Sorong, Jubi – At least 15 people staged a peaceful protest at a hotel in Sorong, Southwest Papua Province, where the PAPEDA Summit 2026 is being held on Wednesday (02/09/2026).

The protesters said they opposed the summit, which is taking place from 2 to 4 September 2026.

The demonstration began at around 4pm Papua time. Protesters held banners calling for the PAPEDA Summit to be dissolved, with one reading: "Dissolve the PAPEDA Summit. The PAPEDA Summit is a new weapon for national strategic projects."

Another banner read: "Papua is not a carbon market." The protesters also chanted, "Reject the PAPEDA Summit."

During the protest, Yosepus Nauw said the PAPEDA Summit did not represent the interests of Papua's Indigenous peoples.

He said Indigenous communities were currently fighting largely on their own to protect their forests and customary lands.

"They have been campaigning about the Indigenous people's economy from the beginning until today. They campaign about protecting our land and forests, but today our forests and land are disappearing. Our forests are being destroyed," Nauw said.

"Dissolve the PAPEDA Summit 2026. Our land is not for companies. Don't deceive Indigenous people," he said.

The PAPEDA Summit is a major gathering involving stakeholders from Papua's six provinces and will run until 4 September 2026.

The summit emerged from a series of meetings involving governors in Manokwari, West Papua Province, and Timika, Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province. It was later followed by a meeting involving more than 50 civil society organisations in Jayapura, Papua Province, in March 2026.

The forum features 100 speakers across five plenary sessions and 15 parallel sessions, with 1,030 participants expected to attend.

Nauw said local and national governments, as well as civil society organisations, should instead focus on discussing the protection of Indigenous communities.

He said Indigenous people had become victims of corporate investment and armed conflict between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and Indonesian security forces.

"The [PAPEDA Summit] has no benefit. We, the Indigenous people, are the victims. What do you mean by sustainable development? What development are you talking about?" he said.

"Indigenous people who own the forests and land have been shot in Maybrat. Are they stones? And then you say this is for Indigenous people – which Indigenous people are you talking about? Indigenous people are being shot. These are the people who own the land, forests and water," Nauw said.

PAPEDA Summit 2026 organising committee chairman Julian Kelly Kambu said he respected those who opposed the event.

He said the summit had involved Indigenous communities from across Papua.

"We will listen to their aspirations. If our friends have concerns or proposals, they are welcome to put them forward. There is nothing hidden. We can oversee this together," Kambu told Jubi on Wednesday.

"If there are specific points, they can be raised. If people say this is not for Indigenous communities, almost all the participants here are Indigenous people. They have come here bringing their local potential and knowledge," he said.

Kambu said the PAPEDA Summit was intended as a forum for discussion, bringing together concepts, ideas and proposals and connecting government policy with the problems faced by Indigenous communities in Papua.

He said the gathering also provided an opportunity for Papua's regional governments to evaluate their development policies affecting Indigenous communities.

"All of the participants are Indigenous people. This is a discussion space to talk about blue carbon and green carbon, leadership and policy, the environment, social issues and the economy," Kambu said.

"This is a space where we can discuss and collect concepts, ideas and proposals. Going forward, we can make changes. If there are important matters that need to be proposed, including policy changes, our friends can raise them through their actions," he said.

As of 6.09pm Papua time, protesters were still at the site of the event.

Police and Indonesian military personnel maintained a heavy security presence around the demonstration.

Source: https://en.jubi.id/dozens-protest-against-papeda-summit-2026-in-sorong