One People, One Soul

On December 7, 2014, a historic gathering of West Papuan leaders in Vanuatu saw different factions of the independence movement unite to form a new body: the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

Three factions – the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and West Papua National Parliament (PNWP) – unified to form the ULMWP.

In December 2020, the ULMWP announced the formation of the Provisional Government of West Papua. The Provisional Government operates according to a presidential system, governed by the principles of Green Democracy. A full cabinet commanding 12 departments on the ground in West Papua was announced on May 1, 2021.

Key ULMWP Documents:

- ULMWP Provisional Government Structure

- ULMWP Provisional Government Constitution

Representatives

Chronology of ULMWP

December 2014

Following a historic gathering, West Papuan independence movement groups unite under a single umbrella organisation, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

June 2015

A petition of over 150,000 signatures from inside West Papua is presented to the Vanuatu government to ask for their support at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as well as expressing full support for the ULMWP to represent the interests and aspirations of the West Papuan people within the MSG.

 

June 2015

ULMWP is granted observer status in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) – West Papua’s first diplomatic recognition in years.

June 2015

At the MSG in Honiara, the Solomon Islands establishes a special envoy on the issue of West Papua and joins Vanuatu and Tonga in addressing the issue of human rights at the UN in Geneva.

 

February 2016

ULMWP office is officially opened in Wamena, West Papua, attended by over 5,000 people.

May 2016

International Parliamentarians for West Papua hosts an international event in the Houses of Parliament, London, culminating in the signing of the Westminster Declaration for an Internationally Supervised Vote for Self-Determination in West Papua.

September 2016

At the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, the prime ministers of VanuatuSolomon IslandsTonga and Tuvalu, and the presidents of Nauru and Marshall Islands, call for UN action on human rights abuses committed against West Papua's indigenous Melanesians.

March 2017

At the 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, Vanuatu makes a joint statement on behalf of Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands, raising human rights abuses in West Papua and requesting that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights produce a report.

September 2017

At the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly, the prime ministers of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu once again raise human rights concerns, along with the Caribbean nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.Vanuatu calls for a Human Rights Council investigation into killings and human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces and appeals to world leaders to support self-determination. The Solomon Islands also calls for self-determination.

September 2017

A petition for self-determination signed by 1.8 million West Papuans is smuggled out of West Papua and flown to the United Nations headquarters in New York.


September 2017

The Papuan People's Petition for self-determination is presented by ULMWP Chairman Benny Wenda and Rex Rumakiek to Rafael Ramírez, chair of the UN Decolonisation Committee (C-24) and Venezuela's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.


December 2017

Following an organisational restructure, Benny Wenda is elected Chairman of ULMWP, with Jacob Rumbiak elected Spokesperson.

 

January 2019

Chairman of the ULMWP, Benny Wenda, delivers the Papuan People's Petition for self-determination to UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, during a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

July 2019

Chairman of the ULMWP, Benny Wenda, is awarded the Freedom of the City of Oxford in recognition of his tireless work for the liberation of the people of West Papua.

August 2019

The Pacific Islands Forum leaders' communique includes a section on West Papua, calling for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to be allowed into West Papua and for the 'root causes' of the conflict to be addressed.

December 2019

The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), made up of 79 countries, calls for Indonesia to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights into West Papua, and for West Papua to become a standing item on the UN Human Rights Council.

 

December 2020

The ULMWP announces the formation of the Provisional Government of West Papua. Benny Wenda is appointed Interim President, with Edison Waromi as Interim Prime Minister.

May 2021

Twelve government departments operating underground in West Papua are announced, covering political to environmental policy.