DPD Special Committee Investigates Human Rights and Refugees in Southwest Papua
Sorong (ANTARA) - The Special Committee (Pansus) for Papua of the DPD RI is investigating human rights issues, special autonomy, and the condition of refugees during a working visit to Southwest Papua Province.
The Vice Chairman of the DPD RI Papua Special Committee, Filep Wamafma, stated in Sorong on Monday that the visit was conducted to obtain direct information from local governments, community leaders, traditional leaders, women’s groups, and other elements of society.
“We have come to meet directly with regional heads and the community in order to absorb various issues occurring in the region,” said Fileng during a meeting at the Southwest Papua Governor’s Office.
He explained that the DPD RI Papua Special Committee was formed to respond to various dynamics and conditions in the Land of Papua, specifically concerning three main aspects: human rights issues, the implementation of special autonomy (Otsus), and national strategic programmes that directly impact the community.
According to him, these issues require attention because concerns remain amongst the public, including conflicts that have resulted in civilian casualties.
“In its development, the DPD RI has been called to action to observe the dynamics and conditions in the Land of Papua regarding the loss of lives among civilians,” he said.
Filep mentioned several areas, including the Maybrat Regency in Southwest Papua and the Moskona region in West Papua, which still face problems that need to be addressed seriously.
Furthermore, the Papua Special Committee will investigate the condition of refugees in several areas as part of the mapping of issues in the Land of Papua.
“We have just concluded our work with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). We have not yet moved towards the mapping of Papua, including the mapping of refugees in several regions of the Land of Papua,” he said.
Maybrat Regency has become one of the areas of focus for the DPD RI Papua Special Committee following several security and humanitarian incidents in the region.
On 13 August 2026, three civilians were reported injured in an incident in Ainot Village, East Middle Aifat District. Komnas HAM subsequently urged the Southwest Papua Regional Police to conduct a scientific investigation to uncover the cause of the injuries and identify the responsible parties.
Previously, on 22 March 2026, a firefight between TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) personnel and an armed group in Sori Village, South Aifat District, resulted in the deaths of two Indonesian Navy Marines and left another wounded.
The DPD RI Papua Special Committee had previously scheduled visits to Maybrat and Timika as part of its investigation into the conditions of conflict-affected areas and to obtain direct data and information from the community.
Filep stated that the information obtained from local governments and the community will serve as material for the DPD RI to strengthen its role in advocating for the aspirations of the people within the corridors of the constitution and institutional authority.
“We hope this forum provides as much information as possible to the DPD RI Papua Special Committee, particularly regarding the events affecting our brothers and sisters in Maybrat specifically, but also the latest developments occurring in Southwest Papua Province,” he said.
Filep added that the visit to Southwest Papua is part of a series of working programmes by the DPD RI Papua Special Committee to absorb the aspirations of the people across several provinces in the Land of Papua.
He expressed hope that the feedback collected could assist the government and state institutions in understanding the problems faced by the community and encourage their constitutional resolution.