More than 1,000 students in Indonesia’s restive Papua region took to the streets to protest a government-sponsored free-meal program, demanding that the government instead prioritize free education.
The demonstration on Monday in Enarotali, the capital of Paniai regency in Central Papua province, was the latest in a series of student-led protests across the region.
The students marched through the streets of Enarotali, carrying banners that read “We need free education, not free lunches” and “President Prabowo thinks more about filling stomachs than filling minds.”
The program is a flagship initiative of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who took office in October. Known in Indonesian as Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG), the Free Nutritious Meals program aims to address malnutrition and food insecurity, but critics argue it fails to address
the root causes of poverty and inequality in Papua, where access to quality education remains a major challenge.
“Our parents already provide us with three meals a day,” said Alpius Tebai, coordinator of the Paniai Regency Student Alliance, which organized the protest. “Nature also provides for us. What we lack is access to education. We want the government to make education free.”
The demonstration in Enarotali was notably peaceful, with police providing security as students marched and delivered their demands.
During similar protests last week in other Papuan cities, authorities responded with force, including the use of tear gas and warning shots. In one incident in Nabire, a video circulated showing a local official kicking and verbally abusing a student.
Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost region that makes up the western half of New Guinea island, has been a flashpoint of tension since its controversial incorporation into the archipelago nation in 1969. Papua, home to a distinct Melanesian culture and vast natural resources, has seen a low-level separatist insurgency in the years since.
The Indonesian government has consistently rejected calls for Papua’s independence.
Experts said the student protests reflect dissatisfaction with Jakarta’s policies, which many Papuans view as paternalistic and disconnected from local needs.
Critics argue it overlooks the region’s deeper structural issues, including underfunded schools, a lack of qualified teachers, and high dropout rates.
Fabianus John Berek, a governance expert in Papua, criticized the free-meal program as a “centralized, top-down policy” that fails to consider the unique challenges faced by Papuan communities.
“The government’s approach reflects the centralized, authoritarian style of the New Order regime,” Berek wrote in an op-ed on Jubi, Papua’s main news website, referring to the 32-year rule of the late dictator Suharto.
“Such policies need to incorporate the diverse aspirations of Papuan communities, including students who are the primary beneficiaries,” he said. “An inclusive space for discussion and participation should have been established during the policy formulation stage of the MBGprogram.”
Berek called for greater involvement of local governments, educators, and community leaders in policymaking, particularly in a region with a history of marginalization and conflict like Papua.
Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), said the government respected those who chose not to participate in the program.
“This program is meant for school children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. If those eligible do not wish to receive it, we respect that,” Dadan told reporters on Monday.
Indonesian authorities have accused the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), a pro-independence group, of orchestrating the protests. Police in Jayapura claimed to have evidence that the KNPB provided materials and guidance to students, a charge the group denies.
“It’s not new for the police to blame us for protests in Papua,” said Warpo Wetipo, the KNPB’s deputy chairman. ”These students are intelligent and capable of organizing themselves. They don’t need us to tell them what to do.”
Human rights organizations have condemned the heavy-handed response to earlier protests. Amnesty International Indonesia called the use of tear gas and warning shots against students “excessive” and a violation of human rights.
The Legal Aid Institute of Papua (LBH Papua) has called for an investigation into the alleged abuses by security forces during the protests.
The organization urged Prabowo to reallocate funds from the lunch program to education and demanded accountability for officials involved in the violent crackdowns.
“Regarding free education, it is the obligation of the central government according to the constitution, [which states] every citizen has the right to education,” Emanuel Gobay, director of the Papua Legal Aid Institute, said in a statement.
“It is only right that all members of the security forces who tarnish the democratic space of Papuan students...are held legally accountable and arrested,” he said.
Press release
2) Government of Japan and UNICEF Partner to Promote Child Nutrition and Education in Papua
JAKARTA, 24 February 2025 – The Government of Japan and UNICEF Indonesia, in collaboration with the National Nutrition agency, have launched a new partnership to support the implementation of the free nutritious meal programme (Makan Bergizi Nasional) and enhance the quality of education, nutrition, and overall wellbeing for children in Biak district, Papua Province.
Through this partnership, young children will be supported with access to quality learning, nutrition, and development opportunities in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and primary schools. This integrated programme aims to provide children with the nurturing care and services they need for the best start in life.
Indonesia has made significant progress in improving children's wellbeing, including access to education, reducing malnutrition rates, and improving access to health and nutrition services. However, regional disparities remain. Therefore, ensuring that every child receives quality social services continues to be a development priority. Children in the Papua provinces lag behind their peers in learning outcomes and face developmental challenges, including malnutrition.
Ambassador of Japan to Indonesia, Mr. Masaki Yasushi stated: “Japan would like to contribute to school meals in Indonesia by utilizing Japan’s 100-year history of school meals experiences. Japan is also engaged in a project to develop fishing ports, freezing facilities, and markets on six remote islands through JICA's grant aid, and the catch is increasing at the Biak Fishing Port, which was completed in October 2021. Japanese school meals are actively promoting local production for local consumption, and we would like to promote collaboration between the two projects so that school meals in this central kitchen can utilize fish from the Biak Fishing Port, which is rich in nutrients including protein.”
With funding support of $3.4 million over two years from the Government of Japan, UNICEF will assist Papua’s provincial and district authorities in providing nutritious and cost-efficient school meals, for ECD and primary school students using locally-sourced food and integrated essential nutrition services.
The partnership will also provide professional development training to teachers to improve the quality and inclusiveness of teaching and learning in the classrooms, particularly in literacy, numeracy and nutrition awareness. Additionally, outreach to parents on matters relating to nurturing care and development of their children will be conducted.
Capacity development and training for government personnel on planning and budgeting for sustainable Free Nutritious Meals programmes and quality education services will also be an important area of work under this partnership to promote sustainability.
UNICEF Indonesia’s Country Representative, Maniza Zaman, stated: “Every child has the right to develop to their fullest potential, which includes access to quality social services. Nutritious meals and nurturing learning environments are key ingredients for every child’s healthy development and future success. UNICEF is proud to partner with the Government of Japan to support Indonesia’s efforts in enhancing education and nutrition services for children in Papua.”
The programme will reach 2,500 pre-primary and primary school-age children with enhanced nutrition and education services during the course of this partnership. Additionally, 150 teachers and principals will be receiving trainings on pedagogical skills and nutrition screening, while 2,500 parents will benefit from knowledge about good nutrition and nurturing care. A total of 270 Government officials, cooking teams, teachers and school heads will benefit from capacity-building initiatives around school meals. The programme will also provide 50 policy makers with capacity building on planning and budgeting, in addition to generating evidence, to support the sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meals programme.
