Monday, February 16, 2026

1) Confusion over West Papua bombing, displacement claims, as shooting of pilots confirmed


2) 11 Pioneer Airports in Papua Suspended After Smart Air Plane Shooting That Killed Two  Reporter 
3) DPD urges ministry to re-verify data of school dropouts in Papua 

4) Impunity in Sorong: Nine months without justice for victim of police violence

5) Security forces allegedly shot dead prison fugitive in Kaimana Regency



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1) Confusion over West Papua bombing, displacement claims, as shooting of pilots confirmed
RNZ Pacific 6:32 am today 
The Indonesian government has dismissed a claim that its military has been bombing villages in West Papua.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) claims a makeshift refugee camp in Puncak Regency of was bombed, and that many villagers have been displaced.
ULMWP president Benny Wenda said the Air Force had "relentlessly attacked the region" since the end of January.
"According to Human Rights Defenders on the ground, the Indonesian military used drones to drop bombs on the refugee camp in Kembru District, forcing civilians from nine villages to flee into the 

"These are mostly women (some of them pregnant), children, and elders: defenceless people who have already been displaced from their homes by previous military operations."
However, a spokesperson for Indonesia's Embassy in New Zealand said that there were no increased attacks done by Indonesian Air Force or other branch of the military, "apart from regular patrol to provide security and to guarantee safety for all of Indonesians".
The embassy said around 500 residents in the area had been "evacuated" from their villages due to threats from an "armed criminal group", a label given to Papuan independence fighters.

Counter claims

There's more confusion around at least one separate, violent incident in the past several days.
ULMWP claimed Indonesia's military forces killed a Papuan man, Pit Nayagau, during a raid in the Sugapa District of Intan Jaya Regency.
But the embassy again pointed blame at the "armed criminal group" but indicated that more information was required for clarification regarding this incident.
Meanwhile, two were killed pilots after a pair of shooting at a commercial plane when it landed at an airport in South Papua Province last week.
"Unfortunately, those threats resulted in the loss of life of two Indonesian pilot in which their plane have been shot down by the armed criminal group. Mr. Elkius Kobak and Mr. Kopitua Heluka from the armed criminal group have claimed the responsibility of the shooting," the embassy said.
Meanwhile, Wenda said internet blackouts had hampewred the flow of information about the attacks.
"Indonesia is using their full range of occupation strategies during this offensive: forced displacement, indiscriminate targeting of villagers, and information blackouts," he said.

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2) 11 Pioneer Airports in Papua Suspended After Smart Air Plane Shooting That Killed Two  Reporter 
Hendrik Yaputra 
February 16, 2026 | 08:44 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended the operation of 11 pioneer airports in Papua, following the shooting of a Smart Air plane at Korowai Airport in Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua.

Civil Aviation DG Lukman F. Laisa said the decision was taken to anticipate any unforeseen circumstances, and operations may resume once security is cleared by the Indonesian military and police.


"Security situation must be conducive and in compliance with flight safety standards," Lukman said on Monday, February 16, 2026.

The eleven airports include the Koroway Batu Service Unit (Satpel) in South Papua, Bomakia Airport in the Papuan Highlands, Yaniruma Service Unit in Papua Highlands, and Manggelum Service Unit in Papua Highlands.

Additionally, the Kapiraya Aerodrome, Iwur Aerodrome, Faowi Aerodrome, Dagai Aerodrome, Aboy Aerodrome, and Teraplu Aerodrome—all located in Papua Highlands—have also been suspended. The Beoga Aerodrome in Central Papua is also suspended.

Meanwhile, five pioneer airports continue to operate under military and police security despite being in high-risk areas. "Flight operations can be carried out while still considering the developments in the regions," he stated. These five airports are the Kiwirok Airport in Papua Highlands, Moanamani and Illu airports in Central Papua, and Sinak Service Unit and Agandugume Service Unit in Ilaga, Central Papua.

Lukman emphasized that operators who halt flights due to security reasons will not be sanctioned. Pioneer airport operations can still be carried out by ensuring the security conditions at the destination airports are met. "Operators are given the authority to assess security and decide whether to resume operations for safety reasons," he added.

