West Papua, a Humanitarian Emergency Zone

ULMWP's statement regarding the West Papua annexation by Indonesia 1 May 1963-2024.

ULMWP STATEMENT:

INDONESIA ANNEXATION OF WEST PAPUA MAY 1 1963 ILLEGAL

THE WEST PAPUAN NATION HAS THE RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION

West Papua is a Humanitarian Emergency Zone

Thank You Lord!

Today, May 1 2024, the West Papuan people commemorate the 61st anniversary (May 1, 1963-2024) of the tragedy of the annexation or the annihilation of the West Papuan political rights by the Indonesian colonial government with the assistance of the United States and Dutch governments using the hands of the United Nations. Today we also reaffirm that Papua (West Papua) is not actually part of the territory of the Indonesian Republic, because:

a). Historically West Papua was not part of the Dutch East Indies. On August 24 1828 in Lobo, Triton Kaimana Bay (Southern Coast of Papua) was declared as property of the Majesty King of the Netherlands,

b).Although West Papua (formerly Dutch New Guinea) and Indonesia (Dutch East Indies) were both Dutch colonies, the former was administered separately from the latter,

c). The West Papuan people did not take part in the Indonesian Youth Pledge of 28 October 1928,

d). In a meeting between representatives of Indonesia and the Japanese Military authorities in Saigon on August 12 1945, Mohammad Hatta emphasized that "...the Papuan people are a Negroid race, a Melanesian nation, so let them determine their own fate...". Meanwhile Soekarno argued that Papuans were still primitive so there was no need to be linked to the independence of the "civilized" people of Indonesia.

Mohammad Hatta in one of the BPUPKI (Investigation Agency for Preparatory Efforts for Indonesian Independence) council in July 1945;

a). West Papua was not included in the areas proclaimed as territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia on 17 August 1945,

b). In the Round Table conference on 23 August 1949 - 2 November 1949 the status of West Papua (Netherlands New Guinea) was explicitly stated by Mohammad Hatta, Chairman of the Indonesian Delegation, that "the issue of West Papua does not need to be questioned because the Papuan people have the right to become an independent nation."

The pure and noble desire of the Papuan people to have their own country was apparently responded to by the Indonesian government's act of annexation through the command of Trikora by President Soekarno on December 19 1961 in Yogyakarta. The fact that the President of Indonesia ordered "... Fail the Formation of the Dutch Colonial Puppet State of Papua..." is already an explicit acknowledgment of the existence of a Papuan State.

Trikora further escalated the conflict between the Netherlands and Indonesia regarding the political status of the land of West Papua. There was a cold war between the Western bloc and the Eastern (communist) bloc, and Indonesia's increasingly close relations with the Eastern bloc countries, as stated in a secret letter from the President of the United States, J.F. Kennedy to the Dutch Prime Minister, Dr. J.E. de Quay on 2 April 1962, resulting in the Netherlands bowing to political pressure from the United States to sign an agreement with Indonesia on 15 August 1962.

This agreement is called the New York Agreement. The contents of the New York Agreement, including the implementation of the Papuan people's right to self-determination to choose:

a). Do they want to remain with Indonesia, or...

b). Whether they want to sever their ties with Indonesia has never been questioned. 

However, without ever asking for the involvement and approval of the people and leaders of the Papuan nation, since May 1 1963 the Indonesian government took care of administration and began placing its military troops in large numbers throughout the land of Papua.

They come from all regional military commands and all TNI and Polri forces. As a result, political rights and human rights in Papua have been brutally outside the bounds of humanity. Some of these are summary murder, burial alive, murder of the victim who was first ordered to dig his own grave, murder of a father whose flesh was then burned and forced to be eaten by his wife and children, murder by being tied up and drowned in the sea, thrown out of a helicopter, taken from home and never returned.

Various forms of torture were carried out against the Papuan people, the victims of which are still alive today. Some were tortured by inserting hot iron into the anus, hanging with their heads down and burned with burning cigarettes, electrocuted, terrorized, picked up at night, and so on. Women also experienced cruel and immoral treatment. Rape happens everywhere, including underage girls. Husband and wife forced to have sex in public. Some people had their genitals pierced after being raped with bayonets or sticks. In addition, there have been many detentions without trial of those suspected of opposing the Indonesian government's desire to include West Papua as part of its territory. They also burned people's houses, destroyed people's gardens, and burned and destroyed church buildings. Those who are not influential are not forced by force but are persuaded with various bribes in the form of money, goods, positions or women.

These vile and barbaric acts escalated before the implementation of PEPERA (Determination of Popular Opinion) and continued after PEPERA. The aim is to silence the pure aspirations and will of the Papuan people to determine their own destiny in 1969 and beyond. The involvement of the Republic of Indonesia military in implementing PEPERA is very dominant.

Not only is the Indonesian military involved in intimidation of the population, but the military is involved in organizing the implementation of PEPERA. For example, the Secret Letter of the Commander of Korem 172, Colonel Blego Soemarto, No.: r-24/1969, Regarding: PEPERA Security, dated 8 May 1969, which was addressed to the Regent of Merauke as a Member of the Merauke Regency Muspida. The contents of the letter stated, among other things: "... If during the polling period it is necessary to replace DEMUS members, the replacement must be carried out at a distance from the PEPERA MUSYAWARAH." The Indonesian military has not only been the leading backbone in the operation to occupy West Papua and won the implementation of PEPERA in 1969 in the past, but also for 61 years throughout the conflict in West Papua, the Indonesian military has been the main tool in the politics of the Indonesian occupation in West Papua.

