Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has rejected the Indonesian government's plan to conduct a new registration of internally displaced people across conflict-affected areas of Papua, saying it fears the data collection will serve political interests rather than address the root causes of displacement.
The concern was raised by KNPB chair Agus Kossay in a written statement on Monday (August 24, 2026).
Kossay said the proposed registration, announced by Indonesia's Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai during a recent visit to Nabire, was aimed at strengthening Jakarta's political position through a narrative of development and welfare in Papua.
"The KNPB firmly rejects the state's plan to register internally displaced people through government institutions as comparative data on displacement in Papua, because it is intended to strengthen the Jakarta government's position under the pretext of development and improving the welfare of Papuans," Kossay said.
He said the KNPB based its position on data compiled by churches and human rights workers, which estimate that 125,931 people have been internally displaced by the armed conflict in Papua.
The organisation also rejected the involvement of individuals claiming to represent KNPB in any cooperation with the Ministry of Human Rights or the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua's Development (KEP2OKP) on the issue of internal displacement.
Kossay referred to previous statements by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai and KEP2OKP chair Velix Wanggai, who said the government intended to open dialogue with strategic organisations, including the KNPB, to discuss internally displaced people, ending violence and achieving lasting peace in Papua.
However, Kossay said the KNPB, both as an organisation and on behalf of the Papuan people, rejected the proposal because it did not address what it considers the root cause of the Papua conflict, which has resulted in civilian casualties and mass displacement.
According to Kossay, the conflict stems from the 1962 New York Agreement and Indonesia's Trikora military operation, which he said undermined the United Nations mechanism for the 1969 Act of Free Choice and the Papuan people's right to self-determination.
"This has been the main source of conflict in Papua for the past 65 years. The central government's offer of development and welfare is not a framework for resolving the root causes of the Papua conflict. It is a framework for maintaining Indonesia's illegal occupation of Papua," he said.
Kossay argued that the Indonesian government and the Papuan people should instead agree on a conflict resolution process mediated by a neutral international party.
He said the KNPB continued to advocate for a review of what it described as legal and political violations surrounding the Papuan people's right to self-determination under the 1962 New York Agreement.
The KNPB also called on political leaders from Pacific, African and Caribbean countries to urge Indonesia to grant access to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross to assess the situation of internally displaced people in conflict areas and investigate alleged human rights abuses and militarisation in Papua.
Kossay said the KNPB fully supported the classification of the situation in Papua as a non-international armed conflict involving the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Indonesian state.
He said the Indonesian government should formally recognise that status so that all parties would be obliged to comply with international humanitarian law and human rights standards, while allowing independent international humanitarian organisations to assist internally displaced communities in conflict-affected areas.