The Civil Aviation DG is currently mapping out airports based on risk levels, drafting special Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for aircraft crews in critical zones, and working with the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs and law enforcement agencies to investigate the recent shooting. 

The Ministry of Transportation emphasizes the importance of strengthening the legal basis for the halting of operations if security conditions are not met. "And the need for a joint decree between regional governments and security forces to strengthen the implementation of pioneer air transport," Lukman stated.

Head of the Public Relations Task Force for Operation Damai Cartenz, Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, previously stated that 13 passengers were onboard the Smart Air plane that was shot at upon landing. The flight was piloted by Captain Egon Erawan and Co-pilot Captain Bas Koro.

As a result of the shooting, the pilot and co-pilot were declared dead, while 13 passengers, comprising 12 adults and one infant, were reported as safe. The Operation Cartenz Peace has identified the shooters as the West Papuan National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) Yahukimo Battalion, known as the Cannibal and Red Ants.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the TPNPB headquarters, Sebby Sambom, stated that the Korowai area is within the operational area of the TPNPB militia of the XVI/Yahukimo Defense Command (Kodap) led by Elkius Kobak and Kopitua Heluka as the operations commander. "We are very clear. TPNPB has long issued warnings for Indonesian people to leave Papua, especially in conflict zones," Sebby said via a WhatsApp voice message on Monday, February 16, 2026.

Furthermore, TPNPB has designated the Boven Digoel area, which is within the operational area of the XVI/Yahukimo Defense Command, as a conflict zone, so various shooting incidents are normalized.
Andi Adam Faturahman contributed to the writing of this article.

Read: Chronology of the Smart Air Plane Shooting in Papua


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3) DPD urges ministry to re-verify data of school dropouts in Papua 
 February 16, 2026 20:41 GMT+700
Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA) - Committee III of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) has urged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to re-verify data on school dropouts across Papua.

Chairman of Committee III, Filep Wamafma, said in Manokwari, West Papua, on Monday that updating and verifying the data is crucial to ensure accurate policymaking.

“The accuracy and validity of education data are vital to ensure it truly reflects actual conditions on the ground,” he said.

He noted that figures presented by the Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua Special Autonomy in January 2026 estimated the number of dropouts at 700,000, a significant increase compared with the ministry’s 2024 data.

He stressed that the government must reconcile these differing figures to ensure that education development planning in Papua is aligned with real conditions and effectively addresses underlying issues.

“In 2024, the ministry recorded just over 30,000 students, from elementary to senior high school levels, dropping out in the same region,” he added.

Wamafma said the lack of data synchronization and updates could lead to inaccurate policies that fail to address core problems such as high education costs, limited infrastructure, and teacher shortages.

He noted that scholarship distribution relies on Basic Education Data (Dapodik), and the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN), which integrates the Social Welfare Integrated Data, the Socio-Economic Registry, and the Family Development Potential Mapping (P3KE) database.

“Discrepancies among these systems could potentially result in misdirected educational assistance,” he said.

He added that local governments must conduct periodic data collection to ensure that every school dropout in Papua receives proper attention and direct intervention.

“No more Papuan children should lose their right to education,” he emphasized.

In addition to education data, Wamafma highlighted the teacher-to-student ratio as an indicator of the uneven distribution of educators across Papua, which directly affects the quality of learning.

He also suggested that local governments involve customary and church leaders in the data verification process to ensure independence and strengthen public trust in the results.

Related news: Papua can drive national development forward: Minister

Related news: Prevent student dropouts amid budget cuts, varsities told

Translator: Fransiskus Salu, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti


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4) Impunity in Sorong: Nine months without justice for victim of police violence

