The Papua conflict, a decades-long struggle over identity, autonomy, and development, remains one of Indonesia’s most deeply rooted and multifaceted challenges. Amid mounting accusations of military oppression and alleged human rights violations by the Indonesian government, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Free Papua Movement (OPM) continue to push an international narrative that casts themselves as the sole victims of state aggression. However, their own actions—marked by violence, fear-mongering, and disruption—reveal a troubling double standard that undermines their proclaimed cause.
This duality—between claiming victimhood and perpetuating violence—deserves closer scrutiny. While Indonesia’s governance of Papua may warrant critical reflection, the tactics employed by separatist groups like the TPNPB-OPM are increasingly exposing the darker side of an insurgency that claims to fight for human rights while violating them at home.
TPNPB-OPM’s Narrative: Claims of Militarization and Oppression
On October 14, 2025, the TPNPB-OPM issued a public condemnation of what they termed “an undeclared war” by the Indonesian government. They alleged that more than 6,000 troops had been deployed to Papua between January and April of the same year—an act they claimed violated international humanitarian law. Alongside these accusations, they presented nine political demands to President Joko Widodo and the Indonesian Parliament, seeking clarity on Papua’s status and a cessation of violence.
This wasn’t the first time TPNPB-OPM had drawn international attention to their grievances. Since their formal establishment in 1971, they’ve positioned themselves as freedom fighters resisting Indonesia’s control, arguing that the 1969 UN-supervised Act of Free Choice—which formalized Papua’s integration into Indonesia—was illegitimate. In recent years, they’ve successfully influenced some segments of global civil society, painting a binary picture of state vs. oppressed people.
But this narrative omits a central, inconvenient truth: TPNPB-OPM continues to engage in acts of terror that target civilians, disrupt peace, and derail the very progress they claim to want for the Papuan people.
Violence as a Political Strategy: A Pattern of Disruption
Far from being passive victims, TPNPB-OPM has shown a consistent willingness to use violence to achieve its political aims. In early 2025, one of the most harrowing incidents took place in Yahukimo Regency, where an armed TPNPB faction attacked a group of traditional gold miners. The massacre left 15 people dead and dozens traumatized. A few months later, in Central Papua, the group ambushed and killed a sub-district military commander—an act widely condemned by Indonesian authorities as a gross violation of humanitarian norms.
These are not isolated events. The group’s playbook includes attacks on schools, healthcare centers, and public facilities. Just days before TPNPB-OPM accused Indonesia of militarization, they carried out another shocking assault in Beoga District, Puncak Regency. According to local media reports, including Kompas, an armed group stormed a public school, murdered a local teacher, and burned the building to the ground. Children in the area have since been too afraid to return to class, and education services have been halted.
Such attacks are not merely symbolic—they are strategic. By targeting civil infrastructure and silencing those who work within the government system, TPNPB-OPM aims to sow fear, delegitimize the state, and coerce local communities into compliance. In this light, their accusations of Indonesian state violence begin to ring hollow, revealing a movement equally, if not more, willing to inflict suffering to achieve its goals.
Obstructing Development and Isolating Communities
Papua is rich in natural resources—gold, copper, timber, and biodiversity. But despite this abundance, the region remains economically behind. The Indonesian government has in recent years initiated multiple infrastructure and welfare programs aimed at closing this gap, from road construction to social welfare schemes.
However, these efforts are repeatedly thwarted by the insecurity bred by separatist violence. Contractors abandon projects. Schools are shuttered. Health workers are pulled out of remote villages. Roads meant to connect isolated communities remain unfinished as construction crews flee under threat. And all the while, TPNPB-OPM continues to posture as the region’s protectors.
This contradiction couldn’t be starker. While claiming to champion Papuan autonomy and welfare, TPNPB-OPM’s attacks actively deepen poverty, drive displacement, and destabilize livelihoods. Their tactics silence the very people they claim to represent.
Civilians as Pawns in a Prolonged Conflict
Caught between Indonesian military operations and insurgent violence, civilians pay the highest price. Families live in fear of being labeled traitors or collaborators. Teachers and religious leaders risk assassination. Entire villages are displaced as conflicts escalate.
In many cases, communities have no choice but to flee—abandoning homes, farms, and futures. Recent attacks on teachers, such as the one in Beoga, leave children traumatized and robbed of an education. In other instances, villagers are pressured by armed groups to reject any form of government support, even when it could improve their well-being.
What’s most troubling is the apparent cynicism in TPNPB-OPM’s appeals. After escalating attacks on security personnel and civilians, including burning schools and killing a teacher, the group has paradoxically called on Indonesia to halt military responses such as air patrols. This double standard—demanding restraint while perpetuating violence—exposes their unwillingness to accept accountability.
International Lens: A Need for Balanced Dialogue
There is no denying that Papua has seen instances of heavy-handed responses from Indonesian forces. Allegations of human rights violations, including excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, and suppression of dissent, have been documented. The United Nations and human rights organizations have rightly called for accountability, transparency, and reform.
Yet, international observers often miss the full picture. Oversimplified narratives reduce the conflict to a story of colonialism and resistance, ignoring the complex realities on the ground. Armed groups like TPNPB-OPM are not grassroots movements operating through peaceful means—they are militant actors who engage in targeted violence.
Any path to peace must involve acknowledgment of the suffering on both sides and a commitment to holding all actors accountable—not just the state.
The Road Ahead: Ending the Cycle of Violence
A peaceful Papua cannot be built through bullets or bombs, regardless of which side fires them. The Indonesian government must continue reforming its security approach—prioritizing community engagement, respecting human rights, and investing in long-term development. But this effort will remain incomplete if groups like TPNPB-OPM are allowed to continue spreading fear without condemnation.
A shift toward inclusive dialogue is needed—one that empowers local voices, embraces economic equity, and builds trust. This also means rejecting the use of violence as a political weapon.
For its part, the international community must support a holistic solution—one that sees both the abuses and the manipulators. Only by shedding light on the double standards can Papua break free from a legacy of division and move toward lasting peace.
Conclusion
The Papua conflict is not a simple tale of state repression and indigenous resistance. It is a complex web of historical grievances, political interests, and competing narratives. While TPNPB-OPM continues to portray itself as the voice of the oppressed, its actions—killing teachers, burning schools, massacring civilians—tell another story.
To truly support the people of Papua, the world must look beyond slogans and sympathies. It must confront the uncomfortable truth: that peace cannot be built on double standards, and justice cannot be achieved through terror.
