West Papua and East Timor: A Shared Struggle, A Shared Future

May 20, 2024 marked the 22nd anniversary of East Timor's independence—a milestone born of immense suffering, international advocacy, and the unwavering resolve of a people who refused to be silenced.

As the world remembers that triumph, it must also confront the unfinished business of decolonization just to the east: West Papua.

The French journalist Thomas Oswald recently summarized the troubling contrast on RCF Radio:

“East Timor gained its independence thanks to changes in Indonesian government policy, as well as international pressure to allow self-determination for the Timorese people. In contrast, we are still waiting for something similar to happen to the Papuans in West Papua.”

His words call attention to a historical injustice too often ignored. While East Timor is now a sovereign nation, West Papua—rich in resources but brutalized for over six decades—remains under what many regard as an illegal and violent Indonesian occupation. The world’s silence is not only unjust; it is morally indefensible.

A False Distinction

Conventional diplomatic narratives argue that East Timor and West Papua are different cases. East Timor, annexed without United Nations approval in 1975, was internationally recognized as occupied territory. West Papua, in contrast, is said to have been integrated into Indonesia through a UN-sanctioned process in 1969.

This argument crumbles under scrutiny.

The so-called “Act of Free Choice” of 1969 involved just 1,026 hand-picked Papuan elders—less than 0.2% of the population—who voted under duress, military intimidation, and threats to their families. The process was condemned at the time by diplomats and observers, including the UN’s own representative. Resolution 2504, which followed, merely “took note” of the results. It did not confer legitimacy on Indonesia’s claim to sovereignty.

Legal scholars such as Pieter Drooglever and human rights organizations like the International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP) have consistently maintained that this process violated international law, particularly UNGA Resolution 1514, which affirms all peoples’ right to genuine self-determination.

Colonial Echoes and Strategic Silence

The historical parallels with East Timor are striking. West Papua declared independence on December 1, 1961, only to be invaded by Indonesian forces under Operation Trikora weeks later. East Timor declared independence from Portugal on November 28, 1975, and was invaded within days.

Both regions have experienced military occupation, mass killings, forced displacement, and systematic repression. The difference lies not in the nature of the injustice, but in the global response.

Why was East Timor eventually freed, while West Papua remains captive?

The answer is as old as empire: resources and geopolitics.

East Timor’s wealth lies mostly in oil and gas. West Papua, on the other hand, is an economic jewel. It holds one of the world’s largest gold and copper mines, vast timber reserves, strategic minerals like nickel and uranium, and untapped oil fields. The Indonesian state—and by extension, its international allies—have deep economic stakes in the territory.

Major Western companies, particularly in mining and defense, continue to benefit from the militarized status quo. Governments that once supported Timor’s right to self-determination—such as Australia, the U.S., and EU states—now fund or supply the very forces accused of atrocities in Papua.

The Resilience of a People

Despite this, the West Papuan people have never given up their struggle. From the guerrilla resistance of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) to the diplomatic efforts of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), they have maintained a consistent call for freedom and justice.

As with East Timor, the Indonesian military has failed to extinguish their aspirations, even with advanced weaponry and brutal counterinsurgency tactics. Recent years have seen an upsurge in armed resistance and civil mobilization, reflecting both desperation and determination.

A Moral Duty for Timor-Leste

If any nation understands the West Papuan plight, it is Timor-Leste. The two peoples share a colonial legacy, similar invasions, and decades of violent repression under Indonesian rule. They also share a history of solidarity: figures like Octovianus Mote, now a leader in ULMWP, supported Timorese independence in the 1990s.

It is time for that solidarity to be returned.

Dili’s current reconciliation with Jakarta is politically understandable. But silence in the face of injustice is not diplomacy—it is complicity. Timor-Leste must find its voice again, as it did under Ramos-Horta, Alkatiri, and Xanana Gusmão, and speak up for the inalienable right of Papuans to decide their own future.

A Shared Future

West Papua today looks to East Timor not just as an ally, but as a precedent. If one small people could withstand decades of occupation and achieve freedom, so too can another. The arc of justice may be long, but it bends through action, solidarity, and moral courage.

If Timor-Leste stands with West Papua, it will not be alone. Across the Pacific, in Melanesia, in civil societies worldwide, and even within Indonesia itself, voices are rising for change. It is time for the world to listen—and act.

The unfinished business of West Papua is not only Indonesia’s burden. It is ours too.