Yanto Assuk, a Native West Papuan from the Yali tribe, serves as a Grant Support and Policy & Advocacy worker with West Papua Campaign USA, carrying with him the resilience, clarity, and lived experience of growing up in the Central Highlands of Papua, in the Ninia District. His understanding of justice was shaped early by witnessing the inhumane treatment Indigenous West Papuans face under Indonesian rule. Experiences that stayed with him as he pursued education and leadership roles abroad.

Before joining WPC‑USA, Yanto served as the Midwest Field Coordinator for the Papuan Student Association of the US and Canada (IMAPA), where he worked closely with Papuan students, supported community growth, reported housing and funding issues, and helped maintain essential student data. He later earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Western Michigan University, an opportunity that broadened his worldview and deepened his belief that dignity, freedom, and human rights are universal values shared across cultures. Yanto’s commitment to advocacy is rooted in both personal experience and a profound sense of responsibility knowing that Papuans continue to face human rights violations, environmental injustice, and systemic silencing on the global stage. His work with WPC‑USA allows him to stand in solidarity with his people while engaging international communities in the struggle for justice and self‑determination. 

Outside of his advocacy, he finds grounding in hiking, going to the gym, and video editing. Creative and restorative outlets that connect him to others around the world who seek peace, expression, and belonging. 

Through his role at WPC‑USA, Yanto hopes to help build a future where West Papuans can live freely on their ancestral land and where their story is recognized as part of our shared human responsibility to protect the dignity and rights of all people.