Wamena, Jubi – A coalition of students and local youth organizations under the Cipayung Indigenous Papua Highlands alliance staged a protest in Wamena on Monday (April 27, 2026), urging President Prabowo Subianto and security authorities to immediately withdraw non-organic military personnel from the Papua Highlands amid growing humanitarian concerns and prolonged conflict.
The protest initially turned tense outside the Papua Highlands Provincial Legislative Council (DPRP) office, where clashes broke out between demonstrators and police, leaving at least three people injured. The situation was later brought under control, allowing protesters to return to the DPRP office to present their demands to the council leadership.
Protest coordinator Yulianus Kepno, alongside members of the Cipayung Indigenous Papua Highlands alliance, took turns reading out their statements.
They claimed that civilians across eight regencies in the Papua Highlands are living under what they described as a “military emergency zone” and are victims of prolonged human rights violations.
“What is happening in Papua constitutes a high-level humanitarian crime—systematic and massive—for more than 60 years,” Kepno said.
He also criticized the historical integration of Papua into Indonesia on May 1, 1963, and alleged that military operations were conducted to secure the controversial 1969 Act of Free Choice (Pepera), which he described as undemocratic and in violation of international law.
“Public trust in the Indonesian state has eroded. The forced deployment of military forces has worsened the humanitarian situation in Papua,” he said.
Papua Highlands Legislative Council (DPRP) Chair Yos Elopere said he would convey the protesters’ aspirations to President Prabowo Subianto through the Ministry of Human Rights after meeting with demonstrators.
Elopere said communities in the Papua Highlands are currently living under what he described as the grip of non-organic military forces, with deployments extending into villages.
“This action serves as a strong warning to the central government to pay closer attention to the conduct of deployed military personnel and to provide clear guidance,” he said.
He added that while he does not oppose central government policies on military deployment, there must be proper direction and oversight.
“Do not disrupt people’s daily activities in villages, because their presence there has been unsettling. There are reports of security personnel uprooting crops, dismantling fences, and shooting livestock,” he said.
Elopere also said that some residents—particularly those with dreadlocks or beards—have been wrongly suspected of links to the West Papua National Liberation Army, and in some cases, excessive force has allegedly been used, including against minors.
“This reflects serious errors by the state through the actions of security forces in Papua,” he said.
He urged President Prabowo and Indonesia’s military leadership to listen to the concerns of communities in the country’s easternmost region.
“They may be willing to accept government programs aimed at communities, but in a state of trauma, how can those programs be implemented?” he said. “There are many programs people are open to, but the public remains in a condition of trauma.”
He therefore called for the immediate withdrawal of non-organic Indonesian security forces (TNI–Polri) from villages, saying their presence must be reduced to ensure communities can carry out daily activities safely and receive government programs in a calm and stable environment.
In addition, Papua Highlands legislative council chair Yos Elopere said he has been in communication with members of the Central Papua legislative council and plans to gather broader public aspirations before meeting with the Ministry of Human Rights.
“I plan to meet with the Ministry of Human Rights as a fellow Papuan to respond to the demands of the Papuan people,” he said.
The demands of the Papua Highlands community are as follows:
- We, the people of Papua, call on all governors across the Land of Papua, the regional legislative councils (DPR), the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP), and the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) to unite and meet with the Minister of Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia. We urge them to request that the President of Indonesia open access for international journalists and United Nations humanitarian and advocacy teams to enter Papua.
- We call on the President of the Republic of Indonesia to immediately withdraw non-organic military forces from the customary lands of the Papuan people.
- If the conflict between TPNPB-OPM and Indonesian security forces (TNI–Polri) does not cease as soon as possible and continues to result in loss of life, then we, the people of Papua, declare a vote of no confidence in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and the 1945 Constitution, which mandates the state to guarantee and protect all Indonesian citizens.
- We also call on the President of the Republic of Indonesia to facilitate a meeting between the Indonesian government and TPNPB at a peace dialogue table to seek the best solution to end the cycle of suffering experienced by the Papuan people since the 1960s, similar to the peace process in Aceh in 2004.
- If demands outlined in points 1–4 are not addressed, we will mobilize the Papuan people across seven customary regions and reject all policies of the Indonesian state, including Special Autonomy. We believe the state’s presence in Papua has been primarily to exploit natural resources without providing security and peace for the Papuan people. We will also pursue the right to determine our own future. (*)
“TB treatment is not sufficient with medication alone. Living environments must also be healthy so patients can recover optimally and avoid transmitting the disease to others,” he said when contacted in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He noted that the Indonesian government is implementing a range of tangible interventions aimed directly at communities to address infectious diseases in Papua.
The use of portable X-ray units for screening has been introduced as a solution to accelerate early TB detection.
Meanwhile, housing renovations for TB patients aim to improve ventilation and living conditions that may contribute to disease transmission.
Octavianus said that key challenges include low case detection rates and suboptimal contact tracing. In fact, most regions in Papua have yet to meet national TB case detection targets.
Nationally, TB healthcare service coverage has reached only 89.55 percent, highlighting persistent gaps in access and quality of care, particularly in geographically constrained areas.
To address these challenges, the government is promoting several strategic measures, including expanded mass screening and integrated TB contact tracing linked to the Free Health Check program.
Additional efforts include strengthening patient support systems to ensure full adherence to treatment, supported by real-time reporting integration and the involvement of community health workers, families, and local communities in patient care.
On the same occasion, Deputy Home Affairs Minister Akhmad Wiyagus emphasized the need to reinforce community-based interventions down to the village and sub-district levels.
“Community-based approaches, such as TB-alert villages and sub-districts, are key to expanding service coverage while raising public awareness on disease prevention,” he said.
The government is also enhancing public participation through patient assistance programs involving community health workers and families.
“We encourage regional governments to promptly establish Regional Action Plans and form TB Acceleration Teams, so that field interventions can be more targeted and measurable,” he added.
Papua Governor Mathius D. Fakhiri expressed the regional administration’s readiness to strengthen TB response efforts in coordination with the central government.
He also stressed the importance of sustained support, particularly in strengthening healthcare personnel and program financing.
“We hope that budget support and the strengthening of healthcare workers will continue to be increased so that services to the public can run optimally,” he said.
Translator: Mecca, Azis Kurmala
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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