News Stories
Category: Human Rights
Indonesian elections – April 17 2019 – West Papuans boycott the Indonesian elections amidst arrests
April 17, 2019
Today – April 17 2019, West Papuan electors are boycotting the Indonesian presidential and general elections. The boycott was called by the representative body of the West Papuan people, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in March. West Papua is presently occupied by Indonesia. West Papuans are calling for independence, with rallies of […]
Human Rights Investigators: Bombs dropped, hospitals torched and thousands displaced in Nduga
April 1, 2019
This news item was originally published by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua on April 1, 2019 A delegation from Front Line Defenders, a human rights monitoring group, has reported that over 30,000 people have been displaced, healthcare facilities burned and Papuans deeply traumatised by Indonesian military operations in Nduga, West Papua. The Nduga […]
The ULMWP provides humanitarian aid to the victims of Sentani flooding
March 28, 2019
This article was originally written on the ULMWP website and can be read here. On 27th March, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), provided humanitarian assistance to the victims of flooding in Sentani. The floods and landslides have caused widespread destruction throughout Sentani in the Tabi region of West Papua, and have claimed […]
Fifty Parliamentarians urge British Government to act on Chemical Weapons in West Papua
March 27, 2019
In a letter to Mark Field MP, Minister of State at the Foreign Office, fifty Parliamentarians – including 41 MPs and 9 Lords – have asked the British Government to request the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to investigate reports of chemical weapons use (white phosphorous) by the Indonesian military in West Papua. […]
Boycott the Indonesian elections and Rally for Referendum!
March 26, 2019
This statement was released by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua on 26 March 2019 (see the original statement): As the representative body of the West Papuan people and all West Papuan groups, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) formally declares a boycott of the Indonesian presidential and general elections on April […]
Crowdfunding for new nation state launches on Indiegogo
March 20, 2019
Today – Wednesday 20 March 2019 – a new crowdfunding campaign was launched to assist in the creation of a new nation state – West Papua. The Free West Papua campaign is asking for donations to deliver the largest hand-signed petition in modern history (1.8 million West Papuans – 70% of the population) to the […]
Flood disaster in West Papua
March 18, 2019
Statement released by the United Liberation Movement for West Papua in response to the flood disaster in West Papua. You can find the original statement here. ULMWP Chairman: My condolences and sympathy for people in Sentani, West Papua March 18, 2019 It is with a heavy heart that I am sending this message to you […]
US State Department: West Papuans jailed for supporting referendum
March 15, 2019
The United States Department of State has confirmed that Indonesia jailed West Papuans gathering a petition for independence. In its 2018 assessment report for Indonesia, the US State Department says: “On March 12, an (Indonesian) district court in Papua Province convicted Papuan activist Yanto Awerkion and sentenced him to 10 months in prison for involvement […]
Indonesia sends 600 Indonesian soldiers to secure controversial road in West Papua
March 7, 2019
The Indonesian government has deployed 600 soldiers, including 150 “combat engineers” to secure the controversial “Trans Papua” road, which is causing widespread violence, ecological destruction and social upheaval. The following is a report from BenarNews Calm has yet to return to Nduga regency in Indonesia’s Papua province where separatist rebels killed 19 construction workers in […]
United Kingdom: Parliamentary motion demands action on chemical weapon attacks
March 6, 2019
An Early Day Motion demanding action from the British Government on chemical weapon attacks in West Papua has been launched by Alex Sobel MP. Supporters of the Free West Papua campaign in the UK may contact their MP via our website to register support for the motion. Early Day Motion #2074 Early Day Motions are […]