Victor Mambor, Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has emphasized that the protection of civilians, accountable law enforcement, and accelerated handling of internally displaced persons must be the government's priorities in responding to the human rights situation as part of resolving the conflict in the Land of Papua.

These steps are considered important to prevent the increasingly widespread humanitarian impact caused by the ongoing conflict.

This message was conveyed by the Coordinator of the Human Rights Situation Monitoring Team Toward Humanitarian Dialogue in the Land of Papua (Tim Papua), Atnike Nova Sigiro, during a media briefing on the results of monitoring the fulfillment and protection of human rights in Papua during the January – June 2026 period.

The activity was part of a reflection on the implementation of the government's social and security policies in the Land of Papua.

Atnike revealed that the various policies and resource allocations carried out by the government have not been able to significantly improve the security situation or the fulfillment of civil rights for the people of Papua.

"Although the government has implemented various policies and resource allocations, the security situation and civil rights conditions in Papua remain far from optimal. There were 42 recorded incidents of violence, the majority involving armed groups and security forces. This resulted in 59 fatalities, most of them civilians," said Atnike Nova Sigiro in an electronic message received by Jubi on Wednesday (7/15/2026).

According to Atnike, the ongoing armed conflict has also contributed to the rising number of internally displaced persons, particularly in Central Papua Province and Papua Highlands Province.

She emphasized that the government needs to strengthen the protection of civilians, ensure accountability in law enforcement, and provide a rapid response to the needs of displaced persons.

These efforts are expected to minimize the humanitarian impact while also opening space for a more sustainable resolution of the conflict.

Responding to a question about the governance of internal displacement, Tim Papua member Amiruddin Al-Rahab emphasized the importance of meeting the basic needs of displaced persons, particularly vulnerable groups such as women and children.

"The government must pay closer attention to the condition of displaced persons, especially mothers and children, particularly with regard to health, education, and temporary shelter," Amiruddin stressed.

According to the data, Amiruddin continued, more than 100,000 people have been recorded as displaced, and Komnas HAM is calling on all government agencies involved in the Land of Papua to immediately carry out intervention measures.

Amiruddin added that Komnas HAM has coordinated with a number of ministries and agencies, including the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, the Coordinating Ministry for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Affairs, as well as other related ministries and agencies, to push for the handling of various issues in Papua.

Through this human rights situation monitoring, Komnas HAM hopes the government will further prioritize a dialogical and humanity-oriented approach in resolving the issues in Papua.

As an institution with a recommendatory function, Komnas HAM continues to provide various policy inputs and urges the government to take concrete steps to achieve more effective protection of human rights for all communities in the Land of Papua.

Source: https://en.jubi.id/protection-of-civilians-must-be-a-priority-in-resolving-the-papua-conflict