3,000 Residents Displaced by Armed Conflict in Intan Jaya

At least 3,000 residents have been displaced in Intan Jaya Regency, Central Papua Province, due to intensifying armed conflict, according to the Chair of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Papua Representative, Frits Ramandey. The displaced persons are currently being accommodated in Sugapa District. They originate from various villages across multiple districts, though the exact villages of origin are still being verified by the local government’s refugee handling team. “The data we received from the refugee handling team indicates that those from the villages are being housed with several families, and the local government is providing food for 3,000 people,” Frits told Tempo on Thursday, 9 July 2026. He explained that residents fled due to military operations in their villages. In Agisiga District, for instance, a drone dropped an object suspected to be a bomb that exploded in the village, causing panic and flight. Other displacements were triggered by gunfights between the Indonesian Military (TNI), Police, and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM). Some villagers also fled after receiving news that the TPNPB-OPM group planned to return to their areas, sparking fears of further armed clashes. Komnas HAM Papua has met with the local government regarding the handling of the displaced persons. Frits stated that the Intan Jaya regional government is providing food and managing the refugees, as well as facilitating the return of residents to villages where the situation has calmed. The displacement in Intan Jaya adds to the growing list of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Papua. In its annual report, Komnas HAM recorded IDPs in Yahukimo, Puncak, Jayawijaya, and Maybrat regencies throughout 2025. In Yahukimo Regency, a wave of displacement followed an attack on teachers and health workers in Anggruk District in March 2025, prompting the evacuation of educators and medical staff to Wamena and Jayapura, and forcing local communities to relocate. Komnas HAM also monitored the situation of IDPs from Puncak Regency scattered across Mimika, Nabire, Ilaga, and Gome. Findings revealed at least 506 displaced persons in Mimika and Nabire, with thousands more remaining in conflict-affected areas. The team identified numerous problems, including overcrowded temporary shelters, limited food access, lack of services for vulnerable groups, children out of school, minimal psychosocial support, poor sanitation and clean water access, and loss of livelihoods due to inability to access farmland. In some locations, the number of IDPs living in tents reportedly exceeded 9,000. In Jayawijaya Regency, Komnas HAM highlighted the plight of IDPs from Nduga residing in Sekom Village, Muliama District. Most face difficulties obtaining civil registration documents, healthcare services, and education for their children. Long distances to schools and health facilities have resulted in irregular school attendance, while daily basic needs depend on subsistence farming and support from the host community. Komnas HAM also received reports of deaths among the displaced due to illness during displacement. Meanwhile, in Maybrat Regency, Komnas HAM conducted follow-up observations on the situation of IDPs from areas affected by security operations following the 2021 Kisor incident. Although most repatriation programmes have been implemented, the recovery process remains incomplete. Komnas HAM found ongoing limitations in health facilities, minimal agricultural support, the use of schools as security posts, and unsynchronised IDP data between the Maybrat Regency government and the South Sorong Police. The Ministry of Human Rights stated that 122,000 internally displaced persons in Papua still require resolution. Deputy Minister Mugiyanto Sipin said the ministry could not yet detail the distribution of IDP locations but would seek specific data in an upcoming coordination meeting with relevant ministries and agencies.