Topic: Situation in Indonesia and West Papua
After centuries of Dutch rule, in 1969 the people of West Papua voted in a referendum known as “the Act of Free Choice” to either become an independent nation or become a territory of Indonesia. The resulting vote, which was made by 1,205 electors in a region of 800,000, was a unanimous decision in favor of Indonesian governance. This result was immediately criticized as an unfair and undemocratic process, but the international community was content to declare the issue resolved.
After the results of the Act of Free Choice, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) declared West Papua to be a free and independent state. This sparked decades of conflict, with incidents of open combat between the Indonesian government and the military arm of the OPM (West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPNPB) and crackdowns on OPM sympathizers. Over the ensuing decades, these issues facing the people on West Papua have persisted without a clear end in sight. The conflict reached new heights in 2019, when in response to sustained protests the government of Indonesia instituted a total blackout of the internet in the Papua region and blanket ban on any foreign national entering the Papua region. In response, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the Indonesian government to meet with the Papuan leaders.
The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) has continued to monitor the situation over the past decade. In March of 2022, three special rapporteurs issued a statement declaring that “urgent action is needed in order to end ongoing human rights violations against indigenous Papuans.” This declaration concerned instances of extrajudicial killings, torture, and forced displacement directly from government security forces, in addition to indirect issues such as food insecurity and access to healthcare. In 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Council issued findings decrying the transparency and independence of the Indonesian judicial system, as well as expressing concern over the hurdles raised to free and fair elections.
The TPNPB has carried out a variety of terrorist acts as a means of rejecting Indonesian rule. These acts range from attacks on schools, seizing airstrips, shooting down civilian aircraft, acts of arson, kidnapping, torture, and public shootings. In 2018 the TPNPB issued its rules of war and declared war. Attacks carried out by the TPNPB have increased ever since.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has not issued any resolutions in recent history, but with additional powers and diplomatic heft, hopefully they will be able to enact more meaningful change.
