Teminabuan, Jubi – The South Sorong branch of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GMKI) has called on President Prabowo Subianto to ensure the protection of civilians and pursue a peaceful and just resolution to the conflict in Papua.
The appeal comes amid growing concern over the continuing armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).
South Sorong GMKI chair Gofon Arky Lemauk said the continued loss of civilian lives demonstrates that efforts to resolve the conflict have yet to address its underlying causes.
He said civilians should not continue to bear the consequences of a prolonged conflict and stressed that the state has a constitutional responsibility to protect all citizens, regardless of where they live or their background.
GMKI South Sorong also expressed its condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the conflict.
Lemauk noted that the victims have included not only those directly involved in the fighting but also civilians, including religious leaders, pregnant women, and people with no involvement in the conflict.
“The loss of a single human life is an irreplaceable loss,” Lemauk said in a written statement on Friday (July 10, 2026).
He said that as a Christian student organization grounded in faith, nationalism, and intellectual responsibility, GMKI believes that every person possesses inherent dignity that must be respected and protected.
“No interest can justify the loss of civilian lives. Human life cannot be measured against political interests or security approaches. The state must stand at the forefront in protecting its people,” he said.
GMKI South Sorong reminded President Prabowo that Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution explicitly mandates the state to protect all Indonesians, including Papuans who continue to live amid armed conflict.
According to the organization, the success of national development should not be measured solely by the construction of roads, bridges, or other physical infrastructure.
Instead, it said, progress should also be assessed by the extent to which the government is able to provide security, justice, legal protection, and respect for human rights.
“Development has little meaning if people continue to live in fear. The state must bring not only physical development, but also security, justice, and the assurance that every citizen’s right to life is protected,” Lemauk said.
He added that Papua should no longer be defined by recurring reports of violence.
“Every time gunfire erupts, civilians once again become those who suffer the most,” he said.
Lemauk said the government must ensure that protecting civilians becomes its highest priority rather than merely a political promise or an administrative objective.
According to GMKI South Sorong, lasting peace in Papua cannot be achieved through security measures alone but requires efforts to build trust, uphold justice, and respect human rights.
The organization said the government should implement policies that restore a sense of safety so that people can return to their daily lives, attend school, work, and worship without fear.
It also called on the government to ensure that children do not grow up under the shadow of conflict and that women, religious leaders, healthcare workers, and Indigenous communities are able to live without constant fear.
“The prolonged conflict has created a deep humanitarian crisis. Children are losing educational opportunities, healthcare services have been disrupted, livelihoods have been destroyed, and many families remain displaced,” Lemauk said.
GMKI South Sorong presented six demands to the Indonesian government.
The organization called on the government to review its security policies in conflict-affected areas with civilian protection as the highest priority. It also urged independent, professional, and transparent investigations into all alleged human rights violations.
GMKI further called on the state to provide maximum protection for religious leaders, teachers, healthcare workers, women, children, Indigenous communities, and other civilians.
The organization urged the government to open an inclusive dialogue as a peaceful and dignified pathway to resolving the conflict.
It also said development in Papua should go hand in hand with respect for human rights, social justice, improved education, and accessible healthcare services.
Finally, GMKI called for thorough investigations into all alleged killings of civilians and for those found responsible to be prosecuted in accordance with the law. (*)
Director of Clinical Services at the ministry, Obrin Parulian, said on Saturday that the planned Highland Papua Provincial Hospital is one of the ministry's priorities to strengthen healthcare services in the province.
"The Highland Papua Provincial Hospital is part of our efforts to improve the equitable distribution of healthcare services across Indonesia. We are currently conducting feasibility studies for the project," he said.
Parulian explained that Highland Papua Province does not yet have a provincial hospital capable of serving residents from its eight districts.
"Existing hospitals in Highland Papua are owned and managed by the district governments. Therefore, a provincial hospital is needed to handle cases that cannot be treated at the district level," he said.
According to him, hospitals in the eight districts are able to manage only around 70 to 75 percent of medical cases, while more complex conditions require advanced treatment.
"To provide comprehensive healthcare services and treat the remaining 20 to 25 percent of advanced medical cases, a provincial hospital is essential. It will require better medical facilities and stronger support from specialist healthcare professionals," he said.
Parulian added that the ministry will conduct the study in collaboration with the Highland Papua Provincial Government and the Jayawijaya District Government.
"Close coordination with the local governments is crucial to ensure that the hospital can be managed effectively once construction is completed," he said.
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Translator: Yudhi, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
Merauke, Jubi – The South Papua provincial government will strengthen cross-sector collaboration to accelerate leprosy elimination after Governor Apolo Safanpo signed a joint declaration at the 2026 National Leprosy Conference in Jakarta on Friday (July 10, 2026).
Benedicta Herlina Rahangiar, head of the South Papua Health, Population Control and Family Planning Office, said the commitment will be followed by a series of coordination meetings and the signing of a provincial joint agreement involving government agencies and other stakeholders.
The initiative will bring together district governments, regional government agencies, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri), legislative institutions, the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP), academics, professional associations, development partners, customary leaders, and religious leaders.
“Following the Governor’s directive, we will immediately organize a coordination meeting and sign a joint commitment to accelerate leprosy elimination, strengthen efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and improve maternal and child health,” Rahangiar said.
She said the agreement will involve all district heads, district health offices, regional government agencies, and other cross-sector partners.
According to Rahangiar, broad collaboration is essential because South Papua continues to record a high burden of leprosy cases.
Provincial health data show that the prevalence of leprosy in 2025 reached 8.13 cases per 10,000 people, well above the national elimination target of fewer than one case per 10,000 people.
The province also recorded 221 new leprosy cases during 2025, including 180 adults and 41 children. Its Case Detection Rate (CDR) reached 40.21 cases per 100,000 people, significantly exceeding the national target of five cases per 100,000 people.
Rahangiar said every confirmed case is treated according to national medical guidelines, although the province occasionally experiences delays in receiving medication supplies from the central government.
“We ensure that every patient diagnosed with leprosy receives treatment as quickly as possible,” she said.
She acknowledged that delayed deliveries of medicines remain a challenge but stressed that maintaining healthcare services remains the government’s priority.
Rahangiar also encouraged residents to take advantage of Indonesia’s Free Health Check Program, saying it can help detect diseases, including leprosy, at an early stage so treatment can begin promptly and the risk of transmission can be reduced.
Earlier, Governor Apolo Safanpo joined Indonesia’s other 37 provincial governors in signing the Joint Commitment for Accelerating Leprosy Elimination during the 2026 National Leprosy Conference, organized by the Ministry of Health and the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture.
The declaration forms part of Indonesia’s national goal of eliminating leprosy, ending stigma, and eliminating social exclusion related to the disease by 2030. (*)
