Pacific island nations unite to support West Papua amid human rights violations

By Christine Rovoi, PMN

A human rights group in New Zealand has welcomed support from several Pacific island nations for West Papua, which has been under Indonesian military occupation since the 1960s.

West Papua is a province in the far east of Indonesia, centred on the island of New Guinea. Half of the eastern side of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.

West Papua Action Aotearoa claims the Indonesian occupation of West Papua has resulted in serious human rights violations, including a lack of press freedom.

Catherine Delahunty, the group's spokesperson, says many West Papuans have been displaced as a result of Indonesia's military activity.

In an interview with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, the environmentalist and former New Zealand MP says most people don't know much about West Papua "because there's virtually a media blackout around this country.

"It's an hour away from Darwin [Australia], and yet, most people don't know what has been going on there since the 1960s. It's a very serious and tragic situation, which is the responsibility of all of us as neighbours.

"They [West Papuans] regard themselves fully as members of the Pacific community but are treated by Indonesia as an extension of their empire because they have all these natural resources, which Indonesia is rapidly extracting, using violence to maintain the state."

Delahunty says the situation is "very disturbing", adding a need for support and change alongside the West Papuan people."

In a recent joint statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the leaders of Vanuatu, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Sāmoa called on the global community to support the displaced people of West Papua.

Delahunty says the Pacific island nations urge the UN Council to advocate for human rights in West Papua.

She also says West Papua Action Aotearoa wants Indonesia to allow a visit from a UN human rights commissioner, a request that Indonesia has consistently denied.

She says Sāmoa is the latest country to support West Papua, comparing this with the "lack of action from larger neighbours like New Zealand and Australia".

Delahunty says that while smaller island nations and some African groups support West Papua, more powerful states provide little assistance.

"It's great that these island nations are keeping the issue alive at the United Nations, but we particularly want to shout out to Sāmoa because it's a new thing," she tells Terite.

"They've never, as a government, made public statements. There are many Sāmoan people who support West Papua, and I work with them. But it's great to see their government step up and make the statement."

Historically, the only public statements supporting West Papua have come from American Sāmoan congressman Eni Faleomavaega, who strongly advocated for it until he died in 2017.

Delahunty praised Sāmoa's support for the joint statement but voiced her disappointment at New Zealand and Australia. "What's not encouraging is the failure of Australia and New Zealand to actually support this kind of joint statement and to vigorously stand up for West Papua because they have a lot of power in the region. They're the big states, and yet it's the leadership of the smaller nations that we see today."

In September 2024, Phillip Mehrtens, a pilot from New Zealand, was released by West Papua rebels after being held captive for 19 months.

Mehrtens, 39, was kidnapped by West Papua National Liberation Army fighters in February 2023 and was released after lengthy negotiations and "critical' diplomatic efforts by authorities in Wellington and Jakarta.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters welcomed his release.

Why is there conflict in West Papua?

Once a Dutch colony, the region is divided into two provinces: Papua and West Papua. It is separate from PNG, which gained independence from Australia in 1975.

Papuan rebels seeking independence from Indonesia have issued threats and attacked aircraft they believe are carrying personnel and delivering supplies for Jakarta.

The resource-rich region has sought independence since 1969, when it came under Indonesia's control following a disputed UN-supervised vote.

Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian authorities have been common, with pro-independence fighters increasing their attacks since 2018.

The Free Papua Movement has conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesia, targeting military and police personnel, along with ordinary Indonesian civilians.

Human rights groups estimate that Indonesian security forces have killed more than 300,000 West Papuans since the conflict started.

But the Indonesian government denies any wrongdoing, claiming that West Papua is part of Indonesia and was integrated after a controversial "Act of Free Choice" in 1969.

The "Act of Free Choice" has been widely criticised as a manipulated process, with international observers and journalists raising concerns about the fairness and legitimacy of the plebiscite.

Despite the criticism, the United States and its allies in the region, New Zealand and Australia, have supported Indonesia's efforts to gain acceptance in the UN for the pro-integration vote.

Human rights groups, such as Delahunty's West Papua Action Aotearoa, have raised "serious concerns" about the deteriorating human rights situation in Papua and West Papua. They cite alarming abuses against indigenous Papuans, including child killings, disappearances, torture, and mass displacement.

Delahunty believes the hope for change lies with the nations of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. She says it also comes from the younger people in Indonesia today.

"This is a colonisation issue, and it's a bit like Aotearoa, in the sense that when the people who have been part of the colonising start addressing the issue, you get change. But it's far too slow. So we are so disappointed."

-This article was first published by PMN.