 Protests have erupted in West Papua following the announcement by the Indonesian Parliament to create three new provinces in West Papua. The western part of New Guinea's island is currently divided into two provinces, West Papua Province and Papua Province. With the addition of the South Papua Province, Central Papua Province and Papua Central Highlands Province, the goal is to divide these two administrative regions into five. Jakarta's proposal to divide West Papua into separate provinces has been met with massive mobilisations and demands for an independence referendum. On May 10, the region was put under level 1 security. Indonesian Army was deployed against unarmed protesters. In Jayapura, chaos erupted when peaceful protesters were dispersed by the police and riot police were deployed. A student leader was shot and beaten, and seven leading activists were arrested at the office of a human rights organisation. At least 10 people were arrested in Timor-leshte. For Papuans, the proposed divisions have far-reaching consequences that go beyond changing arbitrary lines on a map. The establishment of new administrative districts necessitates the establishment of government apparatus, military posts and new infrastructure, all of which could intensify the region's violent conflict. The Indonesian state continues to test out new mechanisms to weaken the struggle for independence and self-determination by undermining the social fabric and territorial unity of West Papua. Another recent proposal would see the deployment of military to work in Papuan communities and divert them from the independence cause. All of them rely heavily on the Indonesian military and would see an increase in the number of troops deployed in West Papua. The region has undergone significant advances since the special autonomy law for Papua was enacted in 2001. The law's implementation has mostly neglected West Papuan's political rights to self-govern. The founding of the Papuan People's Assembly, a coalition of Papuan tribe chiefs tasked with arbitration and speaking on behalf of indigenous Papuans, was a crucial feature on the original draught. While MRP's role has been mostly advisory over the years, they are alleged to have been left out of discussions about the three new provinces. Protests against the proliferation erupted in key Papuan cities like Jayapura, Vamana and Timika as the Indonesian administration generally ignored the systems of representative democracy they established. When security personnel opened fire in Yakuhimo Regency in March 2022, two individuals were killed and six others were injured. A petition against the OTSAS amendment was distributed among local Papua people earlier this year and it received 718,179 signatures.