Sorong, Jubi – Indonesia's National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has been urged to directly investigate violence against Papuan women, as protesters questioned the effectiveness of the state institution's response to ongoing reports of abuse.
The calls were made when the Domberai People's Front Against National Strategic Projects and Militarism held a spontaneous protest during a visit by Komnas Perempuan to Sorong in Southwest Papua on Wednesday.
Protesters questioned the impact of the commission's work, saying reports of violence against Papuan women and children continued to emerge.
Some victims, they said, were still living in fear, had lost their homes and access to basic services, and were struggling to survive amid armed conflict.
"You've simply surrendered. Why are you silent and submissive when those responsible for human rights violations are now in power? Where is the justice?" protest coordinator Angganeta Kamarace said.
Ms Kamarace said the situation facing Papuan women could not be separated from state violence, armed conflict, militarisation, the appropriation of customary land and development policies affecting Indigenous communities.
She said Komnas Perempuan should not simply come to listen, but must ensure the information it receives is followed up with concrete action.
Another protest representative, Sayang Mandabayan, questioned the effectiveness of Komnas Perempuan's recommendations, saying they had repeatedly been issued without producing meaningful changes for Papuan communities.
She said the fundamental problem was no longer a lack of data, but whether the state had the political will to turn that information into policy, victim protection and legal action.
"You must answer here, before the public, that all these recommendations will be implemented. There have already been two changes of commissioners, and nothing has been realised. We don't need more misleading reports," Ms Mandabayan said.
Samuel Assem also highlighted the situation of people forced to leave their villages and live as internally displaced persons because of armed conflict.
He said women and children were among the most vulnerable during conflict, facing the loss of their homes and limited access to food, healthcare, education and security.
Some displaced residents had reportedly been forced to rent accommodation themselves because they had received inadequate support.
"They lose their homes and their sense of security, then have to pay for accommodation and meet their own living costs. The state must take responsibility," Mr Assem said.
The Domberai People's Front said Papuan women had long been at the forefront of protecting their families, communities, customary lands and living spaces during conflict and amid development pressures.
It said violence against women therefore affected not only individual victims, but also families and Indigenous communities more broadly.
Protesters also condemned what they described as the "commodification of human rights data", where victims' suffering was collected for reports without leading to meaningful improvements in their lives.
The group presented six key demands to the government, Komnas Perempuan, Indonesia's Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), and law enforcement institutions.
They called for a Komnas Perempuan office to be established in Papua so cases of violence against women would not always depend on responses from Jakarta.
They also demanded an LPSK office in Papua to ensure witnesses and victims could receive prompt and effective protection.
Other demands included calls for Komnas Perempuan to push the government to recognise and resolve alleged gross human rights violations across Papua, and for perpetrators of human rights violations to face transparent and fair legal proceedings.
The protesters also called for comprehensive recovery and support for women who were victims of human rights violations, including physical, psychological and socio-economic assistance, restitution and rehabilitation.
Finally, they urged Komnas Perempuan to follow up on documentation of violence against women in Papua collected between 2021 and 2026, rather than allowing it to remain institutional data without further action.
Komnas Perempuan commissioner Yuni Asriyanti said the institution accepted the criticism and aspirations expressed by the protesters.
She said Komnas Perempuan had a clear position on allegations of gross human rights violations in Papua and had a long history of supporting and advocating for Papuan women.
Between 2008 and 2009, the commission had a Papuan Women's Working Group specifically tasked with documenting the situation facing women in Papua.
Although the working group no longer exists, Ms Asriyanti said advocacy on issues affecting Papuan women had continued.
She acknowledged that Komnas Perempuan had limitations in its mandate and ability to act, but said these constraints were not an excuse to stop working.
"The role and mandate of Komnas Perempuan are very limited. But we do not want to use that as an excuse or a defence for not doing our best to advocate for Papua and communicate these issues to policymakers in Jakarta," she said.
Ms Asriyanti said Komnas Perempuan had documented around 95 cases of violence against women across Papua over the past five years.
The cases included domestic violence, dating violence, violence within communities and violence linked to state actors.
However, she said the 95 documented cases did not represent the full scale of violence against women in Papua, acknowledging a significant gap between recorded cases and the reality on the ground.
"We want any position we take to be based on authoritative information from the people and support workers on the ground here," she said.
Komnas Perempuan said it would also communicate with the Southwest Papua regional government and police to discuss the prevention and handling of violence against women. (*)