[PRESS RELEASE] “In West Papua talking about peace is seen as treason” – West Papua support group call out unjust crackdown

PRESS RELEASE August 29, 2025 “In West Papua talking about peace is seen as treason” – West Papua support group call out unjust crackdown

West Papuan civil society and political groups and solidarity networks are calling for urgent action following a wave of arrests and political repression by the combined security forces of police in Indonesian occupied West Papua in Sorong on 27 August 2025, after local West Papuans acted to resist the transfer of 4 political prisoners out of the territory.

One man, Michael Walerubun, 28, was seriously injured when police shot him in the abdomen.

The prisoners, Abraham Goram Gaman, Nikson May, Piter Robaha, and Maxi Sangkek, are facing treason charges, which are commonly used against independence supporters in West Papua. The four men were arrested on 28 April this year after they requested ‘peace talks’ in the city of Sorong, in the western part of the territory. Transferring political prisoners to other islands in the Indonesian archipelago separates them from families and support networks, and is a common tactic used by Indonesian authorities.

The umbrella group Pro-Democracy Papuan People's Solidarity called for the community to protest the four prisoners' removal on Monday August 25 that continues to August 27. Heavy-handed police attempts to disperse the protest, and the enforced relocation of all the prisoners despite clear community opposition, led to an escalation. Several spontaneous protest actions followed, with tyres set on fire and government buildings attacked, including the governor’s private residence.

Police have arbitrarily arrested 17 people, alleging involvement with property damage during the protests. Footage shows police discharging firearms, and armoured vehicles on patrol, through the afternoon and into the night in Sorong city and continues now.

Respected women leader and former political prisoner Sayang Mandabayan is also being targeted, accused by authorities as the so-called “organiser” of protests that followed the 25 August action. Sayang Mandabayan's home was attacked at around 4pm by police officers fully armed with rifles who surrounded the building and shouted her name, demanding she present herself for arrest. Police then broke down the front door and attempted to force their way into the family’s home. Sayang’s mother and pregnant niece refused them entry, blocking in the doorway and demanding they leave. After a standoff of almost an hour, police arrested Sayang’s husband, Yan Manggaprouw, who remains in custody with 16 other members of the pro-democracy solidarity.

The attack on Sayang Mandabayan's home, and the arrest of her husband, marks a further escalation in the range of repressive tactics commonly used against West Papuan human rights defenders.

“This  is a deliberate campaign to criminalise political leadership, intimidate women defenders, and silence West Papua’s democratic voices,” Australian West Papuan rights advocate Ronny Kareni said.

“In West Papua talking about peace is seen as treason. These raids, transfers, and arrests are not isolated. They are part of a long-standing pattern of state systemic violence designed to crush West Papua’s movement for justice. Leaders like Sayang Mandabayan are not criminals — they are voices of democracy that the Pacific must defend,” continued Mr Kareni.

The timing of the crackdown comes just ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting in the Solomon Islands, where governments including Australia and New Zealand are once again urged to uphold their commitment to human rights and regional peace.

“Pacific leaders cannot continue to look away. For years, the Forum’s words on West Papua have been watered down. Meanwhile, Papuans are jailed, tortured, and silenced. The Pacific must stand firm — justice for West Papua is justice for our region,” Kareni said.

“Our determination to free our political prisoners, to protect our forests and rivers from exploitation, and to live as free people on our own land cannot be underestimated. I would like to underscore the strength and resilience of West Papuan women here. Sayang Mandabayan’s 75-year-old mother and 6 months pregnant niece held an entire platoon of armed police at bay with the power of their voices and their presence alone. Our mothers and grandmothers show us that West Papua can be and will be free.”

Contact for Media Enquiries:

Ronny Kareni

+61 401 222 177

merdeka.sec@gmail.com