Human Rights News / Indonesia, West Papua / 16 February 2026
On 10 May 2025, Mr Ortizan F. Tarage, a civilian resident of Sorong City, was apprehended without explanation by three officers of the Sorong City Police (Polresta Sorong Kota) while fishing behind the Diklat Complex on Jalan Pendidikan, Kilometer 8. According to testimony gathered by the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Papua Pos Sorong, Mr Tarage was taken away in an unmarked vehicle later identified as belonging to the police, and subsequently subjected to severe physical violence during police detention. The torture involved beatings with wood, bamboo, iron bars, iron padlocks, and hoses in an effort to coerce a confession to motorcycle thefts he did not commit. Mr Tarage sustained serious injuries to his face, calves, thighs, shoulders, and hands (see photo on top, source: LBH Sorong). The treatment Mr Tarage endured constitutes torture as defined under international law, and represents a grave violation of the absolute and non-derogable prohibition against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Despite a formal police report (LP/B/341/V/2025/SPKT/Polresta Sorong Kota/Polda Papua Barat) having been filed on 22 May 2025, no suspects have been named and the investigation has shown no meaningful progress in the nine months since the incident. The alleged perpetrators reportedly remain on active duty at the Sorong City Police headquarters, free to continue their professional activities without restriction. The Legal Aid Institute in Sorong has characterised this prolonged inaction as emblematic of institutional impunity. The stagnation is compounded by the reported failure of the Sorong City Police Chief to respond to two separate letters from the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM RI) Representative Office in Papua requesting information about the case, raising serious concerns about obstruction and a lack of institutional willingness to cooperate with independent oversight mechanisms.
The torture of Mr Tarage and the subsequent failure of accountability violate a broad framework of domestic and international legal obligations binding on Indonesia. These include Article 28G(2) of the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees freedom from torture; Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights; Law No. 5/1998 concerning ratification of the Convention against Torture (CAT); and Law No. 12 of 2005 on ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The case also contravenes the National Police’s own internal regulations, including National Police Regulation No. 8/2009 and No. 8/2021. Under international human rights law, states are obligated not only to refrain from torture but to ensure prompt, impartial, and effective investigation of all allegations, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to provide victims with access to redress and reparation. The prolonged absence of any investigative progress in this case represents a failure on all of these counts.
On 14 February 2026, LBH Papua Pos Sorong formally filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Division (Propam) of the West Papua Regional Police, urging the Regional Police Chief to impose disciplinary sanctions on the officers involved and to initiate a professional criminal investigation. LBH has further called upon Komnas HAM RI to conduct an independent inquiry into the case. The family of Mr Tarage continues to demand justice and has expressed grave concern that the police apparatus may be actively shielding the perpetrators from accountability.

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5) Security forces allegedly shot dead prison fugitive in Kaimana Regency

16 February 2026 / 3 minutes of reading
On 4 February 2026, military and correctional facility officers reportedly shot dead Mr Zet Tare, 32, an escaped detainee from Kaimana Correctional Facility, during an arrest operation near the  Pertamina areal in Kaimana Town, Kaimana Regency, Papua Barat province. According to the information received, security officers released multiple gunshots at Mr Tare and subsequnetly subjetetd him to physical violence, causing him to die at the scene. His body was subsequently transported to Kaimana Regional Hospital.
Security personnel located and apprehended Mr Zet Tare around 11:00 pm. He had been listed as a fugitive (Daftar Pencarian Orang, DPO) after escaping from Kaimana Prison in December 2025. Residents reported hearing several gunshots, causing panic among the local community. According to a witness, officers opened fire at Mr Tare even though he did not resist arrest. After the shooting, officers transferred the body to the hospital morgue, with visible gunshot wounds and injuries to the back of the skull, as well as bleeding from the nose and mouth.
When Mr Tare’s relatives received information about the incident, they went to the Kaimana Regional Hospital. Upon arrival, she was informed that he had already been pronounced dead by medical personnel. Prison and military personnel reportedly prevented the family from taking the body home from the morgue, where the body was cleaned, projectiles removed and the bullet wounds covered. Family bodies were allowed to pick-up the body at noon on 5 February 2026. Military members and correctional officers escorted Mr Tare’s body together with relatives to the cemetery for burial. Following the failed arrest operation, the Kaimana Prison authorities did not issue a public statement clarifying the legal grounds for the use of firearms.

