The illustration of the West Papua National Committee. – Jubi/Aida Ulim
Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has rejected the Indonesian government’s plan to conduct a new registration of internally displaced people across conflict-affected areas of Papua, saying it fears the data collection will serve political interests rather than address the root causes of displacement.
The concern was raised by KNPB chair Agus Kossay in a written statement on Monday (August 24, 2026).
Kossay said the proposed registration, announced by Indonesia’s Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai during a recent visit to Nabire, was aimed at strengthening Jakarta’s political position through a narrative of development and welfare in Papua.
“The KNPB firmly rejects the state’s plan to register internally displaced people through government institutions as comparative data on displacement in Papua, because it is intended to strengthen the Jakarta government’s position under the pretext of development and improving the welfare of Papuans,” Kossay said.
He said the KNPB based its position on data compiled by churches and human rights workers, which estimate that 125,931 people have been internally displaced by the armed conflict in Papua.
The organisation also rejected the involvement of individuals claiming to represent KNPB in any cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights or the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua’s Development (KEP2OKP) on the issue of internal displacement.
Kossay referred to previous statements by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai and KEP2OKP chair Velix Wanggai, who said the government intended to open dialogue with strategic organisations, including the KNPB, to discuss internally displaced people, ending violence and achieving lasting peace in Papua.
However, Kossay said the KNPB, both as an organisation and on behalf of the Papuan people, rejected the proposal because it did not address what it considers the root cause of the Papua conflict, which has resulted in civilian casualties and mass displacement.
According to Kossay, the conflict stems from the 1962 New York Agreement and Indonesia’s Trikora military operation, which he said undermined the United Nations mechanism for the 1969 Act of Free Choice and the Papuan people’s right to self-determination.
“This has been the main source of conflict in Papua for the past 65 years. The central government’s offer of development and welfare is not a framework for resolving the root causes of the Papua conflict. It is a framework for maintaining Indonesia’s illegal occupation of Papua,” he said.
Kossay argued that the Indonesian government and the Papuan people should instead agree on a conflict resolution process mediated by a neutral international party.
He said the KNPB continued to advocate for a review of what it described as legal and political violations surrounding the Papuan people’s right to self-determination under the 1962 New York Agreement.
The KNPB also called on political leaders from Pacific, African and Caribbean countries to urge Indonesia to grant access to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross to assess the situation of internally displaced people in conflict areas and investigate alleged human rights abuses and militarisation in Papua.
Kossay said the KNPB fully supported the classification of the situation in Papua as a non-international armed conflict involving the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Indonesian state.
He said the Indonesian government should formally recognise that status so that all parties would be obliged to comply with international humanitarian law and human rights standards, while allowing independent international humanitarian organisations to assist internally displaced communities in conflict-affected areas. (*)
Maybrat, Jubi – Residents of Mare district in Maybrat regency, Southwest Papua province, are facing a range of challenges in accessing basic services, including clean water, teachers and healthcare workers, roads, telecommunications and health facilities.
Mare district comprises nine villages: Mahos, Suswa, Kombif, Bakrabi, Waban, Sawo, Narasi, Seya and Rufases.
The concerns were raised during a community consultation with Selly Kareth, a member of the Papuan People’s Council (MRP) in Southwest Papua, on Monday (24/08/2026).
The meeting focused on planning, budgeting and the use of special autonomy funds, with the aim of ensuring they address the needs of communities in remote areas.
Kareth said the issues raised by residents should guide the government when setting development priorities and deciding how special autonomy funds are spent.
“These are basic needs that should be a priority. The government must take all of the concerns raised by residents seriously,” she said.
She urged the Southwest Papua provincial government and Maybrat regency government to follow up on the community’s concerns through concrete policies, planning, funding and development programs.
“These are not excessive demands. They are basic needs that the government must address,” Kareth said.
Residents said poor road access was making it difficult to reach education and healthcare services and transport produce from their gardens to market.
They called on the government to ensure development reaches remote villages rather than being concentrated in urban areas.
“If roads are not properly developed, people will continue to face difficulties. Children will struggle to access education, sick people will struggle to reach healthcare, and local economic activity will be affected,” Kareth said.
Residents also called for more teachers to be assigned to the area so children in remote villages could receive adequate education.
“We will take these concerns forward. The Southwest Papua provincial government and Maybrat regency government must take these issues seriously,” Kareth said.
Meanwhile, Mare customary leader Leonardus Baru urged the provincial and regency governments to visit the nine villages and see first-hand the difficulties residents face in accessing basic services.
“For too long, Indigenous communities have raised the same concerns. The government comes, listens and takes notes, but people are left waiting without certainty. We need concrete action, clear funding and development that reaches our villages,” Baru said.
