RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has urged the Indonesian government to prioritize meeting the basic needs of Papuans, particularly more than 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the ongoing armed conflict.

The commission stressed that civilian protection, health services, education, and temporary housing must be the government’s primary focus to prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening.

“The ongoing conflict has worsened conditions in Central and Highland Papua Provinces. The government has taken steps to help, but security and civil rights in Papua remain a problem. There have been 42 recorded incidents of violence, mainly involving armed groups and security forces, resulting in 59 fatalities, most of them civilians,” said Coordinator of Komnas HAM’s Human Rights Situation Observation Team Towards Humanitarian Dialogue in Papua, Atnike Nova Sigiro, in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Atnike presented the commission’s observations on the human rights situation in Papua from January to June 2026 at a media briefing in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 14. She assessed that civilian protection remains suboptimal despite the implementation of various security policies.

She emphasized the need for the government to strengthen civilian protection, ensure accountable law enforcement, and expedite the handling of IDPs to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the conflict.

Komnas HAM commissioner Amiruddin Al-Rahab, a member of the Papua team, said attention to vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, must be a priority in refugee management.

“The government must pay more attention to the conditions of refugees, especially mothers and children, in terms of health, education, and temporary housing. According to recorded data, there are more than 100,000 refugees, and we urge all government agencies involved in Papua to intervene immediately,” Amiruddin said.

He added that Komnas HAM has coordinated with several ministries and institutions, including the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs and the Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections, to encourage accelerated handling of various issues in Papua.

Through these observations, Komnas HAM hopes the government will prioritize a dialogical and humanitarian approach to conflict resolution, ensuring that human rights protection and the fulfillment of Papuans’ basic needs remain central. ***