Human rights analysis

Under international human rights law, Indonesia is bound by Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), guaranteeing the inherent right to life, and Article 7 ICCPR prohibiting torture and ill-treatment. The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials strictly limit the use of lethal force to situations where it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. The reported circumstances of this case suggest potential non-compliance with these standards.
The fugitive status of a person does not extinguish the right to life, the presumption of innocence, or the right to due process. Law enforcement authorities remain bound by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and accountability when effecting an arrest. The reported use of lethal force against an unarmed suspect who allegedly did not resist raises serious concerns of extrajudicial execution. Allegations of physical assault prior to death further indicate possible violations of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
In light of these allegations, an independent, prompt, thorough and impartial investigation consistent with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016) is required. Such an investigation should involve Komnas HAM and independent forensic experts to ensure credibility and transparency. The authorities must preserve all ballistic, medical and scene-of-crime evidence and guarantee that the victim’s family is free from intimidation.
Detailed Case Data
Location: 8QV6+X5X, Kaimana Kota, Kaimana, Kaimana Regency, West Papua 98654, Indonesia (-3.6550002, 133.7604951) behind the  Pertamina areal in Kaimana Town
Region: Indonesia, West Papua, Kaimana, Kaimana
Total number of victims: 1
#Number of VictimsName, DetailsGenderAgeGroup AffiliationViolations
1.1Zet Tare
male32Indigenous Peoplesexecution, right to life, torture, unlawful killing
Period of incident: 04/02/2026 – 04/02/2026
Perpetrator: , Indonesian Military (TNI), Correctional Forces
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence
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Sunday, February 15, 2026

1) Handshake diplomacy with Prabowo won’t secure shared values


2) Task force: 20 KKB members behind Smart Air shooting in South Papua  

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Duncan Graham 
1) Handshake diplomacy with Prabowo won’t secure shared values
 February 16, 2026


 Australia’s new security treaty with Indonesia is heavy on symbolism but light on substance. As President Prabowo Subianto tightens his grip on power, warm rhetoric from Canberra risks obscuring growing democratic regression and human rights abuses.

As head of a democracy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s duties include praising foreign leaders who despise his views and smile as they shake his hand. That’s one of the pains of high office.

Last week, the proffered palm belonged to Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, 74. He runs the world’s fourth-largest nation (287 million), a former general with an alleged record of human rights abuses. To authoritarians he’s a role model.

Photos of PM Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong signing a ’treaty’ and getting lavish attention in Jakarta last week reinforcedAlbanese’s claim for the “biggest step the countries have taken together in 30 years.”

But the pomp and horsiness is regular hospitality as world leaders pay homage at the Presidential Palace. During his first year in the job Prabowo made 33 state visits, so there’s been much reciprocity.

Earlier, Albanese had said: “Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is based on friendship, trust, mutual respect and a shared commitment to peace and stability in our region.

“This treaty is a recognition from both our nations that the best way to secure that peace and stability is by acting together.''

This is welcome fare, but prepared by Canberra’s cautious word cooks on a slow stove to remove impurities. Australia may have a treaty, but most Indonesian media have seen it has a side dish, not the main course.

For Indonesian academic Hangga Fathana, it’s “an agreement that reassures more than it constrains … the language focuses on consultation and coordination without requiring concrete action.

“The placebo effect is not that the treaty will do nothing. It’s that it may generate reassurance out of proportion to its real obligations.”

Prabowo’s language was more sober and accurate, just a deal with “good neighbours” though greatly outnumbered – one of us to 11 of them.

“Watershed” is Albanese’s description of the deal’s importance – an insensitive metaphor as flooding and landslips across the archipelago have killed and displaced thousands so far this wet season.

The speech notes call the inking a “bilateral security treaty”. If recent history is an indicator, it could be kindling come the next cold snap.

That’s what happened to its model predecessor. In 1995, then PM Paul Keating and Prabowo’s father-in-law, the second President Soeharto, signed a secret Agreement on Maintaining Security.

Soeharto’s successor, the mercurial Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie, stuffed the splendid hopes and perfectly structured pars in a shredder. This was to show his anger at the Australia-led 1999 INTERFET international peacekeeping force in East Timor after residents voted 80 per cent against staying with Indonesia in a referendum.

