Freedom of self-determination is one of the most valuable principles, higher than other values that should be enjoyed by every person in their life, especially people who live on a certain land.
This value was won by the people of West Papua on December 1, 1961, which was declared as West Papuan Independence Day. Only 18 days later however, the people of West Papua were forced to lose their self-determination due to the intervention of the Indonesian state.
Indonesia in collaboration with the United States and the Netherlands made a decision through the "New York Agreement" on August 15, 1962, which required West Papua to become part of Indonesia's territory. Unfortunately, this decision did not involve the people of West Papua in any way.
Nevertheless, the Indonesian state imposed itself on the West Papuan people, forcing them to lose their fundamental right to self-determination during the 1969 referendum (Pepera). At that time, the population of West Papua was around 800,000 people, but only 1,026 delegates participated in the referendum. The referendum did not involve the full participation of the West Papuan people in determining their future.
To this day, in 2025, the Indonesian regime continues to expand its power through military operations, coercive actions and the oppression of the people of West Papua, resulting in many casualties, and the people living under torture, oppression, discrimination and the various violations committed by the Indonesian colonial state.
Certainly it is true that no colonial power in the world is humane. All forms of colonisation are inhumane. This inhuman condition is what makes the people of West Papua continue to fight for their right to self-determination which has been taken away by Indonesia.
However, many countries in the world have remained silent and turn a blind eye to this. But we, as students of the National University of East Timor (UNTL), realise that the struggle for self-determination in East Timor was successful thanks to strong international solidarity, because everyone understood that the struggle for self-determination is a fundamental basic right for all people in every land – including the people of West Papua – who are also trying to determine their own future through self-determination.
Therefore, it is extremely important to uphold solidarity between peoples. There is no greater area of humanity than God's creation in this world, and when we remain silent and do not show solidarity with our sisters and brothers in colonial lands – including West Papua – we fail them in their struggle for freedom.
In this spirit, we as students and as Timorese express our solidarity with the West Papuan people who are still struggling today for self-determination.
Therefore we state:
1. We, students from UNTL in East Timor, call on the Indonesian state to end military operations and human rights violations against the West Papuan people.
2. We, students from UNTL, urge the state, the church, civil society and all students in East Timor – who have spoken out loudly and strongly in defence of peace, justice and humanity – to show solidarity with the people of West Papua – just as people from other countries showed solidarity with East Timor's own struggle for self-determination.
3. We call on the member states of the United Nations and the state of Indonesia, through the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, to hold another referendum for West Papua, so that the people can freely and democratically determine their own destiny.
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the West Papuan people!
A Luta Continua!
Dili, East Timor – May 26, 2025
Students of the National University of East Timor (UNTL)
- KNPB calls for international solidarity to resolve armed conflict in Papua. Suara Papua – May 25, 2025
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Mahasiswa Timor Leste Nyatakan Solidaritas Dengan Perjuangan Orang Papua".]
