Executive summary
West Papua in 2023 faced a significantly worse human rights situation compared to the rest of Indonesia. Decades of unresolved conflict have further escalated since December 2018, leading to a surge in extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and torture by security forces, particularly in the highlands. Freedom of expression remained restricted, with authorities continuing to disperse peaceful protests.
The government's focus on infrastructure projects and resource extraction continued, with minimal benefits for indigenous Papuans. Special autonomy funds provided little improvement to healthcare and education, especially in conflict zones where facilities remained devastated. Military personnel, increasingly deployed to West Papua, were sometimes tasked with filling gaps, often ineffectively, in healthcare and education due to a personnel exodus triggered by the violence.
Over 76,000 Papuans remained internally displaced as of 2023 due to armed clashes or security force raids that destroyed their homes and livestock. Fear of returning home due to heavy military presence kept them in displacement camps, often lacking basic services.
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