Christine Rovoi – For Pasifika, the conflict in West Papua is no longer a distant neighbour's affair – it is a family issue, a regional humanitarian challenge, and a test of the 'Blue Pacific' solidarity.

The conflict in Indonesia's West Papua region is once again boiling over. But this time, the loudest calls for change are coming not from Jakarta or international rights groups, but from across the Pacific.

For the first time in years, Pacific Island leaders and civil-society organisations are pressing the issue with urgency, describing the crisis in West Papua as "a Pacific responsibility" and a test of the region's promise to build a peaceful, people-centred "Blue Pacific Continent".

In an open letter to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders ahead of their summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands, last month, civil society groups in the region called for "real action" from island nations.

Meanwhile, the government in Jakarta is re-emphasising its sovereignty over West Papua as the independents amplify calls for decolonisation.

West Papua is located about 6000km northwest of New Zealand and has a population of just over 570,000 people. It is the second-least populous province in Indonesia, after South Papua, following the separation in December 2022.

West Papua, the western half of the island of New Guinea, shares a border with Papua New Guinea (PNG) and has long been driven by conflict between Indonesian security forces and the armed wing of the pro-independence movement. Tens of thousands of civilians are now displaced, villages abandoned, and access for journalists and aid workers restricted.

In the open letter, 28 Pacific and West Papuan civil-society organisations warned that "attacks and oppression of the people of West Papua have escalated, leading to a significant deterioration in the region's humanitarian and human-rights situation".

"These realities challenge our shared vision of a peaceful, people-centred Blue Pacific and an Ocean of Peace," the letter read.

The group urged Pacific governments to act on long-standing pledges to address West Papua's humanitarian crisis, calling for an immediate ceasefire, international access, and a regional humanitarian mission.

Forum diplomacy and frustration

At the Forum Leaders' Summit, the bloc stopped short of new measures, merely "reaffirming Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua (Papua)" while noting Indonesia's 2018 invitation for a United Nations human-rights visit, a mission that has yet to take place.

The communique promised to work "constructively with Indonesia" on a possible 2026 envoy visit, but that wording fell short for many Pacific advocates who say the region's institutions risk becoming "toothless."

"For nearly two decades, the Pacific Islands Forum has made commitments to the people of West Papua, but these have been largely unfulfilled," the Pacific Network on Globalisation's letter stated. "Now is the time for decisive action."

Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has added his voice to the delicate balance, saying, "They are integrated, as far as Indonesia is concerned, but perhaps the leaders in West Papua think otherwise."

Sitiveni Rabuka says, "They are integrated, as far as Indonesia is concerned, but perhaps the leaders in West Papua think otherwise." Photo/Fiji government/File

Jakarta stands firm

Indonesia's government continues to reject accusations of civilian massacres or systemic abuse.

In a statement released earlier this month, its military confirmed that only armed separatists, not civilians, were targeted in recent operations in Papua's central highlands.

Jakarta insists that West Papua's integration is final and that the unrest is driven by "terrorist separatists."

Officials in the Indonesian capital have also warned regional partners to respect Indonesia's sovereignty following the signing of a new defence treaty between Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Still, cracks are appearing even within Indonesia. In May, an Indonesian parliamentary forum urged the government to "abandon its security-based approach" and open genuine dialogue with Papuan communities, a rare domestic call for a change of policy.

The Papuan perspective

For West Papuan leaders, the situation is deteriorating fast.

In a statement released earlier this month, Benny Wenda, president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), says, "Indonesia is again bombing Kiwirok ... while President Prabowo talks about promoting peace in the Middle East, his military is trying to wipe out West Papua."

Wenda has rejected any dialogue that does not include independence on the table, saying: "We are a colonised nation, not a province of Indonesia. We will not become another Aceh."

Armed resistance groups, operating under the West Papua National Liberation Army, recently declared nine "war zones" and called for civilian evacuations, but human rights monitors say the violence has already displaced more than 97,000 people.

Why it matters to the Pacific

For many across Oceania, West Papua is not a distant headline but a family matter. The island's people share Melanesian heritage, cultural links, and deep historical ties with PNG, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji.

Those ties are being reactivated by the worsening humanitarian situation and by fears that the conflict could spill across borders. PNG's border communities already host thousands of Papuan refugees, while aid groups warn of limited food, shelter and health access.

"This is about who we are as a Pacific people," one Vanuatu civil society delegate at the PIF leaders forum shared. "If we can't stand up for West Papua, how can we claim to be an Ocean of Peace?"

The question has moral weight, but also political risk. Indonesia has stepped up diplomacy across the Pacific, offering infrastructure aid, scholarships and trade deals to island governments – part of what analysts describe as Jakarta's bid to shape regional narratives and blunt criticism of its Papua policy.

A test of the 'Blue Pacific' vision

For Pacific leaders, the challenge is balancing solidarity with sovereignty, finding ways to push for humanitarian access and rights accountability without risking relations with a major Asian neighbour.

Human rights groups argue the region's credibility is now on the line. "The Pacific can't preach decolonisation while ignoring the cries from West Papua," a regional advocate in Honiara says. "The world is watching whether the Blue Pacific idea means anything when it matters most."

With violence intensifying in the highlands and negotiations stuck in limbo, West Papua remains one of the most painful tests of the Pacific's collective conscience, a reminder that the struggle for self-determination and dignity is not just part of the past, but unfolding right next door.

Source: https://pmn.co.nz/read/pacific-region/pacific-voices-grow-louder-over-west-papua-s-escalating-crisi