Resentment of Australia was at one stage intense and may linger still in the military.

Indonesians are quick to take umbrage, aka an inferiority complex, so the ’treaty’ may last only to the next outrage, whether real or contrived. In 2017, all military cooperation, including joint training, was suspended when Indonesians alleged that teaching materials were insulting.

Despite enormous disparities in income, religion, culture, language and values, our leaders erase these facts by asserting we are “good neighbours”. The image has a respectful couple thrown together by geography who respect each other.

To Australian Indonesianists, this hurts: the plaudits are nonsense.

When General Soeharto ran Indonesia for 32 years in the last century and before social media gripped our lives, young Western backpackers were hungrily questioned by student activists about events outside the archipelago.

To be an Australian was to be considered a friend, a representative of democracy, a sustainer of the rule of law and human rights values. Those were the days.

After Indonesia declared independence in 1945, Dutch troops tried to regain their former colony. But Australian wharfies boycotted the Europeans’ ships, defied Canberra’s pro-Netherlands policy, and actively supported the freedom movement.

An ANU exhibition, Struggle, Solidarity and Unity, recalled the Armada Hitam (Black Armada) union campaign, “one of the largest boycotts ever organised in Australia.”

That history is now little known in Indonesia. Instead, youngsters speed read about today’s celebrities on their mobile phones: like almost everywhere else on the planet, Australia has racists and is currently wriggling to slough its skin of Islamophobia which was growing even before the Bondi shootings and has been hardening since.

Here’s an awkward truth that annoys myopic nationalists: we think we’re important and admired in Indonesia. Once, yes. Now, no.

As Melbourne University Professor Tim Lindsey has written: “The countries seem to be moving further apart when it comes to freedom of speech and respect for civil society.

“Indonesia’s vulnerable democratic system has been under repeated attack from the government for most of the last decade. This could complicate matters for Albanese, particularly as Prabowo ramps up his crackdown on critics of his administration.”

There are more than 800,000 Muslims in Australia (about 120,000 are Indonesians, but not necessarily followers of Islam), and fewer than 120,000 Jews. The minority have great commercial, political and cultural clout.

Suggestions that the ‘treaty’ with Indonesia could lead to the two nations’ armies working together would require us to abandon many principles.  The military continues to oppress independence fighters in Papua.

Allegations of human rights abuses in the provinces are commonplace; 132 reportedly died in clashes last year. The armed separatist movement has been running for more than 60 years and taken at least 100,000 lives.

As in Gaza, independent journalists are banned, so confirmation of casualties is impossible. Albanese made no public comments on this issue.

Since his 2023 election, loud-mouth Prabowo has been bashing democracy, a sport played a little less vigorously by his soft-spoken predecessor Jokowi.

Lindsey underlines the President’s “nepotistic appointments, stacking the Constitutional Court, bringing the army into civil affairs, and banning elections for local governments.”

The President’s political party Gerindra (Great Indonesia movement) states publicly that it wants to go back to last century’s Orde Baru (New Order) authoritarian rule. (The government is a coalition of mainly small right-wing parties; there’s no real opposition in the legislature, so NGOs fill the gap.)

Lindsey continued: “Recent developments suggest the dismantling of democratic freedoms is speeding up.

“Opposition is routinely met with repression, and censorship prevails. Australia’s role as a hub for open dialogue, free speech, analysis and criticism of Indonesia will become even more important.”

A “xenophobic new law” is being hustled to “prevent, detect, and counter disinformation and foreign propaganda” – a blame-all phrase that could snare academics and journos, and kill funding from overseas aid agencies.

So read this while you can. The Prabowo-Albanese love-in may not last if democracy gets in the way of Orde Baru. Security and trade are important, but people ties are vital for future harmony.


The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.

Duncan Graham
 Duncan Graham has been a journalist for more than 40 years in print, radio and TV. He is the author of People Next Door (UWA Press). He is now writing for the English language media in Indonesia from within Indonesia. Duncan Graham has an MPhil degree, a Walkley Award, two Human Rights Commission awards and other prizes for his radio, TV and print journalism in Australia. He lives in East Java.


