Human Rights abuses of indigenous Papuans in Indonesia

14-03-2022

Ashba Nawaz

Indonesia and Nepal--Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

In Indonesia, the people of West Papua have been struggling for independence since Dutch colonial rule and these separatist movements have been strengthened under the leadership of a new independence organization, The KNPB (National Committee for West Papua). As a result of such separatist movement, there have been mass human rights violations not only limited to the members of this organization but the general Papuan indigenous people. Today the Papuan Tragedy has been ongoing with arrests, burnt villages, killings, and the natural wilderness being destroyed through mining, logging and other biofuel interests.

 On 1st March UN Human Rights experts have expressed grave concern about the deteriorating Human rights situation in Papua and West Papua of Indonesia. “Between April and November 2021, we have received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, including of young children, enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment and the forced displacement of at least 5,000 indigenous Papuans by security forces,” the three independent experts said in a statement. They further states that since the escalation of violence in December 2018, at between 60,000 to 100,000 people.

In addition to this inhumane treatment, humanitarian aid has also been obstructed by the authorities. Which has resulted in severe malnutrition and poor health conditions in some areas,

This situation calls for urgent action ensuring all alleged violations are met with thorough, prompt, and rational investigations to bring justice to the land and its people.

Sources and further reading:

Free west Papua Campaign. History of West Papua. https://www.freewestpapua.org/info/history-of-west-papua/ Accessed on 14-03-2022

Free west Papua Campaign (2022). UN experts report on shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans.

https://www.freewestpapua.org/2022/03/03/un-experts-report-on-shocking-abuses-against-indigenous-papuans/ Accessed on 14-03-2022

UN Human Rights Office of High Commissioner (2022). Indonesia: UN experts sound alarm on serious Papua abuses, call for urgent aid . https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=28180&LangID=E accessed on 14-03-2022