Indonesia, West Papua – The Indonesian government's militarised approach to conflict resolution and economic development in West Papua has reached alarming levels, triggering widespread internal displacement, human rights violations, and growing civil society resistance.
According to a December 2025 report by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), entitled "Papua in the Grip of Military Operations," the region has become the site of Indonesia's longest-running military operations, which have been taking place in the Papuan provinces since 1961.
People across West Papua have gone to the streets to voice their rejection of the growing military presence and expanding role of the military, ranging from economic development to education and health services in conflict-affected areas. Ongoing raids against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) have frequently been accompanied by human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, and torture. Civil society groups, church leaders, and human rights organisations are united in calling for an immediate halt to military operations, demilitarisation, and meaningful engagement in a peaceful dialogue.
Scale of militarisation in West Papua
Between 2024 and early 2025, YLBHI recorded the deployment of approximately 29 non-organic army units to West Papua, including five new battalions added in October 2024, with each unit averaging around 450 soldiers. The government's plan to establish 100 territorial battalions demonstrates the military's expanding role as both a security actor and development implementer. In Intan Jaya Regency alone, dozens of military posts were established in September 2025, as troops took control of villages. The local indigenous population and human rights observers are concerned that the extensive military presence in Intan Jaya serves the purpose of securing the gold-rich Wabu Block mining concession covering approximately 1.18 million hectares.
The YLBHI report documents at least 36 victims of extrajudicial killings between 2023 and 2025, with the death toll reaching 151 people from 2018 to 2024. Almost none of these cases have been legally processed or brought before a Human Rights Court. The majority of displaced persons are women, children, and the elderly, facing severely limited access to education, healthcare, and food. Reports indicate that military operations have been accompanied by the use of drones and helicopter gunships to drop explosives on civilian areas.
Komnas Perempuan (National Commission on Violence Against Women) has documented severe impacts on women and children, including reports of sexual violence against internally displaced females and the use of places of worship as military outposts. Commissioner Yuni Asriyanti stated that as long as a militaristic approach continues, it will be impossible to imagine peace in West Papua, as this approach silences women's voices, ignores their specific needs, and deepens structural violence.
Civil society protests against militarisation
In response to escalating militarisation, civil society groups across West Papua have mobilised in peaceful protest. Between late October and early November 2025, demonstrations took place in Nabire, Enarotali, Sugapa, and Jayapura, demanding an end to military operations and the withdrawal of non-organic troops. Further protests against the rising militarisation in West Papua occurred in the regencies Intan Jaya and Yahukimo in January 2026.
Protests in Sugapa, Intan Jaya
On 13 January 2026, the Intan Jaya Student and People's Movement (GPMR-I) organised a peaceful demonstration in Sugapa, the capital of Intan Jaya Regency, with an estimated 500 to 1,000 participants. Protesters gathered at multiple points before marching to the Intan Jaya Regent's Office. The action was a direct response to the heavy military presence, military emergency, and the humanitarian crisis since armed conflict significantly intensified in Intan Jaya in 2019. Ongoing military operations have a severe impact on civilian life, particularly for indigenous Papuans. They live in constant fear of military operations and armed clashes in the immediate vicinity of their homes.
The GPMR-I presented comprehensive data on the humanitarian impact of militarisation. According to the data upresented, approximately 23 non-organic military posts have been constructed in Intan Jaya Regency, resulting in the total paralysis of 52 out of 59 educational facilities. Six health facilities, including hospitals and health centres, have ceased functioning. The movement documented 62 civilians killed by Indonesian military personnel without legal process, while more than 60,000 people have fled Intan Jaya and Puncak Jaya Regencies to safer areas such as Timika and Nabire, unable to return to their homes.
Upon arriving at the Regent's Office at 11:45 am., protesters were informed that the Regent Aner Maiseni had departed for Nabire. After waiting until 2:30 pm for a response from Deputy Regent Elias Igapa and the regent's staff, the coordinators announced that demands would not be submitted without the regent present. The protesters demanded immediate action on the stagnation of education, health services, IDP return, and the ongoing security crisis.
Protests in Dekai, Yahukimo
On 21 January 2026, the Yahukimo Student Front of Indonesia organised a protest in Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo Regency, in response to massive military deployments that occurred between 9 and 29 December 2025. According to organisers, approximately 600 Indonesian military personnel were deployed by sea via the Braza River, with additional airdrops continuing through late December, including the deployment of a new Brimob (Police Mobile Brigade Corps) unit. The protest was also attended by school children, a possible reason why security forces refrained from dispersing the protest violently.
The Yahukimo Student Front's statement documented a pattern of human rights violations dating back to 2021, including shootings and arbitrary arrests of civilians, as well as incidents involving drone attacks and the alleged use of booby traps or anti-personnel land mines. As of August 2025, approximately 1,890 people in Yahukimo had been forced to flee their homes, with IDPs facing severe health crises due to limited medical access.
The protesters issued 25 demands, including the immediate withdrawal of military forces, cessation of aerial bombing, release of political prisoners, and the granting of the right to self-determination as a democratic solution. They also called for the revocation of permits for 28 military posts operated by the Cartenz Peace Unit in Yahukimo, as well as unconditional access for the United Nations, foreign journalists, and humanitarian agencies in Intan Jaya.