Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Students’ Alliance in Jember (AMP KK Jember) has issued a statement marking the 28th anniversary of the Biak Massacre, renewing calls for justice, accountability, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Papua.
The statement, released on Monday (July 6), describes the July 6, 1998 killings in Biak, Biak Numfor Regency, as one of Papua’s most significant unresolved human rights cases and says the anniversary should serve as a moment to reflect on the importance of protecting human rights and ending violence against civilians.
According to AMP KK Jember, Papua continues to face complex challenges, including armed conflict, military operations, insecurity, and persistent human rights concerns. The group said these issues remain a focus for civil society organisations, academics, and humanitarian groups advocating a peaceful end to the violence.
It argued that ongoing fighting between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army–Free Papua Movement (TPN-OPM) continues to have severe humanitarian consequences, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict through displacement and reduced access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
The organisation also claimed that despite repeated calls to prioritise civilian protection, many people have instead experienced intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest, and, in some cases, extrajudicial killings.
“The conflict has forced many people to flee their homes. According to the latest reports, the number of internally displaced persons across Papua has reached 122,931,” AMP KK Jember said in a statement sent to Jubi.
The group said humanitarian organisations have repeatedly warned that internally displaced Papuans require access to food assistance, healthcare, education, and security, but alleged that the government and relevant institutions have failed to adequately address their needs.
AMP KK Jember also cited a series of unresolved human rights cases—including the 1998 Biak Massacre, the 2001 Wasior incident, the 2003 Wamena incident, the 2006 Cenderawasih University incident, the 2014 Paniai killings, and the fatal shooting of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani in Intan Jaya in September 2020—as examples of cases that have yet to receive transparent and impartial legal resolution.
The organisation further criticised Indonesian government policies in Papua, arguing that they prioritise the exploitation of natural resources while sidelining public participation and the interests of Indigenous Papuans.
While acknowledging that the government presents these policies as part of its national development agenda, AMP KK Jember said many Papuans view them as failing to address the region’s political, social, and human rights challenges and instead regard them as a continuation of colonial policies.
The statement also referred to the documentary Pig Feast – Colonialism in Our Time, describing it as a film that portrays Indigenous Papuan experiences through culture, history, and everyday life while exploring questions of identity, state-Papuan relations, and the need for open dialogue.
According to the organisation, however, the reality on the ground is one of continued appropriation of customary land, deforestation, and the erosion of traditional food systems in the name of Indonesia’s National Strategic Projects (PSN).
AMP KK Jember said these issues cannot be separated from Papua’s political history, including differing interpretations of Papua’s incorporation into Indonesia through the 1969 Act of Free Choice (PEPERA), the Trikora military campaign launched in 1961, and subsequent political developments.
“On the 28th anniversary of the Biak Massacre, the Indonesian government and the Ministry of Human Rights should honour the victims, strengthen their commitment to human rights, and pursue justice through dialogue, accountability, and peaceful approaches until all unresolved cases have been fully investigated,” the statement said.
The organisation issued a series of demands, including a comprehensive investigation into the Biak Massacre and the prosecution of those responsible, including senior military officers alleged to have been involved. It also called for the withdrawal of Indonesian military forces from Papua, an end to the operations of national and multinational resource companies—including PT Freeport Indonesia, BP, LNG Tangguh, Medco, and Corindo—and the suspension of National Strategic Projects across Papua.
AMP KK Jember further urged authorities to end what it described as the criminalisation of humanitarian activists, including filmmaker Dandhy Laksono, Cypri Jehan Paju Dale, Johnny Teddy Wakum, and others involved in the documentary Pig Feast – Colonialism in Our Time. The group argued they were being targeted for exposing conditions in Papua.
The statement also called for unrestricted access for independent international journalists to Papua, the release of political prisoners from Papua, Indonesia, and abroad, and an end to what it described as arbitrary arrests and shootings of civilians by Indonesian security forces in conflict-affected areas such as Puncak Jaya, Intan Jaya, Nduga, Timika, Yahukimo, Pegunungan Bintang, Maybrat, Dogiyai, and elsewhere in Papua.
Finally, AMP KK Jember reiterated its support for the West Papuan people’s right to self-determination, describing it as the most democratic solution to the long-running conflict. (*)
