Church leaders in Indonesia’s conflict-hit Papua region have backed calls by Pacific nations for Jakarta to facilitate a long-delayed visit by the United Nations human rights chief.
Father Alexandro Rangga, director of the Franciscan Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in Papua, said the Church agency fully supports the appeal made by the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu during the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
“Let the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights come and see the situation firsthand,” Rangga told UCA News on Oct. 13.
“Every day, we in the Church meet people who have been displaced, who have lost family members and who are afraid to live in their own villages. That is real, not a story,” he added.
Rather than continuing to contradict one another, he said, “it would be better for an independent party to come and assess conditions on the ground.”
While affirming respect for Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Wale urged Jakarta to facilitate the visit “without further delay,” renewing a call made by Pacific Islands Forum leaders in 2019.
Vanuatu’s UN envoy, Odo Tevi, made a similar appeal on Sept. 28 and raised concerns about Indigenous rights, displacement, cultural rights, environmental harm and the treatment of human rights defenders.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group said in August that Indonesia’s associate membership could be reviewed at its 2027 summit if the visit was not facilitated in time for a report to be presented.
Rangga noted that Indonesia invited the UN human rights chief in 2018, but the visit has yet to take place.
He said Jakarta should facilitate the mission as an Indonesian diplomat, Ambassador Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, serves as president of the UN Human Rights Council in 2026.
“The government does not need to be afraid,” he said. “Opening the door could show that Indonesia respects Papuans and is serious about upholding human rights in Papua.”
He also called for fewer troops in villages, safe conditions for displaced people to return, access for journalists and humanitarian agencies, and serious dialogue with Papuans.
“The UN visit is only a beginning,” he said. “What we want is simple: people in Papua, whatever their ethnicity or religion, should be able to live peacefully without fear.”
Rev. Stevanus Y. Wenda, chairman of PGBP (Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja Baptis di Tanah Papua or the Fellowship of Baptist Churches in West Papua), backed the statements.
“Human rights violations in Papua are real and are being experienced by our congregations,” Wenda said on Oct. 13, according to Papua-based media outlet Jubi.
“We hope the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will come and see the situation directly.”
Wenda said military deployments in remote districts had left church members fearful, while people displaced by fighting lacked adequate assistance.
“They have left their villages and have been forced into displacement sites. Papuan people feel unsafe in their own land,” he said.
He said churches had a duty to protect people regardless of ethnicity, race or religion and urged the government to pursue dialogue.
Minister Counsellor Nona Gae Luna, speaking for Indonesia during its right of reply at the UN General Assembly, rejected what she called selective allegations.
Jakarta said security operations were intended to protect civilians and public servants from attacks by armed groups, and that law enforcement remained subject to national law and Indonesia’s international human rights obligations.
Papua has experienced a low-level separatist conflict for decades amid grievances over alleged rights abuses, political representation, inequality and natural-resource exploitation.
Church leaders have repeatedly called for an end to violence and dialogue between Jakarta and Papuan representatives.
Jayapura, Jubi – Jayapura City and Jayapura Regency in Papua Province have been blanketed by smoke haze in recent days, believed to have originated from forest and land fires in northern Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Naufal Rieki, a weather forecaster with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Region V in Jayapura, said BMKG monitoring between 9 and 11 October detected hotspots in Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency and surrounding areas, including Gresi Selatan District in Jayapura Regency.
Satellite imagery from Himawari also showed smoke haze across several parts of Papua, including Jayapura City and Jayapura Regency, during the same period.
“This is caused by airborne particulate matter from the burning of organic material, such as forest and land fires in northern Papua New Guinea. Winds carried the particles west and north-west towards Jayapura City and Regency,” Naufal said on Monday (12 October 2026).
He said a separate land fire was also detected on 11 October on a hillside in Doyo Baru, Waibu District, Jayapura Regency.
The combination of the two events caused hazy conditions during the period, with a leyer of particulate matter accumulating close to the ground, he said.
Naufal said the Air Pollution Standard Index (ISPU) readings for Jayapura City and Regency between 10 and 12 October 2026 were in the moderate category, with PM2.5 levels ranging from 66 to 73.
“If smoke haze occurs, avoid open burning, keep doors and windows closed while the air is smoky, and continue monitoring information from BMKG,” he said.
BMKG monitoring between 2am Papua time on 11 October and 2am on 12 October detected 7,991 hotspots across Papua, Naufal said.
Of those, 7,002 had a moderate confidence level, 544 had a high confidence level and 445 had a low confidence level.
