2) Agus Kossay: Opposition to KNPB protest is nothing new
4) Indigenous Knasaimos community completes participatory mapping of ancestral territory
Colonel (Inf.) Tri Purwanto, information unit chief of the XVII Military Regional Command/Cenderawasih, said that four of the five victims have been identified and evacuated.
"The three bodies have been evacuated to Mulia Regional General Hospital in Puncak Jaya District. Meanwhile, one body was evacuated to Karubaga, and the other remained at the incident site," Purwanto told ANTARA on Monday.
The victims, all road construction workers hired by PT SHJ, were identified as Arman Sibarani, Erlin Aritonang, Alfons, and Barengga.
According to Purwanto, the separatists, officially referred to as "armed criminal groups," attacked the workers' camp in Woniki Sub-district, Tolikara, on Sunday evening and killed the five workers who rested there. There were 10 workers at the camp, he added.
The military regional command condemned the armed attack against civilian workers who build infrastructure for the convenience of the Papuans.
In response to the attack, the joint TNI and police personnel have launched an operation to pursue the perpetrators and maintain security for the safety of the locals, he remarked.
The armed groups have frequently used hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian troops and staged assaults on civilians in districts including Intan Jaya, Nduga, Yahukimo, and Puncak.
Targets have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi drivers, teachers, students, food vendors, and civilian aircraft crews.
Notable incidents include February 7, 2023: New Zealand pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens was taken hostage by an armed group led by Egianus Kogoya after landing a Susi Air flight in Nduga District. His aircraft was then set on fire.
April 2025: Sixteen illegal gold miners were shot dead by an armed group in Yahukimo District, Highland Papua.
July 2, 2026: American pilot Nicholas F. Goselin, 29, was fatally shot by an armed separatist group after landing in Balinggama, Yahukimo District, in Indonesia's Highland Papua Province.
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Translator: Evarukdijati, Nabil Ihsan
News Desk August 3, 2026
2) Agus Kossay: Opposition to KNPB protest is nothing new
Sentani, Jubi – Agus Kossay, chairperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), says opposition to the group’s planned public demonstrations is not new, arguing that nearly every KNPB mobilisation since the organisation’s establishment has been met with resistance and counter-narratives from various groups.
Kossay made the remarks in response to statements by several community leaders and local government officials opposing KNPB’s planned coordinated demonstrations across the Land of Papua on Monday, 3 August 2026.
In addition to protests across Papua, KNPB-affiliated organisations also plan to stage demonstrations in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and Timor-Leste, including outside Indonesian representative offices.
“For us, opposition to KNPB demonstrations is nothing new. Since KNPB was founded, there have always been attempts like this,” Kossay told Jubi by phone on Sunday, 2 August 2026.
He said the opposition would not affect the organisation’s decision to proceed with its planned peaceful demonstrations under the theme “Papua: A Military and Humanitarian Emergency Zone,” stressing that the protests are intended to remain peaceful and are not aimed at provoking horizontal conflict.
Kossay also criticised local government leaders who had publicly opposed the demonstrations, saying their stance reflected the government’s response to KNPB’s political activities despite the demonstrations constituting the exercise of democratic rights.
“We continue to call on everyone to keep the situation peaceful. Do not be easily provoked by irresponsible information,” he said.
According to Kossay, KNPB decided to organise the demonstrations because of what it sees as the worsening humanitarian impact of the armed conflict in Papua, including increasing civilian casualties, internal displacement, and deaths among those directly involved in the conflict.
He said the organisation continues to urge all parties to resolve the armed conflict between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) and Indonesian security forces through dialogue mediated by a neutral international third party.
“We believe the Papua issue must be resolved through negotiations facilitated by the international community. Unless the root causes are addressed, the conflict will continue,” he said.
Kossay added that KNPB branches across Papua had submitted formal notifications of the planned demonstrations to local police in accordance with Indonesian regulations.
He argued that the police are responsible for safeguarding peaceful public assemblies and that the demonstrations do not depend on police approval.
“Whether or not the police give permission is not a reason to cancel the demonstrations. We will proceed peacefully tomorrow,” he said.
The demonstrations are scheduled to begin at around 9:00 a.m. Papua Time in several locations across Papua. In Jayapura City, participants are expected to gather outside the Papua Regional Legislative Council (DPR Papua), while in Jayapura Regency the demonstration is planned to take place outside the regent’s office. Similar rallies are expected to be held outside regency government offices, local legislative buildings, and KNPB offices elsewhere in Papua.
