West Irian Liberation Monument

This dramatic bronze figure in Lapangan Banteng depicts a man breaking free from chains, commemorating the campaign to bring western New Guinea under Indonesian control in the early 1960s. Commissioned by Sukarno and completed in 1963, the statue stands with arms flung upward atop a tall pedestal amid a landscaped square. Its expressive posture makes it one of the capital's most emotive public monuments. The surrounding park, redeveloped with fountains and walkways, draws joggers and families throughout the day.