Jayapura, Jubi – The Solidarity of Paniai Regency Students (SMI-KP) across Indonesia says alarm bells are now ringing in Paniai Regency, Central Papua.
The statement follows the deployment of military personnel to Paniai Regency, which students say has been linked to alleged acts of violence in the area.
According to SMP-KP, Indonesian military (TNI) personnel from the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion (Yonif TP) deployed to Central Papua have been sent to several districts in Paniai, including Agidade, Aweida and Ekadide.
“Past incidents have been identified the military as perpetrators. One example is the Bloody Paniai Tragedy at Karel Gobay Field on 8 December 2008. The deployment of military personnel is a warning sign for the safety and security of civilians in Paniai Regency,” SMI-KP said in a media statement on Thursday (5 November 2026).
The group said the military presence in Paniai had been followed by several alleged human rights violations between 25 October and 3 November.
SMI-KP said that on 25 October 2026, a joint sweep operation involving the Habema Task Force and TNI personnel stationed at the Komopa Military Command (Koramil) was confirmed to have taken place.
During the operation, personnel searched homes and allegedly assaulted a civilian, Oktopianus Kobepa, who was asleep at his home in Toyaimoti village, Aradide District.
On the morning of 28 October 2026, TNI personnel from the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion began arriving in Tuguwai village, Aweida District. In the afternoon, they moved towards the YPK Tuguwai Primary School.
“Three children were there and ran away they saw the military approaching. Indonesian military personnel then pursued the three children as they fled across the Dewagi River,” the statement said.
On 29 October 2026, four companies of Habema Task Force personnel searched a pastoral residence belonging to St Joseph Tuguwai Catholic Church in Toyaimoti village.
The TNI divided its personnel into two teams and took control of the St Joseph Tuguwai pastoral residence and community health care (Puskesmas) in Tuguwai village.
“After staying overnight at the pastoral residence for three nights, the TNI personnel eventually returned to their post in Toyaimoti,” SMI-KP said.
According to SMI-KP, reports that TNI personnel had entered the area without consulting or coordinating with local stakeholders sparked controversy in several messaging groups.
The district head, church leaders, customary leaders and members of the Paniai Regional Legislative Council (DPRK) responded to the station by visiting the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion personnel stationed at a community health center in Tuguwai village, Aweida District.
They sought an explanation about the purpose of the battalion’s deployment to Aweida District. The battalion commander reportedly told them the troops had been sent on the orders of President Prabowo Subianto.
SMI-KP said that between 30 November and 3 November 2026, the district head, church leader, customary leaders and Paniai legislators repeatedly visited Tuguwai Community Health Center.
They raised concerns about having the anxiety among local residents following the military’s arrival in Tuguwai village. However, the military reportedly responded with various explanations.
“Tensions escalated and were followed by indiscriminate gunfire in another direction. An estimated 500 or more rounds of ammunition were fired during the shooting,” SMI-KP said.
The group said the deployment of the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion to Paniai strengthened suspicions that the establishment, deployment and activities of military personnel in the area served a particular purpose.
Rather than being limited to security and development activities, SMI-KP warned that the military presence could instead trigger large-scale displacement.
“This situation is placing civilians under increasing pressure,” the group said.
SMI-KP strongly condemned the sweeping operations, searches and alleged assaults carried out by the Habema Task Force, the Territorial Development Infantry Battalion and other TNI personnel stationed in Paniai Regency.
The group issued a series of demands, including:
- Hold those responsible accountable for arbitrary actions and immediately withdraw all military personnel from villages across Paniai Regency.
- Urge the Paniai Regency Government to immediately provide protection and legal guarantees for civilians in Aradide, Aweida, Ekadide, and Kebo districts.
- Firmly reject plans to increase battalion headquarters, military posts and police stations throughout Paniai Regency.
- Urge the Governor of Central Papua, all regents across the province, the Central Papua People’s Assembly (MRP) and the Central Papua Regional Legislative Council (DPRP) to declare central Papua a province under a military emergency and humanitarian emergency.
- Firmly reject plans to establish new autonomous regencies (DOB), namely West Paniai, East Paniai and Delima Jaya, through the division of Paniai Regency.
- Reject all forms of corporate activity in Central Papua, particularly in Paniai, regardless of whether companies operate legally or illegally.
