PAPUA – The Central Executive Board of the West Papua National Committee (BPP-KNPB) has officially issued a political statement following the conclusion of its 8th National Leadership Meeting (Rapimnas VIII) held in Timika, West Papua. In a landmark decision, the KNPB has designated the Land of Papua as a "Military and Humanitarian Emergency Zone" in response to the unending escalation of conflict.
General Chairman of the KNPB, Agus Kossay, emphasized that this decision was reached after a profound review and comprehensive evaluation of the history of humanitarian crimes occurring in Papua over the last 64 years. He stated that the conflict, rooted in divergent historical perceptions of integration, has reached a critical point that threatens the safety and survival of the civilian population.
In his official statement, Agus Kossay explained that the root of the conflict traces back to the post-colonial dispute between Indonesia and the Netherlands. Although the United Nations had recognized the right to independence for West Papua in 1950, the decolonization process initiated by the Netherlands through the National Papua Committee on December 1, 1961, was met with Indonesia’s Trikora military operation. He pointed out that the 1969 Act of Free Choice (PEPERA), which serves as the basis for Papua’s integration into Indonesia, is considered procedurally flawed as it employed a representative consensus system rather than the "one man, one vote" principle mandated by the New York Agreement.
The failure to resolve these fundamental issues is seen as the catalyst for a prolonged resistance movement, spanning from urban civil movements to armed conflicts in the highlands. The KNPB notes that regions such as Timika, Wamena, Nduga, Yahukimo, Intan Jaya, and many others have become battlegrounds that have claimed the lives of soldiers from both sides and a significant number of civilians. The most visible impact of this violence is the mass displacement of indigenous Papuans, who have been forced to flee their ancestral lands to escape active war zones.
Based on this reality, Agus Kossay, representing the BPP-KNPB, has issued an open call for all parties to take concrete action. The KNPB urges the creation of a shared narrative for conflict resolution through the lens of international law and human rights, involving neutral third parties. A primary demand includes full support for the formation of an independent UN Fact-Finding Mission to objectively investigate the human rights situation in West Papua.
Furthermore, the KNPB demands that the Indonesian government immediately cease all military operations affecting civilians and open access for international monitors to enter West Papua. Beyond security concerns, the KNPB also calls for the review and cancellation of all investment agreements in Papua, which they argue prioritize illegal interests and exploitation over the rights of the indigenous people.
Concluding the statement, Agus Kossay appealed to the Melanesian family in the Pacific to stand in solidarity with the people of Papua in international forums. The KNPB hopes that diplomatic support from their Melanesian brothers will accelerate the resolution of legal and political violations in West Papua through an open, fair, and democratic mechanism under international supervision. ***