Kossay urged the public not to believe claims that the demonstrations would inevitably turn violent, saying KNPB has consistently promoted peaceful protest as its means of expressing political aspirations.
He argued that the increased security deployment ahead of the demonstrations reflected the security-based approach in Papua that the organisation has long criticised.
“We call on the Papuan people to participate peacefully, uphold humanitarian values, respect human rights, and obey the law,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jayapura Regent Yunus Wonda urged residents not to take part in the planned KNPB demonstration outside the Jayapura regent’s office.
“I ask churches throughout Jayapura Regency to encourage their congregations not to participate in the demonstration scheduled for 3 August 2026,” Wonda said in a written statement issued on Saturday, 1 August 2026.
He also asked KNPB not to hold the demonstration outside the regent’s office, saying the local government wanted to maintain public order and security.
“I call on everyone to help preserve peace and public safety in Jayapura Regency. As Regent of Jayapura, I do not permit demonstrations to be held in the courtyard of the regent’s office,” he said.
Wonda nevertheless said that government services, schools, and public services should continue to operate as normal on Monday.
Jayapura Police Chief AKBP Dionisius VDP Helan also said police would not allow the planned KNPB demonstration to take place in Jayapura Regency.
Helan said the Indonesian National Police’s primary responsibility was to maintain public order and provide services to the community, making it essential to preserve security and stability in the regency.
“I will never authorise any activity that suggests there is a state within a state. We have only one country—the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,” Helan said during a media briefing at Jayapura Police Headquarters on Friday, 31 July 2026.
He said efforts to maintain security had received support from religious leaders, customary leaders, community representatives, and the local government.
To anticipate the planned demonstrations, Helan said Jayapura Police had deployed nearly 600 joint military and police personnel to ensure the situation remained safe and orderly.
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“I call on everyone in Jayapura Regency to help maintain security and not be easily provoked. Let us work together to keep this region peaceful and conducive,” he said. (*)
Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo said roads and bridges remain the foundation for strengthening connectivity between economic growth centers throughout the archipelago.
"We are developing road and bridge networks connecting cities, islands, and underdeveloped regions across Indonesia to open access for investment, support industrial areas, promote tourism, and strengthen overall connectivity," Dody said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Monday.
The ministry is constructing the 50.14-kilometer Mamberamo-Elelim segment, linking Papua Province with Papua Highlands Province as part of the primary Jayapura-Wamena corridor.
The road is expected to improve public mobility, lower logistics costs, and reduce prices for basic goods in Papua Highlands, where transport constraints have historically kept living costs high.
Improved connectivity is also expected to ease access to schools, healthcare facilities, and government services while accelerating the distribution of essential commodities to remote communities.
The project is being delivered under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme using an Availability Payment (AP) mechanism. Construction began in July 2024 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.
As of mid-July 2026, physical progress had reached 51.59 percent, encompassing earthworks, pavement construction, drainage systems, bridges, slope protection, road facilities, supporting structures, and a motor vehicle weighing station.
The route presents major engineering challenges, traversing steep mountains, dense rainforests, areas with heavy year-round rainfall, and zones prone to landslides.
Transporting heavy equipment and construction materials requires extra time and specialized handling due to limited site access.
The ministry noted that the project has generated employment for surrounding communities, with 116 local workers—representing about 28 percent of the workforce—participating in construction activities.
According to the ministry, the Trans Papua Road is designed not only to strengthen regional connectivity but also to improve access to basic services, stimulate local economic activity, and raise living standards across Papua.
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
4) Indigenous Knasaimos community completes participatory mapping of ancestral territory
Sorong, Jubi – The Indigenous Knasaimos community in South Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua Province, has completed a participatory mapping of its customary territory, marking a significant step toward strengthening the protection of its ancestral lands and natural resources.
The mapping, carried out between 10 June and 31 July 2026, involved three clans—Onimimnya, Kolin, and Yajan—and was led by the Knasaimos Indigenous Community Council (DPMA) and the Knasaimos Indigenous Youth (AMAK), with technical assistance from the Papua-based non-governmental organisation Bentara Papua.
The participatory mapping initiative aims to safeguard the community’s customary rights over ancestral forests, rivers, coastal areas, and marine territories that have been passed down through generations.
The process placed Indigenous community members at the centre of determining customary boundaries based on oral history, genealogy, and traditional agreements inherited from their ancestors.
The Knasaimos customary territory covers approximately 97,441 hectares and is home to six sub-ethnic groups and 52 clans spread across Seremuk and Saifi districts in South Sorong Regency.
