Indonesia, West Papua – Christian Solidarity International (CSI) has called on the Indonesian government to grant international observers access to West Papua, warning that ongoing military operations in the region are driving a mounting humanitarian crisis.
Speaking in an oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 25 March 2026, CSI representatives, Mr Joel Veldkamp, reported that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in West Papua has risen to 105,000 up from 85,000 just one year ago. The sharp increase, he argued, reflects an acceleration of Indonesian military activity in the territory.
West Papua's indigenous population is overwhelmingly Christian, making it a distinct enclave within Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. The region was transferred from Dutch to Indonesian administration in 1962, more than a decade after Indonesian independence, a handover that sparked an independence movement that persists to this day.
According to CSI, the military operations are closely linked to large-scale resource extraction projects involving nickel, gold, and industrial plantations. "These projects are dispossessing the indigenous Papuan people of their lands on a massive scale, and threaten devastating ecological damage," Veldkamp said. He added that the region has been largely closed to foreign journalists, independent observers, and international human rights bodies.
CSI is calling on Indonesia to facilitate a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to extend invitations to relevant UN special procedures; steps the organisation says are essential for ensuring accountability and transparency in the region.
CSI's statement echoed calls made at a UN Human Rights Council side event on March 4, 2026, hosted by the World Council of Churches, which was also attended by a representative of the Indonesian government. WCC Director for International Affairs Peter Prove urged the Indonesian government to "extend invitations to the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council and to facilitate a visit by the High Commissioner for Human Rights."