JAYAPURA, (PACNEWS)- West Papuan civil society organisations and Indigenous groups are urging Indonesia to allow immediate access to United Nations human rights officials and Pacific regional delegations, warning that ongoing conflict and displacement have left more than 127,000 people in a humanitarian crisis.
In a joint statement, human rights organisations, churches, women’s groups, youth movements and families of victims called on Jakarta to facilitate visits by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Special Rapporteurs, international monitors and independent media to West Papua.
The groups said Indonesia must also honour regional calls for access following decisions by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Caucus in Palau on 31 August and the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
They welcomed support expressed by the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Marshall Islands at the 2026 United Nations General Assembly for addressing the human rights and humanitarian situation in West Papua.
The statement said Indonesia, as an associate member of the MSG and a dialogue partner of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), had a responsibility to respond constructively to regional decisions calling for access for UN human rights officials and participation by the MSG in a PIF envoy mission to West Papua.
The organisations estimated that more than 127,031 civilians had been internally displaced since the escalation of armed conflict in 2018, with continuing military operations forcing people from their homes and ancestral lands.
They said displaced communities faced inadequate access to healthcare, food, education and proper housing.
The groups also raised concerns about militarisation, restrictions on civic space and the impact of Indonesia’s National Strategic Projects and large-scale extractive investments on Indigenous land rights, local livelihoods and the environment.
They called on Indonesia to provide a formal response to the MSG and PIF decisions and guarantee visits by the UN human rights office and a joint PIF-MSG mission in 2026.
The statement urged the government to provide emergency assistance to displaced people, protect human rights defenders, journalists, customary leaders, religious figures and community organisations, and investigate alleged human rights violations through independent and transparent processes.
The groups also called for inclusive political dialogue involving Indigenous communities, political representatives, churches, women, youth and civil society to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
They rejected what they described as superficial or public relations-driven responses to the crisis, calling instead for an end to military operations and the withdrawal of non-organic troops from civilian areas.
They also called for the suspension of National Strategic Projects and major extractive developments that threaten customary land and Indigenous livelihoods, alongside justice and redress for victims.
The statement said West Papuan civil society networks, church leaders, customary organisations and victims’ groups were ready to assist visiting international delegations by providing evidence, testimonies and documentation.
“West Papua must no longer remain isolated from the world,” the statement said, calling on the United Nations, its member states, the MSG and the PIF to ensure international visits were not delayed further.
The organisations said Indonesia’s commitments as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for 2024–2026 should be demonstrated through concrete action on the ground. The joint statement was issued in Jayapura and endorsed by human rights groups, women’s organisations, churches, environmental advocates and other civil society networks in West Papua…..PACNEWS