DPMA Knasaimos chair Fredrik Sagisolo said the initiative was more than simply producing a map; it was a strategic effort to protect the community’s existence amid increasing pressure on its ancestral lands.
“We undertook this mapping so that Indigenous communities fully understand the boundaries of their own customary territory. Every boundary point has been mapped using digital applications, providing us with clear and reliable data,” Sagisolo said on Friday, 1 August 2026.
He said the completed map would serve as an important safeguard for Indigenous communities in defending their constitutional rights if future investment projects, development programmes, or other parties sought to use or control their customary lands without their consent.
According to Sagisolo, protecting customary territory is inseparable from protecting Indigenous identity itself.
“If the forest disappears, our identity disappears with it. If the sea is polluted, the lives of Indigenous people are placed at risk,” he said.
“Through this mapping, we want to demonstrate that every piece of land has its own history, recognised customary owners, and traditional laws that must be respected. We will continue to fight for legal recognition of the Knasaimos customary territory.”
AMAK chair Nabot Sreklefat said involving young Indigenous people in the mapping process was essential to ensuring traditional knowledge is not lost between generations.
He said younger generations must understand the boundaries of their own clan territories so that future generations inherit not only stories but also knowledge of the location of their ancestral lands.
“Through this process, we have learned firsthand about the history of our villages and clans, our customary boundaries, and the relationship between our people and the forests and seas that have sustained us for generations,” Sreklefat said.
He added that the mapping also serves as an educational tool, helping young Indigenous people understand that customary land is not merely an economic asset but a vital part of their cultural identity and ancestral heritage.
“As the younger generation, we must stand at the forefront of protecting our customary lands. We do not want our children and grandchildren to lose their ancestral territory simply because we failed to preserve knowledge of the boundaries handed down by our ancestors,” he said.
Bentara Papua representative Alin said participatory mapping places Indigenous communities at the centre of the process as the primary holders of knowledge, with all decisions based on customary consensus and field verification.
He said Bentara Papua’s role was limited to providing technical assistance, while information on territorial boundaries came directly from community members, who possess detailed knowledge of their villages, clan histories, rivers, mountains, swamps, coastlines, and customary boundaries recognised over generations.
“All of this information is translated into maps with precise geographic coordinates, which can serve as supporting documentation in the process of securing legal recognition of customary territories,” Alin said.
He expressed hope that the completed map would provide an important foundation for the government to formally recognise the Knasaimos customary territory, giving the community greater legal certainty over its ancestral lands.
With comprehensive spatial data now available, he said, the government would have a stronger basis for designating the area as customary forest under Indonesian law.
The mapped territory encompasses forests, rivers, swamps, coastal areas, and marine ecosystems that have long served as the community’s source of food, cultural space, and livelihood.
South Sorong Regency already has a regional regulation recognising and protecting Indigenous customary law communities, providing a legal framework for recognising Indigenous peoples and their customary land rights.
The Knasaimos customary territory has now been formally proposed to Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry for recognition as a customary forest. (*)
The victim, identified as Teina Alya, was found in the Kolof River in Seradala Subdistrict days after the three civilians were killed on Tuesday (July 21) in an attack launched by an OPM faction led by Kopitua Heluka.
"One of the three local civilian victims has been found by Habema Joint Regional Defense Command personnel in the Kolof River area of Seradala Subdistrict on Friday,” Habema Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Wirya Arthadiguna said in a statement on Friday (July 31).
Wirya said troops located the body after searching the area surrounding the attack site. The body was discovered about 50 meters below the riverbank, roughly 100 meters from where the killings occurred.
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The location suggested an attempt by the attackers to dispose of the victim’s body, Wirya said, blaming the act on the OPM group. He added the recovery operation was complicated by steep terrain and hazardous conditions.
The body could only be reached using vertical rescue and rappelling techniques because it lay at the base of a landslide beneath a steep cliff, he added. Troops eventually retrieved the body and completed the evacuation.
The remains were taken to Dekai Regional General Hospital before being handed to the victim’s family, local authorities, community leaders, church representatives, and tribal elders for burial under local customs.
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Wirya explained the security forces would continue pursuing those responsible despite recovering all three victims. The military had recovered the other two victims near the attack site on Thursday (July 23).
Wirya said the operation was disrupted by an exchange of gunfire after troops encountered the armed separatists near the evacuation area.
"The evacuation team came under fire after the group was detected near the scene," he said.
Despite the clash, troops prioritised the safety of personnel and successfully evacuated the two bodies to Dekai Regional General Hospital.
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Translator: Walda M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
