This is the Reason Why OPM Frequently Kills Civilians in Papua

Armed separatist groups in Papua have responded to statements by the Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, regarding the prolonged conflict in the Land of Cendrawasih, asserting that they do not intend to target civilians indiscriminately.

Sebby Sambom, the spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army - Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), emphasised that all armed operations conducted by his group specifically target individuals identified as spies for the Indonesian military.

Sambom stated that the TPNPB-OPM makes no distinction between individuals with civilian status and intelligence agents working for the Indonesian security forces.

“Why does the TPNPB kill people suspected of being agents, even if they are deemed to be civilians?” Sambom told Republika in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/09/2026).

Sambom argued that all migrant civilians throughout Papua are part of an Indonesian government programme aimed at erasing the presence of indigenous Papuans.

“The legal basis is clear. We identify all Indonesian immigrants who come to take over and occupy the land belonging to the indigenous people of Papua. Or Indonesia came to the land of the indigenous people of Papua, occupied and took over that land as part of a government programme,” Sambom said.

For this reason, according to Sambom, the TPNPB-OPM considers the presence of non-Papuans as a group targeted for expulsion. “Therefore, all immigrants—whether they claim to be ‘civilians’, traders, teachers, or employees—are all part of colonialism and illegal occupation intended to strip the indigenous people of Papua of their rights,” he added.