Support for Papuan Churches by Pacific Conference of Churches

INDONESIA must withdraw its troops from Papua and allow the United Nations to investigate allegations of human rights abuse in the territory, says the Pacific Conference of Churches.

In a letter to Papuan churches authorised at the PCC Executive Committee in Auckland last week, regional church leaders called for:

1. The Government of Indonesia to immediately free all those who have been captured and imprisoned for protesting racism throughout the Land of Papua and in Jakarta.

2. The immediate cessation of military and paramilitary operations in the Nduga Regency and withdrawal of all troops from the Land of Papua.

3. The United Nations Human Rights Commission to be given immediate and unconditional access to the Land of Papua. Independent Human Rights Organisations, and Foreign Journalists must be given unfettered access to Papua investigate that actions of killing and violence that have been experienced by victims throughout the Land of Papua.

4. The Government of Indonesia to immediately agree to negotiations with ULMWP as it did with GAM in Aceh as a negotiations partner mediated by a third party.

Regional churches have been asked to advocate with their governments on behalf of the people of Papua.

Here is the letter from the PCC too the Ecumenical Forum for Churches in Papua:

To our dear sisters and brothers in Christ in the Land of Papua - Grace and Peace to you from your

family in the Pacific Conference of Churches!

We received your 4th Pastoral Appeal from the Ecumenical Forum of Churches in Papua as the PCC Executive Committee gathered for its annual meeting in Auckland.

Your letter, sharing the stories of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and ongoing actions of violent racism through terror and intimidation, supported and perpetrated by the Indonesian State towards the people of Papua, has deeply moved us in spirit.

In particular, the ongoing ‘silent’ war crimes being perpetrated in the Nduga Regency over the last 9 months that have displaced over 40 percent of the population of the province (45,532 refugees), caused the death of 183 people from sickness and malnutrition, and 6 people from bullet wounds; as well as the closure of 39 churches, is of serious concern to us as a humanitarian crisis.

We join you in condemning these crimes against the people of Papua and reaffirm the need for the Indonesian government to engage in genuine actions to bring restorative justice to the Land of Papua.

We reaffirm the calls you have made:

1. The Government of Indonesia must immediately free all those who have been captured and imprisoned for protesting racism throughout the Land of Papua and in Jakarta.

2. The immediate cessation of military and paramilitary operations in the Nduga Regency and withdrawal of all troops from the Land of Papua.

3. The United Nations Human Rights Commission must be given immediate and unconditional access to the Land of Papua. Independent Human Rights Organisations, and Foreign Journalists must be given unfettered access to Papua investigate that actions of killing and violence that have been experienced by victims throughout the Land of Papua.

4. The Government of Indonesia should immediately agree to negotiations with ULMWP as it did with GAM in Aceh as a negotiations partner mediated by a third party.

We commit to sharing this information with our churches, governments, the World Council of Churches and United Nations system and continuing to advocate for just peace, human rights and the right of the people of Papua to determine the type of development , governance and social structures they feel best suits them.

Above all we will continue to pray for you and remember you

With our deep love and solidarity,




Reverend James S. Bhagwan - General Secretary

Source: https://pacificconferenceofchurches.org/