News Stories
Category: Human Rights
West Papuans to launch historic Green State Vision at COP26
November 3, 2021
– The issue West Papua is a Pacific Island country under colonial occupation. Since Indonesia invaded and illegally occupied West Papua in 1963, over 500,000 indigenous West Papuan people have been killed. Home to one of the world’s largest rainforests, West Papua (bordering independent Papua New Guinea to the East) is one of the most biodiverse places […]
Papuans Behind Bars – Annual Report
October 10, 2021
The latest annual report from Papuans Behind Bars has been released, covering the period October 2020 – September 2021. 418 new political prisoners were recorded in the period October 2020 to September 2021. Most new political prisoners have been released after being arrested or detained with as many as 106 still being held in…
Another West Papuan priest killed by the Indonesian military amid internet blackout
May 28, 2021
URGENT – 5th WEST PAPUAN PRIEST SHOT IN MONTHS. We are devastated to report the killing of yet another West Papuan priest at the hands of the Indonesian military. Lagan Hagabal was shot dead by Indonesian soldiers in Demayu village this month amid the ongoing internet blackout.
Spanish Senate calls for UN High Commissioner access to West Papua
March 23, 2021
The Spanish Senate has called for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to be allowed into West Papua, where a long-running Indonesian occupation is accused of severe human rights abuses. Underscoring the urgency of the visit, five West Papuan students in Jayapura were arrested today (Monday) by Indonesian police for backing the campaign for […]
Indonesian military violence against West Papuan religious figures – summary
December 9, 2020
A spate of killings of religious figures has taken place in West Papua in recent months, carried out by the Indonesian military. The ULMWP summarises the cases here.
245 new political prisoners in West Papua
December 7, 2020
Report from Papuans Behind Bars There were 245 new political prisoners between 1 January 2019 and 30 September 2020. While 198 of the political prisoners on record have now been released, 27 remain in prison serving their sentences, seven are currently on trial and another is awaiting trial. There are at least twelve people on the police […]
Provisional Government of West Papua announced
December 1, 2020
Press release from The United Liberation Movement for West Papua. (ULMWP) begins forming a new ‘Provisional Government’ in West Papua today (Tuesday December 1). The announcement marks an intensification of the struggle against Indonesia’s colonisation of the territory, ongoing since 1963. The new government-in-waiting aims to mobilise the people of West Papua to achieve a […]
URGENT: 5 West Papuan people shot and 4 killed by Indonesian Security Forces
November 25, 2020
We have received urgent news from West Papua that on 21st November 2020, 4 West Papuan school students ages between 13 and 19 and 1 West Papuan man aged 34 were shot by the Indonesian Security Forces. 18 year old Manus Murib, (pictured here) is the only survivor of the massacre and his schoolmate Atanius […]
Indonesian Government launches mis-information campaign using fake social media accounts
November 12, 2020
Originally published by Bellingcat A new online influence operation that seeks to counter West Papua’s independence movement appears to have emerged on prominent social media sites. The discovery comes roughly one year after a similar network of fake accounts was uncovered by Bellingcat. Although the new web of between 100 and 200…
Tapol & Veronica Koman publish report on West Papua Uprising
October 4, 2020
TAPOL, in collaboration with human rights lawyer Veronica Koman, has today published an extensive report on the 2019 West Papua Uprising (‘the Uprising’) on the anniversary of its last day in 2019. The written report is supplemented with a short video. Download the report The report, summarised in an executive summary, is a compilation of […]