Viktor Kaisiepo, Papuan activist, dies, aged 61

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Viktor Kaisiepo, the dedicated and charismatic Papuan activist, has died aged 61 in the Netherlands. Viktor was an indefatigable campaigner for the rights of the peoples of West Papua, and for other Indigenous peoples.

Viktor spent his early years in West Papua but his family moved to the Netherlands when the territory was handed over to Indonesia in 1962. He lived in the Netherlands for the rest of his life, always pushing for the rights of the Papuan people to be heard and respected.

Viktor was the European Representative of the Papuan Council of the Papuan Presidium (PDP) as well as International Representative of the Dewan Adat Papua (DAP), the Indigenous Papuan Council. He was involved in lobbying Jakarta to engage in genuine dialogue with the Papuan people. He was a regular visitor to the United Nations, for many years working alongside Survival in bringing the plight of the Papuan people to the attention of the UN Human Rights Commission.

All who met him will remember Viktor Kaisiepo. His dedication, conviction and charm must have inspired hundreds of people over the years to take up the cause of the Papuan peoples’ struggle. Our condolences go to his family and friends in the Netherlands, West Papua and beyond.