West Papua

West Papua lies 250km north of Australia. It forms the western half of the island of New Guinea, adjacent to the independent state of Papua New Guinea. West Papua passed to Indonesian control in the 1960s in dubious circumstances as it emerged from Dutch colonisation.

Called Irian Jaya by Indonesia, it is split into two administrative provinces of Indonesia: Papua (the bulk of the island) and West Papua (the westernmost end).

Indonesian control has brought a heavy military presence, human rights abuses, and the impact of large numbers of Indonesian migrants.

Caritas supports the 'Papua: Land of Peace' interfaith initiative working for a peaceful resolution to the problems facing the region. We also support Catholic offices for justice and peace, and the Yasanto programme working with Papuan women on agriculture and small business opportunities.

Caritas supported a September 2011 statement from a West Papua solidarity gathering in  Auckland which called on (among other things):

• The United Nations Secretary General to appoint a Special Representative to investigate the situation in West Papua;
• The New Zealand government to play a role in mediating peaceful dialogue between West Papuan representatives and the Indonesian government, as well as ceasing military ties with Indonesia until the human rights of West Papuans are respected.

Read the full statement including supporting organisations here.

Read more:

West Papua – History

Caritas programme in West Papua

Faith-based Network on West Papua 

Papua Land of Peace Day

This is celebrated on 5 February, see the liturgy below and read more here.

Papua Liturgy_Claude Mostowik_5 Feb 2012.pdf