At the annual meeting of the United Nation Permanent Indigenous People held in mid-April 2025 in New York, USA, representatives of the WPLO (West Papua Liberation Organization), along with sympathizers of Free Aceh and Free Maluku, were in attendance.
The presence of these groups attracted attention on social media because they brought props, which led to a direct warning from UN or UNDSS security officers, as the items were considered non-compliant with the rules.
WPLO claimed their group represented the people of Papua and declared that the UN must be held responsible for Indonesia’s control over Papua, which they deem illegal and contrary to international law.
They stated that the UN must be accountable for taking over Papua when the Netherlands released Papua to become its own country, but instead, the UN handed it over to Indonesia on May 1, 1963, through UNTEA.
Previously, WPLO also questioned the legitimacy of Resolution 2504, arguing that it was born out of a flawed process, as the 1969 Act of Free Choice did not involve all Papuan people.
In response, Steve Mara, Chairman of the Melanesian Youth Diplomacy, stated that WPLO keeps returning to the UN building each year to present the same statement, which has been repeatedly rejected by the UN.
He said, “The Act of Free Choice conducted in 1969 was a legitimate process, as it adhered to various international principles.”
He continued, “The process began when a UN representative, Ortiz Sanz, was appointed on April 1, 1968, as the UN Representative for West Irian (UNRWI). Ortiz arrived in Indonesia on August 12, 1968, and after a 10-day journey with his three staff members, they arrived in Papua on August 23, 1968. The process went on until May 30, 1969, when UNRWI received the schedule for the implementation of the Act of Free Choice.”
The Act of Free Choice took place on the following dates: July 14, 1969 in Merauke; July 17 in Wamena; July 19 in Nabire; July 23 in Fak-Fak; July 26 in Sorong; July 29 in Manokwari; July 31 in Biak; and ended on August 2 in Jayapura. The process was conducted in eight cities and regencies, with 1,025 participants—all of whom expressed their will to remain with Indonesia.
On August 18, 1969, the UN representative left Indonesia and submitted the report at the General Assembly on November 6, 1969. Then, on November 19, 1969, the resolution confirming Papua as an integral part of Indonesia was approved by 84 countries at the UN General Assembly.
Steve Mara emphasized that the UN is an intergovernmental body, and every resolution proposed or withdrawn must be submitted by a country or a group of countries. WPLO’s request to the General Assembly falls outside this framework. Based on the UN General Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, individuals or groups of individuals have no right of initiative, and this rule has been consistently enforced within the UN system.
“To avoid misunderstanding, I suggest that WPLO read the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly, document number A/520/Rev.17. Any proposal from a country or group of countries must be approved by the General Committee before it can be discussed by one of the six committees of the UN General Assembly. If not approved, it cannot be placed on the agenda—especially if the initiative is seen as disturbing the sovereignty and integrity of a state,” Steve said.
As for WPLO’s demand for UN accountability over the 1963 transfer of Papua to Indonesia, Steve clarified that the UN had already fulfilled that responsibility through the Act of Free Choice in 1969. The results clearly showed that Papua became an integral part of Indonesia through the choice of Papuans themselves.
Steve stressed, “There is no further accountability required from the UN regarding Indonesia’s sovereignty. That matter was resolved in 1969.”
“We must also understand that even the UN cannot intervene in a state’s sovereignty, as this is protected by the international principle of non-intervention—unless the people of the region no longer provide legitimacy to their government.”
“Today, the reality is that the people of Papua give strong legitimacy to the state, are active in various sectors, and participate in national development efforts to preserve sovereignty.”
Therefore, revisiting past issues is no longer necessary. Today, Papua has four new autonomous provinces (DOB), making a total of six provinces in Papua, all led by the best sons of Papua. Similarly, local governments in cities and regencies across Papua are led by indigenous Papuans. This shows that the success of development and the improvement of Papuan quality of life are being driven by Papuans themselves.
“What Papua needs now is not political independence, but individual freedom for Papuans to catch up and close the gap they have experienced.”
During President Joko Widodo’s administration through the Nawa Cita program, Papua made great progress in human resource and infrastructure development. Now, under President Prabowo’s administration, the Asta Cita program continues to encourage Papuans to move forward and compete with other regions in Indonesia.
“This is no longer the time to bury Papua’s dream of progress with false promises of independence. It is time for Papua’s leaders and respected elders, trusted to govern, to implement good programs—especially to support the younger generation in pursuing education and creativity—so that Papua can move toward a brighter future: Golden Papua and Golden Indonesia 2045.”
