Overview:
West Papuan independence advocates are urging the Netherlands to halt arms sales to Indonesia, citing fears that military equipment is being used in ongoing violence in Papua. The call comes as tensions escalate and reports of civilian deaths draw renewed international scrutiny.
JAYAPURA, 24 APRIL 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC)—The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the Netherlands to stop selling arms to Indonesia.
Representatives of the ULMWP were this week at the Dutch Parliament for a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the human rights situation in West Papua.
In a video relayed to the Dutch from ULMWP members in Papua, the pro-independence group called on the Netherlands to stop selling weapons to Indonesia.
“We, the people of West Papua, urge the Dutch government to stop cooperation and the supply of weapons to Indonesia, because these transactions between Indonesia and the Netherlands, especially weapons, are being bought and used to carry out killings against us.”
This comes amid a recent escalation of violent conflict between Indonesia’s military and Papuan pro-independence fighters.
Indonesia’s Human Rights Commission this week said it was investigating the deaths of a dozen West Papuan civilians last week as the result of a military operation in Central Papua.
The Netherlands was the former colonial power in West Papua and the rest of Indonesia. As such, the Liberation Movement said the Dutch had a responsibility to respond to ongoing human rights violations and conflict in Papua.
Current and recent Dutch military exports are largely tied to the Indonesian Navy and concentrated on naval vessels, ship systems and supporting weapons.
A spokesperson for the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia said all license applications for the export of military goods from the Netherlands were examined carefully and on a case‑by‑case basis, within the framework of the Arms Trade Treaty and the EU Common Position on arms export controls.
“Central to this assessment are the end user of the goods, the intended end use, and the situation in the country of destination.
“In conducting these assessments, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs systematically takes into account all relevant information, including political, security and human rights developments.
“License applications are refused where the assessment identifies an overriding risk that the military goods in question could be misused by the end user. The Ministry does not exclude any end users in advance, the spokesperson said.
RNZ Pacific has sought comment from the Indonesian govenment. Previously, Jakarta has refused to acknowledge the ULMWP has any legitimacy.
At the parliament hearing in the Hague, the president of ULMWP’s provisional government, Benny Wenda met with some Dutch lawmakers from parties including the Christian Union and the Progressive Party.
Also in attendance was the British Labour MP Alex Sobel, the chair person of International Parliamentarians for West Papua. …PACNEWS
