London, 21st October 2022

“Reports of intensified violence… (have) result(ed) in unknown numbers of civilian casualties and fatalities and internal displacement” and shock at “reports of the dismembered bodies of four indigenous Papuan civilians found outside Timika in West Papua Province (sic) on 22 August”. These are the words of the UN Acting High Commissioner For Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, at the opening of the 51st Human Rights Council at the UN in Geneva last month. Al-Nashif’s inclusion of West Papua highlights further recognition of the worsening human rights...

London, 20th October 2022

Criminalisation, collusion and broken promises have been the main issues in regard to the state of freedom of expression and assembly in and related to West Papua in 2021. After an unusual year affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns across the world, there has been renewed pressure from the Indonesian government which has criminalised, imprisoned and intimidated activists who have spoken out on West Papua-related issues, with increasing numbers of arrests and increasing incidents of police and militias acting together. The police...

On 16 April 2022, Indonesia’s Attorney General announced that they were preparing prosecution of a suspect allegedly responsible for unlawful killings in Paniai, Papua in 2014, under the ‘Human Rights Court’ mechanism (under Law No. 26/2000).  This mechanism is the country’s special criminal tribunal dealing with cases of gross violations of human rights. If the case is brought before a special court under Law No. 26/2000, which is planned to be held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the Paniai Case would be the first case tried at a Human Rights Court for 18 years. Eleven other...

On 16 April 2022, Indonesia’s Attorney General announced that they were preparing prosecution of a suspect allegedly responsible for unlawful killings in Paniai, Papua in 2014, under the ‘Human Rights Court’ mechanism (under Law No. 26/2000).  This mechanism is the country’s special criminal tribunal dealing with cases of gross violations of human rights. If the case is brought before a special court under Law No. 26/2000, which is planned to be held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the Paniai Case would be the first case tried at a Human Rights Court for 18 years. In this briefing, AJAR (Asia...

We condemn the execution of four political prisoners in Myanmar, Kyaw Min Yu, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw. The four were convicted in a secret military court.  Member states of the United Nations and multilateral blocs from within the international community have denounced the executions. But international reactions have been basically in line with a position since the military's coup d'etat in February 2021. There has been criticism, followed by inaction and in some cases, indifference. More must be done to end the Myanmar military's illegal power grab. There are 100...

TAPOL expresses its concern and deep sorrow at the numerous events that have occured recently in West Papua, which have led to the deaths of several people. Firstly, the destruction and repressive actions of the security forces at the Paniai Regent’s Office (Kantor Bupati Paniai) that caused the death of one person and the injury of others on Tuesday 5th July 2022; and secondly, shootings and unlawful killings of at least 11 civilians, carried out by armed groups in Nduga on Saturday 16th July 2022.

Acts of violence against civilians, when they lead to deaths whoever is responsible,...

Coalition for Maybrat Advocacy has criticised the verdict of the Makassar District Court, which has found the Sorong Six guilty and sentenced them to prison for between 18 and 20 years. These verdicts add salt t​​o unhealed old wounds of Papuans, and have strengthened their sense that the Indonesian legal system cannot be trusted to deliver fair trials.

The court found the Six (Maikel Yaam, Amos Ky, Agustinus Yaam, MS, YW and RY) guilty of the premeditated killing of four Indonesian National Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI) soldiers at the Kisor military post, Maybrat...

This briefing looks at reports of illegal sales of weaponry by the security forces, continuing internal displacement and the military's claimed new approach. It looks especially at the reasons behind these developments, and the lack of coherent action on the part of the Government. An underlying reason for arms dealing is pervasive militarism in West Papua, where security force operations are leading to violence and causing the displacement of civilians. Arms dealing has been taking place as the security forces try to control the narrative on its role in West Papua, first justifying...

This briefing looks at reports of illegal sales of weaponry by the security forces, continuing internal displacement and the military's claimed new approach. It looks especially at the reasons behind these developments, and the lack of coherent action on the part of the Government. An underlying reason for arms dealing is pervasive militarism in West Papua, where security force operations are leading to violence and causing the displacement of civilians. Arms dealing has been taking place as the security forces try to control the narrative on its role in West Papua, first...

TAPOL urges the Indonesian Government to release Jefry Wenda, the spokesperson of the Papuan People’s Petition (Petisi Rakyat Papua, PRP) and others arrested today during a peaceful protest in Jayapura. Wenda was arrested along with several members of the West Papuan National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat, KNPB) including Ones Suhuniap, Omizon Balingga and Imam Kogoya. Others arrested were Marthen Rumbiak (West Papua National Authority, WPNA) and activists Esther Haluk and Aby Douw.