Since May 1963-May 2024, there have been more than 20 military operations against Papuans in West Papua. In the past 20 years, especially after the racist resistance action of the West Papuan people in 2019, the existence of the Indonesian military in West Papua has continued to be strengthened. We continue to follow and witness the rapid deployment and addition of personnel as well as the rapid development of new military infrastructure in the centers of district or provincial capitals and in remote outposts, borders and conflict areas. In the past 20 years, additions to the military structure have continued to occur in the Army, Navy and Air Force. For example, in the Indonesian Army, there were new additions to KODAM, PANGKOWILHAN, KOSTRAD, KOREM, KODIM, BATOLYON and KORAMIL. Addition of new structures to the Indonesian Navy, the addition of LANTAMAL, Fleet Command (Koarmada) and Marine Troop Command Headquarters.

Likewise, the addition of new structures in the TNI AU, LANUD, KOOPSAU, KOPSUD, Radar Unit and additions to other TNI AU units. The fact is that the current presence of the Indonesian Military in West Papua is not comparable to the number of indigenous Papuan residents. The West Papua conflict is not about finding a way out, but rather being used as an arena for competition for the interests of power, rank and position as well as their economic business interests in West Papua. During the same period, the Police also strengthened their presence in West Papua by continuing to add thousands of personnel and building new infrastructure, POLDA, POLRES, POLSEK and BRIMOB Troop units.

Silencing the space for democracy and freedom, arresting and shooting civilians on various charges are the police's choices in handling the political conflict in West Papua. Many Papuan activists and fighters as well as civilians became victims of shootings and killings by police officers who carried out criminalization and macarnization as an excuse for self-justification. From time to time the Indonesian Police in West Papua always use treason articles to ensnare and silence Papuan fighters.

Apart from expanding the TNI/Polri administration, the Indonesian colonial government also continued to expand the Indonesian civil administration area. The expansion of Indonesia's administrative territory in West Papua clearly legalizes and accelerates the political practice of Indonesian occupation. Through the expansion of provinces and regencies/cities in West Papua, it accelerates the massive, systematic civil migration of Indonesian migrants in large numbers coming to dominate this land. All Papua expansion policies so far have been based on racist sentiments and solely to occupy and control the West Papua region and its people.

Indonesian migrants not only control and take over areas of civil government but they also monopolize the political rights of Papuans. Several districts and provinces as well as parliamentary representation are dominated by political elites from Indonesia. Recently they have also started preparing to take over as candidates for Regent/Mayor in various districts/cities in West Papua. Implementing Special Autonomy Volume I, 2001-2021, the Indonesian government has completely failed to implement it in West Papua. In a period of 23 years (2001-2024), the government did not provide protection, freedom and empowerment in various aspects of Papuan people's lives. The unilateral revision and forced stipulation of Special Autonomy Volume II in 2021 by the Indonesian Government clearly provides space for open migration and takeover of the political rights of the West Papuan people. This law also opens wide the door for non-Papuan citizens to occupy and control the West Papua region.

This situation has been going on since May 1 1963. Currently 7 regions in West Papua are still in conflict between the TPNPB and the TNI/Polri which has resulted in the loss of life of the parties and civilians. Around 75,000 have been displaced in the last 5 years. The laws and power of the Indonesian colonial government made it a tool to ensnare and oppress the Papuan people. Based on the facts and published results of investigations from various institutions, it has been concluded that the Papuan people in the 61 years of Indonesian occupation of the Papuan people in West Papua are experiencing the threat of Genocide, Ethnocide and Ecocide.

In the future, sooner or later, the Papuan people under Indonesian occupation will become extinct as experienced by various indigenous tribes in various regions due to crimes against humanity, human rights violations, massive exploitation, which was practiced by colonialists through open and closed military operations and their various policies. In this context, the Papuan people have no future with Indonesia. So starting from the fact of 61 years of Indonesian occupation and in order to save the future of the Papuan people, today the Papuan people are holding open protests in 5 cities and districts in West Papua and 3 cities in Indonesia. For this reason, we call for and convey the following attitude:

1. All claims made by the Indonesian government regarding the status of the land of Papua as an integral part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia are invalid because they do not have authentic, pure and true historical evidence and that the West Papuan nation truly has Sovereignty as a nation which is independent and equal to other nations on the face of the earth since December 1, 1961.

2. The people of West Papua firmly reject the results of PEPERA 1969 because they were carried out on the basis of the New York Agreement which is morally and legally flawed. Carried out in an atmosphere of oppression beyond the bounds of humanity, eliminating the rights and freedom of expression of the Papuan people, and carried out in repressive and undemocratic ways.

3. West Papua Military Emergency Zone, immediately stop military operations in West Papua and withdraw organic and non-organic military from West Papua.

4. TPNPB (West Papuan Liberation Army) and TNI/Polri (Indonesian Army and Police), immediately carry out a ceasefire to realize political negotiations mediated by a neutral third party.

5. Indonesia will immediately open access to international journalists in West Papua.

6. Indonesia will immediately fulfill its promise to the Chair of the UN Human Rights Council in Jakarta in 2018 to provide access to the visit of the UN Human Rights Council in West Papua.

7. The Papuan nation fully supports the struggle of workers throughout the world to gain respect, honor and dignity and recognition of the role of workers in global economic and social development.

8. Immediately provide the right to self-determination through a referendum in West Papua as the most democratic solution to end all kinds of conflicts in Papua. Thus we can issue this Statement of Attitude on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the annexation of the political rights of the Papuan people by the Indonesian Colonial Government.

Jayapura, West Papua, 1 May 2024

United Liberation Movement for West Papua-ULMWP

Political Department

Jerry Wenda (General Coordinator)

Bayage Dictionary (Vice General Coordinator)

Political Responsibility - ULMWP

Know,

Menase Tabuni

Executive President