On the 63rd year of May 1, 1963 Forced Annexation of West Papua

On May 1, we mark a day of deep historical injustice, the 1963 day of annexation and transfer of West Papua from Dutch colonial rule to Indonesian administration.

For the Indigenous Peoples of West Papua, this date represents a day of national loss, the beginning of systematic dispossession, militarization, and suffering under an imposed political order that denied West Papuan's inherent right to self-determination.

On this day, following a US-brokered agreement, the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) transferred administrative control of "West New Guinea" to the Indonesian government, pursuant to the provisions of the 1962 New York Agreement, which is supposed to establish a transitional United Nations administration following the end of Dutch colonial rule and outline a subsequent process of self-determination of West Papuans.

This transfer was not an act of decolonization, but a reconfiguration of colonial control by rich imperialist states and local elites whose political and economic interests outweighed the rights, dignity, and sovereignty of the West Papuan people.

The so-called “transfer” must be understood within the broader architecture of Cold War imperialism. Western powers, particularly the United States and its allies, facilitated Indonesia’s control over West Papua to secure strategic influence in Southeast Asia and prevent the rise of independent or socialist-aligned states.

Annexation day, in reality, is controlling the extraction of vast natural resources, from gold and copper to forests and gas reserves in West Papua. The integration of West Papua into Indonesia ensured that multinational corporations, backed by Western powers, could exploit these resources under the protection of a militarized state. For example, the US-owned Freeport-McMoRan Mining was signed in 1967, even before the 1969 "Act of Free Choice" which formally brought West Papua under Indonesian control.

This imperialist legacy continues to shape the present reality in West Papua (ie, extension and expansion of Freeport-McMoRan PT Freeport Indonesia until 2041; British Petroleum Tangguh LNG expansion is set to unlock 3 trillion cubic feet of additional gas; National Spaceport in Biak opened to Elon Musk, Russia & China).

The Indonesian state’s ongoing militarization of the region serves not only as a mechanism of political repression but also as a guarantor of extractive economic interests.

Today, global demand for critical minerals needed for modern technologies, so-called “green transitions” and carbon markets, has intensified exploitation in West Papua (ie, Indonesia is pursuing the "Vision 2100 Papua" that will sell its forests to the global carbon credit market). This deepened environmental exploitation, displaced Indigenous communities, and worsened human rights abuses.

The events of April 2026 alone demonstrate the unbroken continuity of violence and repression faced by Indigenous Papuans:

• Arbitrary detention and torture remain widespread. In Yahukimo Regency, multiple cases involving youth and students of illegal detention without warrants, beaten, electrocuted, and abused in military custody.

• Civilians are routinely profiled and targeted based on appearance, political affiliation, or mere presence in militarized zones, as seen in Puncak, South Sorong, and Yahukimo.

• Peaceful protest is violently suppressed. In Jayapura, student protests demanding accountability were dispersed with tear gas, warning shots, and force in residential areas, injuring participants and endangering communities.

• State violence has led to unlawful killings, including the shooting of 16-year-old Elki Wunungga in Tolikara, highlighting the excessive and reckless use of force by police.

• Large-scale military operations in Puncak Regency resulted in the deaths of at least ten civilians, including women, children, and an unborn baby, and targeted areas for internally displaced persons.

• Journalists and activists face intimidation and surveillance, undermining press freedom and restricting the flow of information about conditions on the ground.

There is a systematic pattern of Indonesian state violence aimed at silencing dissent, controlling territory, and securing economic interests - an ecocide and genocide - tied to global capital. The complicity of imperialist powers lies not only in history but in the present: through arms sales, diplomatic cover, investment flows, and selective silence in international forums.

On this May 1, let us reaffirm that the struggle of the West Papuan people is not only a national liberation struggle but also a global resistance against imperialism, racial capitalism, and neo-colonial domination.

We enjoin everyone to amplify the West Papua cause in your own countries, and confront your own states in their role in sustaining injustice in West Papua. This includes ending military cooperation with Indonesia, halting investments that contribute to human rights violations, and supporting genuine processes for self-determination in accordance with international law.

Let us also support the grassroots call:

1. Indonesia’s 63-year presence in West Papua is illegal!

2. Fully investigate perpetrators of the torture and killing of 5 civilians in Dogiyai and 11 civilians in Puncak, Papua!

3. Shut down PT Freeport, BP LNG Tangguh, and all companies in Papua!

4. Fully investigate all human rights violations in Papua and across Indonesia!

5. Release all political prisoners in Papua and Indonesia!

6. Withdraw all organic and non-organic TNI and Polri forces from West Papua!

7. Stop engineered conflicts across West Papua!

8. Stop all National Strategic Projects (PSN) in West Papua!

9. Open the access to international, national, and local journalists across West Papua!

10. Investigate, arrest, prosecute, and imprison all perpetrators of human rights violations in West Papua!

11. Revoke the TNI Law; reject the Police Bill and Broadcasting Bill; repeal the Omnibus Law, Minerba Law, and Criminal Code Law!

12. Grant the right to self-determination as a democratic solution for the West Papuans!

Let us stand in solidarity with the people of West Papua. Their resistance endures despite decades of brutality and fascism. Their fight for freedom, dignity, and justice can never

be defeated!

Papua, Merdeka!

Reference: Merdeka West Papua Support Network merdeka.sec@gmail.com