He said Mare residents had the same rights as other Indonesians to access transport, education, healthcare and government services.
Without adequate roads, he asked, how could residents access government services, teachers reach schools, healthcare workers reach their posts, sick people get treatment or farmers transport their produce to market?
“Government development plans should not be made from the city alone. Come and see for yourselves how people are living in Mare,” he said.
Baru urged the Southwest Papua governor and Maybrat regent to respond to the community’s concerns with concrete programs and clear implementation timelines.
“We are not rejecting the government. We are reminding the government that Indigenous communities are still here and need the state’s attention,” he said. (*)
Manokwari, Jubi – West Papua’s provincial and district governments have been urged to take immediate action over forest and land fires reported across several parts of the province.
West Papua Papuan People’s Council (MRP) chair Judson F Waprak said the provincial and district governments should not ignore the situation, with fires and smoke reported for several days but no official response yet from authorities in areas where hotspots have been detected.
Data gathered by Jubi shows forest and land fires have been reported in South Manokwari, Arfak Mountains, Teluk Bintuni, Teluk Wondama and Fakfak regencies.
In Manokwari, smoke from what appears to be daily rubbish burning has also been drifting towards residential areas from Sowi and Arfai to the provincial government centre.
“West Papua and district governments should not wait for people to become victims before acting. They need to respond now,” Waprak said on Sunday (August 23, 2026).
He said security personnel were visible at some of the fire sites, while local governments had yet to respond.
Waprak called on the provincial and district governments to at least establish teams to prevent fires from spreading and extinguish existing hotspots.
“We do not want people to become victims. Based on the information we have received, fires around Mount Botak in South Manokwari and several other areas have nearly reached residential areas,” he said.
He urged governors and district heads to immediately establish teams to detect and extinguish hotspots.
Waprak also cautioned all parties, including law enforcement agencies, against assuming that residents were responsible for the fires simply because land may have been burned to clear areas for farming.
He said investigations were needed to establish the actual causes of the fires, including the possibility that some areas may have been deliberately set alight.
Meanwhile, South Manokwari Police Chief AKBP Marsel Doni Siahay said several hotspots remained in mountainous areas.
“We are continuing to monitor and respond to the remaining hotspots together with relevant agencies,” Marsel said.
He said the fires were in mountainous areas with difficult terrain, making them challenging to access.
Police were nevertheless deploying available personnel and equipment to fight the fires while coordinating with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the military, firefighters and other relevant agencies.
He said authorities were currently focused on preventing the fires from spreading, particularly towards residential areas and locations where they could pose a risk to communities.
“We also urge residents to remain vigilant, avoid burning land and immediately report any new hotspots to authorities so they can be dealt with promptly,” he said.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has reported several hotspots across West Papua, including in South Manokwari, Teluk Bintuni, Teluk Wondama, Fakfak and the Arfak Mountains. (*)
Merauke, Jubi – South Papua province has been allocated around 360 solar power systems in 2026 to help meet electricity needs, particularly in villages and public service facilities without reliable access to power.
Head of the South Papua BP3OKP, Yoseph Yanawo Yolmen, said the program was part of efforts to address residents’ concerns about limited electricity and lighting in villages.
He said the proposal to install solar power systems came after officials visited several areas across South Papua, where residents reported difficulties studying at night and a lack of electricity at health facilities.
“People in the villages have told us, ‘Sir, our children cannot study here. Sir, our community health centre doesn’t have electricity,’” Yolmen told Jubi on Sunday (August 23, 2026).
He said reliable electricity was particularly important for community health centres because some medical equipment requires a continuous power supply.
“Community health centres are very important. We need to provide lighting so that medical equipment that needs to be kept in freezers can operate. It needs to run 24 hours a day,” he said.
Yolmen said the proposed solar power installations had been coordinated with the central government. South Papua has been allocated around 360 sites this year, with additional sites expected to be added in the following years.
He said BP3OKP was also overseeing the process to ensure the provincial government’s proposals could be implemented as soon as possible.
Yolmen said he had met with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia and officials from the ministry to ensure the program moved forward.
“Minister Bahlil has instructed the deputy minister, together with the director general, to proceed with the implementation. BP3OKP is also helping to oversee the process,” he said.
Yolmen called on journalists to provide information about areas that still lack adequate lighting. He said the information could help BP3OKP coordinate further with the central government.
“We also need input from journalists. If you know of areas that still don’t have electricity or lighting, please let us know,” he said.
He hoped the electrification program would support residents’ daily activities, particularly children’s education and healthcare services in villages across South Papua. (*)
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