Reiner Brabar, Sorong – The 8th National Leadership Meeting (Rapimnas) of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has declared Papua a "military and humanitarian emergency zone".
This decision follows the protracted conflict that continues to press down on the lives of civilians and adds to the long list of humanitarian conflicts in the land of Papua that to this day still attracts national and international attention.
In press release number 053.I/SP/BPP.KNPB/IV/2026, the KNPB said that it considers that the situation in Papua has gone beyond normal conditions. The decades-long conflict has become not only a political issue but has also developed into a humanitarian crisis.
The KNPB traces the roots of the conflict to differing views on Papua's political status since the integration process into Indonesia, including the implementation of the 1969 Act of Free Choice (Pepera), which is deemed not to have fully implemented the democratic principles of "one man, one vote".
These differing interpretations of history, according to the KNPB, continue to fuel tensions to this day.
KNPB's chairperson Agus Kossay stated that the situation in Papua is at a critical point. According to the KNPB, on the ground armed conflicts between security forces and armed groups are reportedly occurring in several areas such as Nduga, Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Paniai and Maybrat. As a result, civilians have been the most affected, with casualties and large-scale displacement.
The KNPB estimates that more than 100,000 people have been displaced by these conflict. However, this figure has not yet been able to be independently verified by other parties.
"The conflicts since 1961 to this day have not stopped. Displacement continues to occur in various locations, and the number of affected residents continues to grow. This indicates an emergency situation that requires the attention of all parties", said Kossay in an official statement on Saturday April 18.
KNPB national spokesperson Ogram Wanimbo emphasised that the declaration of emergency status is an effort to attract wider public attention.
"We see that Papua is not in good situation. Therefore, we invite all elements of society to view this issue from a humanitarian perspective", said Wanimbo.
In its statement, the KNPB emphasised several demands including the formation of an independent fact-finding team by the United Nations (UN), the cessation of military operations impacting civilians and the opening of access for international observers.
In addition to this, the KNPB also requested a review of investment policies and national strategic projects (PSN) in the land of Papua, which have not fully involved and have harmed indigenous communities.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "KNPB Nyatakan Papua Zona Darurat Militer dan Kemanusiaan".]
Source: https://suarapapua.com/2026/04/19/knpb-nyatakan-papua-zona-darurat-militer-dan-kemanusiaan