of thousands have been intimidated and threatened.

Dispersal of protest actions in West Papua and even rallies in Indonesia supporting the Papuan people’s struggle are widespread. Even the simple waving or possession of the West Papua flag is prohibited.

Permanent People’s Tribunal

On June 27-29, the first Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) on West Papua was held in London, United Kingdom. It held Indonesia accountable for widespread human rights violations and environmental destruction in West Papua.

Led by Climate Crime and Climate Justice, together with the Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation and 13 other local and international organizations, Papuan organizations filed four complaints against the Indonesian state at the PPT. They filed charges of plunder of ancestral lands, violent repression to ram the entry of industries, systematic environmental destruction and collusion with foreign governments and corporations to carry out the crimes mentioned.

The tribunal ruled that the Indonesian state forcibly seized the land of indigenous Papuans through racial discrimination, resulting in the destruction of their cultural heritage and violent repression, including illegal detention, extrajudicial killings, evictions and environmental degradation.

History of West Papua

West Papua (formerly Netherlands New Guinea) is located southeast of the Philippines. It was part of the then Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) colony of The Netherlands from 1880. When the Dutch recognized Indonesia’s independence in 1949, it claimed West Papua to secure its economic interests in the region.

On August 15, 1962, The Netherlands and Indonesia schemed to sign the New York Agreement which established a United Nations interim authority to govern West Papua. It also stipulated a possible transfer of authority to Indonesia followed by a referendum for Papuan self-determination.

Indonesia launched a bogus referendum asking Papuans whether they wanted to submit to the Indonesian republic. Indonesian soldiers selected 1,024 Papuans, less than 1% of the entire population, as participants in the referendum and forced them to vote for integration.

In the face of this, the movement for liberation and the right to self-determination emerged in West Papua. In December 1963, Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM or Organization for Free Papua), a broad movement of groups for the liberation of Papua, was formed. The West Papua National Liberation Army stands as its armed force.