'Old wine in a new bottle': Activists raise alarm over deepfake videos - Australian Broadcasting…

West Papuan activists Koteka Wenda and Veronica Koman have reported being the subjects of AI-generated deepfake videos circulating on social media. These incidents are being described by experts and the activists themselves as a new, sophisticated evolution of long-standing efforts to repress dissent regarding the West Papua conflict.

What happened

Koteka Wenda, daughter of United Liberation Movement for West Papua leader Benny Wenda, identified a deepfake video of herself criticizing the documentary film Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time. The film examines indigenous land exploitation and deforestation in West Papua. Ms. Wenda expressed alarm that the realistic fabrication could mislead her supporters and damage her credibility as a freedom fighter.

Sydney-based activist Veronica Koman has also been targeted multiple times. In one instance, a video was altered to make it appear as though she were praising the Indonesian government's efforts in West Papua, footage that Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital later officially classified as a hoax. Ms. Koman stated she believes the original footage was harvested from her personal Facebook account. Additionally, Ms. Koman reported being targeted by a prior deepfake video depicting her engaging in sexual acts, which she described as harmful and disgusting.

While the activists have not identified specific individuals responsible for creating the content, they suggest that state actors are likely behind the campaigns due to the significant resources and time required to produce such material. These incidents align with findings from a recent Amnesty International report, which documented how Indonesian authorities have utilized disinformation as a political weapon to discredit critics and consolidate power. Experts from the University of Melbourne noted that while the repression of human rights activists in the region is not new, the use of AI represents a modern technological shift in these long-running campaigns. Activists warn that this "digital colonisation" threatens to confuse the public and silence those advocating for West Papuan independence.