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2) Task force: 20 KKB members behind Smart Air shooting in South Papua  
February 15, 2026 11:54 GMT+700

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Crime scene investigation has indicated that the shooting of a Smart Air aircraft at Korowai Batu Airport in South Papua was allegedly carried out by around 20 members of an armed criminal group (KKB).

Head of Operations of the Cartenz Peace Task Force Brig. Gen. Faizal Rahmadani said on Saturday that the group reportedly emerged from a lodging house located near the airport before opening fire at the aircraft, prompting passengers and crew members to flee.

"The shooting involving the Smart Air aircraft with flight number PK-SNR occurred as the plane was preparing to continue its flight to Dekai, Yahukimo, on February 11," he stated.

Rahmadani said the alleged perpetrators were members of the KKB group led by Elkius Kobak from Yahukimo.

The crime scene investigation found 13 bullet holes in the aircraft's fuselage. Investigators also documented 23 pieces of evidence at the scene.

Witnesses said the shooting began shortly after the aircraft landed at around 10:30 a.m. local time at Korowai Batu Airport and was preparing for departure to Dekai.

"The KKB group suddenly appeared and opened fire while the pilot was starting the engine, forcing passengers and crew members to disembark for safety," Rahmadani noted.

The armed group then allegedly pursued and shot pilot Captain Enggon Erawan and co-pilot Captain Baskoro Adi Anggoro, who later died from their injuries.

Rahmadani said witnesses reported they were unable to identify the perpetrators and believed the suspects were not residents of Korowai.

He added that the investigation and law enforcement process is being conducted in a measured and professional manner. Security personnel are deployed not only to pursue the perpetrators but also to protect residents, restore order, and ensure public safety.

"The safety of residents remains our primary concern. Joint security forces are working to ensure that Korowai returns to a peaceful condition," he emphasized.

Related news: Police step up security at Korowai Airport after Smart Air shooting
Related news: Separatist group KKB battalions behind Smart Air shooting in Papua

Translator: Evarukdijati, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso

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Saturday, February 14, 2026

1) HRW claims Indonesia police violated Papua protesters’ rights


2) TNI's involvement in combating terrorism will worsen situation in Papua  
3) Water Tank Driver Shot by KKB in Yahukimo 
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1) HRW claims Indonesia police violated Papua protesters’ rights 
Alex Kwok | HKU Faculty of Law, CN/HK 
FEBRUARY 14, 2026 08:14:56 AM

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned the Indonesian police for the reported unlawful dispersal, physical assault, and detention of 11 Papuan protesters in Merauke on January 25.

Meenakshi Ganguly, the deputy Asia director at HRW, reiterated Indigenous Papuan communities’ right to protest without fear of reprisal. Ganguly stated, “Police and military personnel who commit abuses against local communities should be held to account and appropriately punished.”

According to HRW, members of the Voice of Catholic People of Papua gathered at a cathedral and urged church officials to intervene and protect indigenous populations harmed by the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project. According to witnesses, police officers arrived and forcibly dispersed the crowd without prior warning or attempts at dialogue. Officers allegedly choked and beat demonstrators, striking several on the head with batons.

The rights group also reported that the police detained 11 protesters and released them without charge after midnight. Arnold Anda, their lawyer from the Merauke Legal Aid Institute, stated that authorities failed to provide any legal basis for the arrests. Police also seized a smartphone and deleted its photos and videos before returning it, leaving protesters feeling monitored and unsafe.

The MIFEE project plans to convert nearly three million hectares of forest and swampland into rice, sugarcane, and other crop plantations. The Indonesian government frames the project as a path toward national food and biofuel self-sufficiency.

HRW warned, however, that the “project risks the customary land rights of over 40,000 people from the Indigenous Malind, Maklew, Yei, and Khimaima communities.” Indonesian civil society organization Pusaka has documented fraudulent land grabs that strip these communities of their ancestral forests. They face difficulties in accessing sources of food and sources of livelihood, destruction of social and cultural systems, exploitation of workers, and inadequate wages.

