WPNC Intan Jaya Urges a Renewed Referendum and International Investigation into Alleged Human Rights Violations in Papua

INTAN JAYA, TOMEI.ID | In commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the declaration of West Papua’s independence on 1 December 1961, the West Papua National Committee (WPNC) of the Intan Jaya Region has issued an official statement addressing the political and security situation, as well as alleged human rights violations in Papua.

In the statement, the WPNC calls on the government to open democratic political avenues for resolving the conflict and to cease actions they believe endanger civilian safety.

They urge the government to consider conducting a renewed referendum on Papua’s political status through an international mechanism that ensures the principle of one person, one vote without military pressure. According to the organization, the 1969 Act of Free Choice did not meet international legal standards and effectively undermined the political rights of the Papuan people.

The organization also calls on the government to grant access to international human rights bodies to conduct independent investigations into various allegations of serious human rights abuses. Among the cases highlighted is the killing of Pastor Yeremias Zanambani in 2020, which, according to a report by the U.S. Department of State, was linked to a Hitadipa subdistrict military officer, Alpius Hasim Madi.

In addition, the WPNC highlights several events they consider to have had severe impacts on civilians, including military operations that allegedly caused casualties, suspected enforced disappearances, the killing of a mentally ill resident, the “Bloody Soanggama” incident on 15 August 2025 which resulted in 12 civilian deaths, as well as the plight of thousands of Intan Jaya residents displaced across various regions without adequate humanitarian assistance.

In its statement, the WPNC Intan Jaya also urges President Prabowo Subianto to take concrete steps to address the conflict that has persisted for more than six decades. They refer to the October 2025 edition of the Human Rights Monitor, which reported tens of thousands of civilian deaths and approximately 100,000 displaced due to escalating conflict between the WPNC and state security forces.

According to the group, the handling of displaced persons remains far from sufficient, particularly regarding food assistance, healthcare, education, and the provision of safe spaces for children.

They also call on the district government to reassess the placement of military posts within residential areas, arguing that the presence of armed forces in civilian living spaces triggers prolonged trauma and disrupts economic activities such as farming, livestock raising, and hunting.

In closing, they emphasize the importance of all parties involved in the conflict both the West Papua National Liberation Army and the Indonesian National Armed Forces/Indonesian National Police to adhere to international humanitarian law. They urge that public facilities, including schools, hospitals, government offices, churches, and private homes currently used as security posts, be promptly restored for civilian use. [*]