PAPUAN peace advocates have called on Indonesia to initiate dialogue or peace negotiations to end 50 years of conflict.
The church and civil society groups said talks between President Prabowo Subianto and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) were essential to a peaceful resolution of indigenous issues.
Indonesia annexed former Dutch New Guinea in 1963 and renamed it Irian Jaya, despite the Netherlands desire to allow the return of the territory to indigenous Papuans.
The move – supported by the United Nations, United States, and the United Kingdom – has been contested by Papuans and defended by Indonesia, leading to more than 500,000 deaths in sporadic clashes over more than 60 years.
“I believe that only through dialogue can all conflicts of economic, social, cultural, and political interests be discussed and a peaceful resolution agreed upon,” said Papua Peace Network spokesperson Yan C. Warinussy.
He said the JDP hoped for a positive response from the conflicting parties, as well as from the Catholic Church leadership in the Vatican, the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia.
Warinussy said peace was imperative because indigenous Papuans had been victims of armed conflict with economic and political backgrounds since 1963.
“During the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year celebrations, many indigenous Papuans were not in their hometowns but in the middle of the forest as refugee camps,” he said.
Warinussy claimed this violated the mandate of the 1945 Constitution, Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
Papuan refugees have fled to areas outside military operations and armed conflict between the military and the West Papua National Liberation Army.
In October 2025 clashes between government troops and Papuan fighters at Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua, displaced 238 people. A military operation using helicopters in Lanny Jaya, Papua Highlands forced around 2000 residents to flee their villages.
The Papuan Church Council estimates there are 103,218 refugees across Papua.
Source: Jubi