In March 2025, nine UN special rapporteurs issued a joint letter expressing grave concerns over systematic human rights and environmental violations in the region. They warned that approximately 40 villages are at risk of losing their traditional rights due to large-scale deforestation, military intimidation, and the criminalization of dissent.

In November 2025, UN experts expressed concern about the Special Autonomy Law for Papua, describing the law as one that centralizes authority and worsens the poverty, persecution, and displacement of Papuan Indigenous peoples.

Article 18B (2) of the Indonesian Constitution recognizes and respects customary law communities and their traditional rights, provided they align with national interests and legal regulations. Article 28I (3) emphasizes the protection of cultural identities and the rights of Indigenous communities in line with societal progress.


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2) TNI's involvement in combating terrorism will worsen situation in Papua  
Jubi Papua – February 11, 2026

Aida Ulim, Jayapura – A Draft Presidential Regulation (Ranperpres) on the involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in combating terrorism is seen as further strengthening suspicions by various groups that the state is adopting a military approach to various problems in the country.

Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) Director Ardi Manto Adiputra said that in the context of Papua, this draft presidential regulation has the potential to worsen the conflict, the humanitarian situation and democracy in Papua.

This is despite the prolonged conflict that has never been resolved peacefully, an armed conflict that has been going on for around 70 years. Furthermore, this draft presidential regulation is still being legally challenged.

According to Adiputra, the regulation is extremely dangerous if linked to the situation in Papua, as it labels certain groups in Papua as terrorists.

This statement was conveyed by Adiputra during a public discussion held by Imparsial on the Papuan conflict and the stigmatisation of terrorism titled "The Dangers of the Ranperpres and the Involvement of the TNI and Counterterrorism", which was broadcast online through Imparsial's YouTube channel on Tuesday February 10.

He said that the community's opposition in the land of Papua national strategic projects (PSN) shows that the problem there is not only development and armed conflict. It also involves humanitarian issues and the abrogation indigenous peoples' rights.

"Amid these conditions, the government has issued a draft Ranperpres that regulates the TNI's role in countering acts of terrorism", said Adiputra.

Imparsial noted that there are currently more than 14,000 TNI personnel in Papua. This number is considered very significant compared to the population ratio in Indonesia's easternmost region.

Therefore, a security approach that relies on troop deployment is seen as prolonging the conflict and distancing Papua from a peaceful resolution.

"Moreover, this Ranperpres will expand the TNI's authority to include prevention, enforcement and recovery, with a definition that is very broad and open to multiple interpretation", he said.

One of the points most highlighted by Adiputra was the definition of terrorism in the draft regulation, which covers actions deemed to threaten the state ideology of Pancasila.

This definition is considered highly vulnerable to abuse in Papua, bearing in mind the right to peacefully express political opinions and aspirations, which represent part of human rights, is not fully allowed.

"Not only that, the deployment of TNI troops to (the land of) Papua has not been based on a state political decision as mandated under Law Number 34/2004 on the TNI. This has resulted in military deployments taking place without clear measures and accountability", he said.

If the draft presidential regulation is ratified, it is feared that civil space in Papua will shrink further, the risk of human rights violations will increase and peace efforts that have been promoted by civil society, religious leaders, academics and other parties will be further obstructed.

"Resolving the conflict in Papua must be done by addressing the root of the problem, including human rights violations that have never been resolved. A coercive and military approach will only prolong the cycle of violence. A peaceful path through dialogue is the only way to resolve the Papuan conflict justly and with dignity", he said.

On the other hand, the draft regulation is also seen as confusing the military's function with law enforcement. Indonesia's handling of terrorism has traditionally used a law enforcement approach.

If the regulation is ratified, there are concerns that this approach will shift to a war approach or war model. Because previous experience has shown that various human rights violations have already occurred in with just the police handling of terrorism, including cases of wrongful arrest and deaths during law enforcement.

The military's involvement is seen as further increasing the risk of the use of excessive force, especially given the persistent issues of impunity and minimal accountability within the military justice system.