“During this monitoring period, many high-confidence hotspots were detected in Merauke Regency. The area requires particular attention because of the potential for land fires,” he said.
Merauke Regency in South Papua Province recorded the highest number of hotspots, with 4,910, followed by Boven Digoel Regency, also in South Papua, with 1,132, and Kaimana Regency in West Papua Province with 724.
Previously, the Wasur National Park Office said efforts to tackle forest and land fires had been hampered by drying vegetation, difficult terrain, and shortages of firefighting equipment and personnel.
Response efforts including patrols, firefighting, drone monitoring and community education.
Dry conditions have increased the risk of fires. Dried-out vegetation allows flames to spread more easily, while limited water supplies make firefighting more difficult.
The Wasur National Park Office said additional firefighting equipment and better coordination between agencies were needed to strengthen fire management efforts.
It also called for support from the central government, including possible aerial assistance to reach fires in remote and difficult-to-access areas. (*)
Manokwari, Jubi – West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan says poverty has declined and the economy has continued to grow during the 27 years since the province was established.
Mandacan made the remarks during celebration marking the 27th anniversary of West Papua Province on Monday (12/10/2026).
He said the province’s natural resources, including forestry, energy, agriculture and tourism, had helped strengthen the regional economy.
“The poverty rate in West Papua has declined significantly, from 21.69 per cent in 2024 to 19.59 per cent in September 2025, and 18.68 per cent in March 2026,” Mandacan said.
Meanwhile, West Papua’s Human Development Index (HDI) rose to 68.48 in 2025, up to 67.69 in 2024, he said.
West Papua was established under Law No. 45 of 1999 following the division of Papaua Province. It was initially called West Irian Jaya before being renamed West Papua under Government Regulation No. 24 of 2007.
“Over the course of West Papua Province’s development, progress has been made in infrastructure and governance, including the successful establishment of Southwest Papua as a new province,” Mandacan said.
He said development success should not be measured solely by the scale of investment or economic growth, but by whether its benefits were felt by Indigenous Papuans, particularly those living in villages.
During the anniversary celebrations, the provincial government launched three programmes: West Papua Cerdas (West Papua Education), West Papua Sehat (West Papua Healthy), and West Papua produktif (West Papua Productive),
Mandacan symbolically presented scholarships under the West Papua Cerdas Programme to 3,000 senior high school and vocational school students. Scholarships are also available to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
“The uniform assistance is Rp3 million, while students with outstanding academic achievements receive Rp2.6 million,” he said.
Mandacan said the provincial government had coordinated the West Papua Cerdas programme with regency governments. The province would provide scholarships to university students with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.3, with Rp10 million for undergraduate students and Rp20 million for postgraduate students.
He also symbolically launched the West Papua Sehat programme, which complements Indonesia’s national health insurance scheme administered by BPJS Kesehatan. Health insurance coverage in the province has reached 98.48 per cent.
“With BPJS and West Papua Sehat, there is no reason for people to struggle to access healthcare before the government covers the costs,” Mandacan said.
He said the 98.48 per cent coverage rate was supported by funding from the central, provincial and regency governments.
“West Papua Sehat complements BPJS Kesehatan services, particularly for medical needs not covered by the national health insurance scheme. The programme also helps people who require follow-up treatment unavailable at healthcare facilities in West Papua,” he said.
Mandacan said the provincial government had allocated Rp100 billion this year to PALKUAP, an association of Indigenous Papuan entrepreneurs, for distribution to local areas. He also referred to assistance involving 514 units, although further details were not provided.
A separate stimulus assistance programme has provided support to 393 recepients through the West Papua Office of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as part of the West Papua Produktif initiative.
Mandacan said the provincial government was also creating employment opportunities through job fairs, recruiting workers for companies in the hospitality, oil palm plantation, cement manufacturing and bank sectors.
He said 656 workers would be placed in jobs, with 80 per cent of them Indigenous Papuans and the remaining 20 per cent non-Papuans. Employers included BP Tangguh, cement manufacturers, hotels and companies in the oil palm sector, including Medco.
Meanwhile, West Papua Legislative Council deputy speaker Petrus Makbon said the province had recorded numerous achievements under successive governors over its 27-year history.
“These achievements must be maintained. We hope the governor and deputy governor can further improve the welfare of people in West Papua during the final three years of their leadership,” Makbon said.
He also expressed hope that the province’s current leadership would further reduce poverty.
“Budgets are being streamlined now. Hopefully, funding will return to normal in the future so the province can meet its development needs,” he said. (*)
