Reports (annual, quarterly, research, thematic updates, etc.) published by Human Rights Monitor
Ongoing armed clashes between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) have caused the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to rise while at the same time preventing them from safely returning to their homes.
Over the past years, there have been several reports of such abuses and Human Rights Monitor (HRM) has compiled a list of victims of enforced disappearance and extra-judicial killings in West Papua between January and December 2022.
The armed conflict in West Papua has significantly intensified throughout March 2023, causing new internal displacements in the region. The military is proceeding with the central government’s plan to increase social interaction with indigenous Papuans in remote parts of West Papua. Military personnel are targeting schools in particular, where they can make contact with the Papuan youth.
Two major developments with a significant effect on the human rights situation in West Papua throughout 2022 were, firstly, Jakarta’s plans to amend the Papuan special autonomy law and establish new provinces in West Papua. This has caused widespread rejection among indigenous Papuans. In July 2021, the central government unilaterally amended the Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law without the participation of the Papuan Peoples Assembly (MRP) and the provincial government. Secondly, the ongoing armed conflict in West Papua causes a climate of persistent violence, particularly in the conflict areas. Papuan human rights defenders kept reporting cases of torture, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances – many of such cases are directly related to armed conflict.
On 9 November 2022, Indonesia was reviewed for a fourth time by the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a review in which the members of the Human Rights Council discuss the overall human rights situation in Indonesia, including in West Papua. During the three hours session in Geneva, Indonesia presented its human rights record from the state’s perspective after it had submitted its national report for this review.
As of December 2022, the government of Indonesia ignores the presence of more than 60,000 estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the regencies Nduga, Puncak, Intan Jaya, Maybrat, Pegunungan Bintang and Yahukimo
Two major developments with a significant effect on the human rights situation in West Papua throughout 2022 were, firstly, Jakarta’s plans to amend the Papuan special autonomy law and establish new provinces in West Papua. This has caused widespread rejection among indigenous Papuans. In July 2021, the central government unilaterally amended the Papuan Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law without the participation of the Papuan Peoples Assembly (MRP) and the provincial government. Secondly, the ongoing armed conflict in West Papua causes a climate of persistent violence, particularly in the conflict areas. Papuan human rights defenders kept reporting cases of torture, extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances – many of such cases are directly related to armed conflict.
Armed violence statistics and a series of recent attacks indicate that the conflict in West Papua has reached a new level of escalation throughout 2022
On 23 December 2021, the chief of the Papua Regional Police in Indonesia, Mathius Fakhiri, gave a press conference in which he announced that armed contacts between Indonesian security forces …
