By Malia Kavai  
USP Journalism student 

“West Papua is part of the Pacific,” and the region must bring back West Papua to the Pacific  family, says Victor Mambor, veteran Papuan journalist and co-founder of Jubi Media.  

Over the years, Mambor has reported on Pacific issues in West Papua media, with the aim to  bridge the West Papua – Pacific connection on issues relating to people, culture, developments  and current affairs. His coverage of West Papua spotlights issues of human rights abuse and  violations, especially Indonesia’s ongoing oppression of West Papuans. 

Through a recent media exchange to Fiji, Mambor together with Papuan journalist Yuliana  Lantipo and Jakarta-based investigative filmmaker Dhandy Laksono, shared concerns about the  growing human rights issues faced by West Papuans, the intense military buildup, Indonesia’s  growing diplomatic influence in the Pacific, and continued ignorance by the Pacific. 

A Struggle Spanning Six Decades  

In 1969, the Indonesian government held what it called the ‘Act of Free Choice’ in West Papua.  According to well documented reports, the Suharto administration gathered roughly 1022  Papuan tribal representatives into eight locations – one for each region of West Papua:  Merauke, Jayawijaya, Paniai, Fak-Fak, Sorong, Manokwari, Cenderawasih and Jayapura. Some  of these Papuans had to walk three days to their designated location. These 1022 Papuans  were asked to choose to remain with Indonesia, or to sever ties with Indonesia and become an  independent state separate from Indonesia. Under military imposed supervision, the 1022 voted  to stay with Indonesia. 

To this date, Indonesia still maintains the legality of the Act of Free Choice, but many West  Papuan leaders including Victor Mambor described the Act as an orchestrated annexation of  West Papua and her people. Many commentators in West Papua and those living in exile  describe Indonesia’s Act of Free choice as an imposed military control..  

While numerous attempts have been made to challenge Indonesia’s Act of military control, West  Papua continues to struggle for its freedom. This ongoing struggle, marked by decades of  resistance and calls for self-determination, demands consistent global and regional intervention.

Spanning over six decades, the West Papuan struggle is one of the longest-standing struggles  in history for our region, resulting in the deaths of over 500,000 West Papuans at the hands of  Indonesia’s military forces, over a hundred thousand internally displaced West Papuas, with  growing cases of human rights abuses, torture, and rape. Yet its story remains largely  disregarded by the global community, including Pacific leaders.  

Indonesia has continuously rejected these claims, insisting the process was legitimate and that  West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia. President Sukarno, during that period, strongly stated that there was no historical manipulation that required correction. 

Media Freedom in West Papua 

The media in West Papua remains the only hope of keeping a human rights watch, and  challenging the Indonesian government’s propaganda.  

The Indonesian State authorities have continued controlling freedom of speech in West Papua,  resulting in many political prisoners serving long sentences for the crime of speaking about the  injustices being inflicted upon the West Papuans.  

According to the Human Rights Monitor, its quarterly report of 2025 saw 118 victims in 31 cases  from April 1st to June 30 this year and more in the previous years. The Human Rights Monitor  documented 118 individual people who were directly affected by human rights violations. They  experienced restrictions on freedom of expression, torture, killings, enforced disappearances,  intimidation, criminalisation, ill-treatment, cultural rights, arbitrary retention, and violation of  freedom of assembly.  

Mambor shares his experiences as a West Papuan journalist, and adds that his media  organisation “has been facing threats..my home was attacked, even my workplace, two of our  cars were destroyed”. Despite these threats and intimidation, “this has not stopped me from  exposing Indonesia’s crimes against West Papuans”. Half-joking, Mambor said he “loves facing  challenges”, even though, in his words, “those challenges involve killing”. 

Behind the humour lies a reality that journalism in West Papua can be fatal. Jubi’s work has  come at great personal risks, including arrest, prosecution, and threats of violence. Local  journalists faced harassment and intimidation, yet remained at the leading fight for truth and  justice.  

One of the specific issues needing wider attention and immediate action is the political prisoners  known as the “Sorong Four”. This relates to a race-based incident targeting Papuan students in  Surabaya in August 2019, which sparked resentment among Papuans after a video surfaced  and went viral showing members of the Indonesian Army, along with groups like Pemuda  Pancasila (Pancasila Youth) and the Islamic Defenders Front, using derogatory terms such as  “monkey” and calling to get rid of the Papuans. 

The case of the Sorong Four reflects a broader pattern of systemic racism, suppression of free  expression, and the criminalization of Papuan identity. The Jubi team expresses that every story  they publish is at risk, and if they do not tell the world the reality that is happening in West  Papua, then who will?

Pacific Awareness and Responsibility 

The recent media exchange to Fiji highlighted the need for Pacific political action, and solidarity  from the region to address the concerns in West Papua, adding that West Papua is the region’s  closest neighbour. The situation in West Papua has continued with calls for greater engagement  through platforms such as the Pacific Island Leaders Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead  Group. 

Fiji is not only one of the two Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Special Envoys on West Papua, but is  also the current Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). These leadership roles  strengthen the case for Fiji-based entities to hold their government accountable for its stance  and actions on the issue 

Dr David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report and convener of Pacific Media Watch stresses,  “West Papua’s self-determination is one of those issues shunted aside or ignored by the  politicians. It is up to journalists to make it a real issue – ask the hard questions and then follow  up with pressure. Embarrass the politicians with facts. There is no peace without justice. And it  is up to journalists to ensure that there is both justice and peace”. 

He added that the agenda-setting of political news in larger countries in the region, such as  Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji is driven by what politicians focus on in  their “press galleries” or press statements. Issues outside of that narrow agenda-setting often  find it hard to gain traction, something that also happens at the Pacific Islands Forum. 

The Pacific Islands Leaders Forum that took place in Honiara two weeks ago West Papua once  again emerged as a topic on the agenda. It has been 25 years since the year 2000 in Tarawa,  Kiribati, when West Papua was first referenced in the leaders communique. While the issue of  West Papua remains a significant subject in regional dialogue and the Pacific Leaders yearly  agenda, the Forum has repeatedly failed to put their verbal pledges into tangible action.  

In 2023, after a lapse of 23 years, Pacific leaders finally made a decisive and bold move by  appointing two envoys to Indonesia, aiming to initiate discussions and to formalise a high-level  diplomatic channel with hopes to address the pressing issues surrounding West Papua.  However, their actions have again proven ineffective.