PAPUA — Chairman of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Agus Kosay, released an official statement regarding KNPB’s stance on the approach of the Minister of Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, Natalius Pigai, in handling human rights issues and armed conflict in the Land of Papua. The statement was addressed to all Papuan people, whether in exile abroad, political prisoners behind bars, or those waging guerrilla warfare in the wilderness to defend their homeland and defend human rights.
The official response from the KNPB Central was issued following several statements by Natalius Pigai regarding the plan of the Indonesian Ministry of Human Rights to form a special team to conduct a re-data collection on the number of refugees and civilian victims resulting from armed conflict in Papua. In addition, KNPB strongly protested Pigai's statement calling on the Papuan people to only demand welfare and cease demands for independence or the right to self-determination.
Agus Kosay also highlighted Natalius Pigai’s track record as a former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Indonesia (Komnas HAM RI), who was previously known to be very vocal and critical in voicing humanitarian issues and the right to self-determination for Papua in accordance with international covenants on civil and political rights. According to Agus, Pigai's current statement asking Papuans to accept welfare rather than self-determination precisely lowers his credibility as Minister of Human Rights. KNPB considers Pigai to have been used as a tool of Indonesian colonial politics and to demonstrate an inability to address the root cause of Papua's political status.
Regarding the plan to establish a team for re-collecting data on civilian victims and refugees, KNPB emphasized that Natalius Pigai has actually received various factual reports and documents from humanitarian partner organizations in Papua, including churches, the Local Government, and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH). The Minister of Human Rights' dissatisfaction with reports from these independent institutions and his attempt to conduct a re-data collection are viewed as a form of government inability. KNPB strictly rejects this re-data collection process if it is merely intended as a comparison against existing factual data.
Agus Kosay explained that the 64-year struggle of the Papuan people stands on a very clear historical foundation. The presence of Indonesia in Papua is assessed as a form of illegal occupation forced through military power following President Soekarno's decree on December 19, 1961. In various international agreements of the past, the Papuan people were sacrificed and never involved as subjects of international law. Therefore, KNPB criticizes Natalius Pigai's steps, which are considered merely an extension of Jakarta's hand with illogical narratives that ignore the primary historical roots.
In its statement, KNPB also touched upon the first paragraph of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which asserts that independence is the right of all nations. Indonesia, as a UN member and serving on the UN Human Rights Council, was urged to comply with and execute international covenants and legal mechanisms. KNPB requested the Indonesian Government under the leadership of President Prabowo and Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai to grant broad access to independent international bodies under the UN, such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to conduct direct independent investigations in the Land of Papua.
KNPB also compared Indonesia's active diplomatic role in mediating the Palestinian conflict and pushing for the right to self-determination for the Palestinian nation at the international level. Agus Kosay stressed that Indonesia must demonstrate maturity by being open toward its own domestic issues. Indonesia was asked not to act as if it were an ideal mediator for other nations while closing itself off from neutral international mediators to resolve the Papua issue.
Specifically, KNPB issued a firm call to all Papuan civil society elements—including fighters, academics, humanitarian organizations, church leaders, NGOs, customary leaders, and women leaders—who are accommodated in the data collection team formed by the Ministry of Human Rights. KNPB urged them to immediately withdraw and stop their involvement, as such actions are deemed only to prolong the suffering of the Papuan people and assist state efforts to rehabilitate its own reputation.
Agus Kosay concluded his statement by emphasizing that the struggle of the Papuan people does not exist within the context of Indonesian national law, but rather under international legal jurisdiction. All the sacrifices of the Papuan people who have been in and out of prison and suffered for years cannot be paid for by the Indonesian government through mere physical development, road construction, buildings, or economic welfare programs alone. Because the Act of Free Choice (Pepera) mechanism in 1969 was conducted under international mechanisms, KNPB stressed that the resolution of the Papua conflict must once again be pursued through international legal jurisdiction and neutral third-party mediation toward achieving a referendum and the right to self-determination. (One Papua)