More than 1,000 West Papuan civilian refugees have fled from the Intan Jaya region to the forest since 15 February 2021, escaping from the Indonesian military and terrorist police brutality. The Indonesian state has stepped up its terror campaign against…
On February 9, West Papuan Interim President Benny Wanda warned of new plans by the Indonesian government to divide the West Papuan territory into three provinces, the Morning Star U.K. reported. As another 450 troops arrived to ‘violently enforce its policies,’ the…
This publication is the sixth in the current series of PNG Economic Updates. It has two principal aimsFirst, it analyzes the key recent developments in Papua New Guinea’s economy and places these in a longer-term and global context. Second, the…
The head of the Papuan People’s Assembly says it has rejected Indonesia’s plans on special autonomy for his region. Indonesia’s government is seeking to extend the Papuan provinces’ Special Autonomy Law which expires this year after two decades. Special Autonomy…
Benny Wenda has been a fierce advocate for the West Papuan cause. Why is it, then, that the proclamation of his presidency has been met with marked skepticism within West Papua? By Leon Langdon, The Diplomat In December 2020, Benny Wenda told TIME…
Independence leader Benny Wenda announced the formation of the Provisional Government of West Papua on 1 December 2020. The government-in-exile has declared Indonesia’s presence in its country an illegal occupation and asserted its right to rule over its own nation. “We…
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk Indonesia’s former coloniser, the Netherlands, has become the 83rd international state calling for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to be allowed into West Papua. Following questions posed by parliamentarians from seven Dutch political parties,…
On Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, a network of accounts is targeting the West Papua independence movement with memes and messages designed to shape international and domestic narratives about the separatist movement. The region has been beset by a series of…
From Dateline Pacific, RNZ Despite ongoing harassment and arrests, civil society groups in West Papua have been working to consult with indigenous people on an issue regarding the region’s political future. Indonesia’s government is seeking to extend the Papuan provinces’ Special Autonomy…
An 18-year-old resident of Asiki district in Bovel Digoel regency, Papua, reportedly died after being tortured by Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel stationed in the region. Identified as Oktovianus Warip Betere, the young man was accused of stealing from a kiosk at a…