Law Number 2/2018 on Criminal Acts of Terrorism, continued Adiputra, does indeed mandates the creation of a presidential regulation or Perpres on the involvement of the TNI.

However, the requirement is that there must first be consultation with the House of Representatives (DPR). In contrast, the revised TNI Law Number 3/2025 does not require such consultation.

"We are concerned that the government will refer to the 2025 TNI Law and ignore the obligation to consult with the DPR as stipulated under the Terrorism Law. If that happens, then the Ranperpres will formally contradict the law", said Adiputra.

Meanwhile, Cenderawasih University academic Bernarda Meteray said that Papua is a region with social, cultural and historical complexities that cannot be compared to other regions in Indonesia.

The security approach, which prioritises military force from the Trikora (the 1961 Triple Commands of the People) era to the present, has failed to address the root of the problems in the land of Papua and has instead exacerbated the cycle of violence.

"Various policies have increasingly positioned the Papuan people as objects, rather than as dignified human beings", said Meteray.

He said that violence, murder and arson are recurring events that have been imprinted on the collective memory of the Papuan people for generations.

According to Meteray, academics have long identified the roots of the conflict in Papua, ranging from the failure to uphold human rights, corruption, the marginalisation of indigenous Papuans, to the failure of political dialogue.

The results of these studies however have not yet become the primary reference in state policy making.

He said that the social impact of this, which is directly felt by the people of Papua today, includes mutual suspicion between indigenous Papuans and non-Papuans, identity polarisation between coastal and highland communities and shrinking space for freedom of expression, including on campus.

"This situation shows that the security approach has not brought a sense of security to civilians, so the military approach through the Ranperpres actually risks obstructing peace efforts", he said.

The government is urged to halt deliberations on the draft presidential regulation and instead prioritise inclusive, dignified dialogue and the resolution of human rights violations as a solution to the conflict in the land of Papua.

"Without addressing the root causes, security policies will only leave wounds and recurring conflicts", he said.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Ranperpres Pelibatan TNI Menguatkan Dugaan Pemerintah Melakukan Pendekatan Militer".]

Source: https://jubi.id/polhukam/2026/ranperpres-pelibatan-tni-menguatkan-dugaan-pemerintah-melakukan-pendekatan-militer/


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3) Water Tank Driver Shot by KKB in Yahukimo 
12 Februari 2026, 21:18 |
 Editorial Team 

JAYAPURA - A driver of a clean water tanker truck was shot by an unknown person (OTK) on the Dekai axis to Lopon, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains.

Head of Peace Operations Cartenz 2026, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani said the incident occurred when the victim was driving a tanker vehicle carrying clean water supplies for the community in the Lopon area.


"In the middle of the journey, the victim was shot from the side of the road and suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of the back," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, February 12.

According to Faizal, despite being injured, the victim and a kenek continued their journey until they managed to reach Lopon to save themselves.

"We received a report of the incident from the Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force to the location and evacuated the victim to Dekai Hospital to receive intensive medical care," he said.

He explained that based on the latest information, the victim was in critical condition and underwent initial medical treatment before being referred to the Bhayangkara Hospital of the Papua Police in Jayapura for further treatment.

The apparatus is emphasized not to tolerate acts of violence against civilians, especially against people who are carrying out activities to provide basic needs.


The victims are people who are working to transport basic necessities in the form of clean water. This is an action that cannot be tolerated. We are moving quickly to evacuate the victims and secure the situation. Law enforcement will be carried out firmly against the perpetrators," he said.

His party emphasized that the safety of the community was the main priority in every step of the Cartenz Peace Operation because the presence of the task force to ensure that the community could carry out activities safely.

"There should be no fear when people make a living or carry out their daily work," he said.

Head of Public Relations and Peace Operations Cartenz 2026, Kombes Yusuf Sutejo said based on the results of the preliminary investigation, the allegations were directed at an armed criminal group (KKB) from the Yahukimo region. The apparatus is still investigating the identity and connection of the group to ensure that the legal process runs optimally.


"As a precautionary measure, security on the logistics distribution route and a number of vital objects in Yahukimo Regency have also been increased," he said.

The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)


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