The arrests mark a further shrinking of civic space in West Papua since the Covid-19 pandemic...

London (29 April 2022)

Plans to establish 'Food Estates' were announced by the Indonesian government at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic because, it said, it wanted to ensure Indonesia's food security. 

But as AwasMIFEE! and TAPOL show in their report released today, 'Pandemic Power Grabs: Who benefits from Food Estates in West Papua?', these plans would seem to benefit agro-industrial conglomerates and oligarchs with close connections to figures in the government. Furthermore, based on...

As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the Indonesian Government proposed to establish ‘Food Estates’: massive expansions of agricultural land spanning millions of hectares of land across Indonesia, including West Papua, and producing a variety of crops. The Government’s reasons were that it wanted to anticipate a food security crisis caused by the pandemic. However, this report shows that there were other motivations. Based on existing documents in the public domain, and the record of previous failed Food Estates in West Papua and elsewhere in Indonesia, it highlights...

"Sorong Enam: Disiksa Bertubi-tubi, Dipindahkan Sembunyi-Sembunyi (Sorong Six: Tortured Repeatedly, Transported Secretly)". This campaign video, by TAPOL, LBH Kaki Abu, and LBH Makassar, calls for the release of six political prisoners from Sorong, West Papua, who were subjected to torture and unfair trial. Three of the six detainees are still minors.

Click this link to watch the full video.

The trial of six political prisoners from Sorong (The Sorong 6) has begun to hear witnesses for the defence. Testimony from two witnesses for the defence, presented by lawyers during the 5 April 2022 trial at the Makassar District Court and online, have strengthened suspicions that defendants MS and AY are the victims of wrongful arrest and were not involved in the murder of four Indonesian Army soldiers at the Kisor military post in South Aifat district, Maybrat...

This submission is made to the OHCHR by TAPOL and Bersatu untuk Kebenaran (BUK; United for Truth). TAPOL is a UK-based NGO formed in 1973 that promotes human rights, peace and democracy in Indonesia. BUK is a West Papuan grassroots organisation founded in Biak in 2008 by West Papuan survivors of violence. It seeks to build the capacity of victims and victims’ groups so that they can campaign for their rights, and the rights of their...

London, 22 March 2022

Freedom of expression in Indonesia is not improving, and the situation is of increasing concern where the opinion being expressed is critical of the human rights situation of West Papuans.

On Thursday 17th March 2022, hundreds of militia members of Laskar Merah Putih, (Red and White Warriors) demonstrated outside the office of Amnesty International Indonesia (AII). They accused both Usman Hamid, Director of Amnesty International Indonesia and his organisation, of being provocateurs and of acting for foreign interests, and undermining Indonesia’s...

1 March 2022

The Advocacy Team for Human Rights in Papua (Tim Advokasi HAM untuk Papua) strongly condemns acts of persecution and torture of seven minors, causing one of them to die. Based on a timeline of events that we have verified, it is suspected that the deceased child was heavily persecuted and tortured by the military (TNI), because they were accused of stealing weapons from Pos PT Modern Tapulunik Sinak, Puncak Regency, Papua. This event certainly adds to the long list of violence committed by the security forces in Papua.

This is the verified timeline:

Located right in the heart of the Bird’s Head Peninsula at the Northwest corner of West Papua, Maybrat has often been hidden fr​​om the world’s view, due to its remoteness, lack of coverage and seeming peacefulness. Following a period of military expansion in the region, Maybrat has been the scene of violence between the military and West Papua’s pro-independence armed group, TPNPB (Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat, the National Liberation Army of West Papua). This briefing shows drivers of recent conflict in Maybrat, especially militarisation and natural resource contestation. This...

Located right in the heart of the Bird’s Head Peninsula at the Northwest corner of West Papua (see Figure 1 below), Maybrat has often been hidden fr​​om the world’s view, due to its remoteness and lack of coverage. As one of the regencies that sprang up in the process of forming new administrative subdivisions (pemekaran) in 2009, Maybrat is part of the wider province of West Papua.

Figure 1: Map of West Papua Province. Maybrat Regency is the landlocked green region near the centre. (Source: Monitor Keadilan)

Below are some basic statistics:

Free Leo Idjie, Lawyer in the Kisor and LK Cases in West Papua (as published in change.org)

The criminalisati​​on of lawyers and activists in West Papua is happening again. This time the target is Leonardo Idjie, lawyer and human rights defender from LBH Kaki Abu (Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute), Sorong, West Papua.

Criminalisation efforts against Leo began whilst he was accompanying the Kisor case and the case of LK, a child accused of breaking the law (anak berhadapan hukum, ABH), at Sor​​ong State Court.

Whilst representing these two cases, LBH Kaki Abu...