- Urge the governor, all regents across Central Papua, the Central Papua People’s Assembly and the provincial legislature to immediately write to the President and the Minister of Defence, demanding the withdrawal of all organic and non-organic troops from Central Papua.
- Urge the governor, regents, the Central Papua People’s Assembly and the provincial legislature to propose a judicial review at the Constitutional Court to challenge the Papua Special Autonomy Law, particularly provisions concerning the government’s responsibilities for defence and security, business licensing and regional expansion. Otherwise, they should demand that Special Autonomy be returned to Jakarta.
- Urge the National Police Chief to instruct the Central Papua Police Chief and police chiefs across the province to stop arbitrary arrests of civilians and immediately release those who have been criminalized.
- Urge the President, Minister of Defence and TNI Commander to review the guidelines governing military operations conducted in the name of security.
- Urge the President to end development policies implemented through a military-based approach and instruct the TNI Commander to withdraw military personnel from all parts of Papua.
- Urge the president to revoke the decree establishing task forces deployment throughout Papua.
- Urge the President to declare all six provinces in Papua as provinces under military operations emergency, resolve all human rights issues in Papua and grant the Papuan people the right to self-determination. (*)
Sentani, Jubi – Papuan woman from the highlands living in Sentani, Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, continue to preserve the traditional of weaving noken, making the traditional bas an important source of income for their families.
The handmade crafts, passed down through generations, are sold at varying prices, ranging from 100,000 rupiah to 2 million rupiah or more, depending on the materials, size and complexity of the weaving process.
Meriam Yando, a noken seller from Nipsan District in Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, said she sells various types of noken.
Some are made by her own hands, while others are supplied by family members and friends for her to sell.
Yando said small noken bags generally sell for between 100,000 and 200,000 rupiah. She spoke to Jubi on Jalan Sosial in Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua, on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
Larger noken bags, particularly those made from certain materials, can sell for between 500,000 and 1 milion rupiah. Some varieties fetch 2 million rupiah or more.
She said prices vary according to the type of material, size, quality and the level of skill and effort required to make each bag.
Selling noken is one of the ways she and other Papuan women earn an income to support their families.
The bags are made by hand using weaving skills passed down through generations.
The raw materials come from various sources. Some are harvested from plants grown by the women themselves, other are collected from the plants grown by the women themselves, others are collected from the forest, while certain types of noken are made using commercially purchased thread.
A similar experience was shared by Mama Paskalina Pekei, a noken seller from the Mee tribe in Paniai Regency, Central Papua Province. She has been selling noken for many years along Jalan BTN Sosial in Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua.
Pekei said the income from selling noken helps cover her family’s expenses, including the education of her two children.
One of her children is still attending senior high school, while the other is studying at Cenderawasih University (Uncen) in Jayapura, Papua.
She said most of the noken she sells are made by her own hands. She learned the craft from her parents, who passed it down through local knowledge that she continues to practise in her daily life.
“The knowledge my parents taught me has enabled me to make noken and earn a living to support my family,” Pekei said.
She said one of the most expensive types of noken is made from orchid bark.
The material is difficult to obtain because it must be collected from trees, requiring the assistance of men who can climb them.
Processing the orchid bark also takes considerable time and effort. It must be ground until thoroughly clean before it can be used to weave noken.
Pekei said noken made from orchid bark are strong and durable. The finished bags also have an attractive appearance, although making them is more complicated than producing some other types of noken.
Not all the noken she sells are her own work. Some are supplied by family members who also make the bags, with the proceeds shared according to their agreement.
For Pekei, selling noken is not simply an economic activity. It is also a way to preserve the cultural knowledge and skills passed down by previous generations.
She hopes government officials in Papua will show greater support for women who sell noken by purchasing their handmade products.
Such support, she said, could help increase family incomes while encouraging women to continue producing traditional crafts.
“Papuan officials can come and buy the products sold by Papuan women so they can support their families and provide for their children. That would also encourage the women to keep making beautiful handicrafts,” she said.
Noken is a traditional craft of Papuan communities with social, economic and cultural significance.
In addition to being used to carry everyday items, noken is an important part of Papuan identity and embodies generations of local knowledge about using natural materials and weaving techniques. (*)
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