Veronica Koman
Veronica Koman is a human rights defender and lawyer who advocates extensively for human rights in West Papua. She is a member of International Lawyers for West Papua, an international network of lawyers working to strengthen the human rights of the people of West Papua. Previously, she worked as a public interest lawyer at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta). In the midst of the recent internet blackout in West Papua following mass demonstrations in the region, Veronica Koman has been disseminating information about developments in the situation on social media and has functioned as a key source of information to the outside world.
In various provinces of Indonesia, political movements call for independence and/or self-determination. In these areas, individuals carrying out peaceful activities in defence of human rights are particularly at risk as they are targeted by both the authorities and insurgent groups. Attacks targeting defenders in Jakarta, Aceh and West Papua have escalated over the past decade, while the lack of media access to West Papua impacts the work of HRDs.
