Civil society groups in West Papua have called on Indonesia to let the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit the region and to begin genuine dialogue, RNZ Pacific reports.
Pacific Islands Forum leaders first asked Indonesia to allow such a visit in 2019, and several Pacific governments have repeated the request in recent weeks. Jakarta told RNZ last month that the visit remained on track, but it has yet to happen.
Campaigners say conflict in Papua's interior has deepened as more Indonesian troops deploy against the West Papua Liberation Army, and one rights defender put the number of displaced people at about 127,000. Humanitarian access is also restricted. At the UN General Assembly, an Indonesian diplomat said the government takes credible claims of abuses seriously and that any visit must be agreed with Jakarta, not set by regional bodies.
Source: RNZ
