December 1: TPNPB Orders the Raising of the Morning Star Flag

NABIRE, TOMEI.ID | The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has instructed its forces across 36 Regional Defense Commands to hold a flag-raising ceremony for the Morning Star flag on 1 December 2025.

The directive was issued by the TPNPB Central Headquarters through an official statement on Saturday, 29 November 2025.

TPNPB reaffirms 1 December as a historical milestone, which they describe as the moment of the Netherlands’ political recognition of Papua’s administrative formation in 1961. This narrative has long been invoked by pro-independence groups to commemorate what they regard as the birth of the embryo of a West Papuan state.

In addition to calling for the raising of this symbol of resistance, TPNPB also urges the people of Papua, foreign diplomatic networks, and the international community to mark 1 December as the day representing the embryo of Papuan independence. However, this historical interpretation is not universally accepted and remains contested among the Indonesian government, pro-independence groups, and scholars of Papuan history.

In its political stance, TPNPB views the issuance of Trikora on 19 December 1961 as the beginning of a military campaign which, in their view, triggered a prolonged cycle of violence in Papua. The group claims that tens of thousands of casualties and mass displacement have occurred since then, although these figures cannot be independently verified.

Through the same statement, TPNPB calls on the Dutch Government under King Willem-Alexander to take responsibility in addressing the Papuan conflict. They also urge the involvement of the United Nations, the United States, and the Indonesian government to reopen historical inquiry and pursue a comprehensive political resolution.

This appeal arises amid persistent instability in Papua, marked by sporadic clashes between TPNPB units and Indonesian security forces. The Indonesian government maintains that Papua is an integral and legitimate part of the Republic of Indonesia, and identifies TPNPB as an armed group engaged in unlawful activities.

The statement is signed by TPNPB spokesperson Sebby Sambom and lists the group’s leadership: General Goliat Tabuni, Lieutenant General Melkisedek Awom, Major General Terianus Satto, and Major General Lekagak Telenggen. [*]