3,000 Displaced by Armed Conflict in Intan Jaya, Papua

An escalating armed conflict in Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province, has forced at least 3,000 residents to flee their homes, according to Frits Ramandey, head of the Papua Representative Office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). These displaced individuals are currently being housed with local families and are receiving assistance, including food, from the regional government in Sugapa District.

Ramandey explained that the displacement is a direct result of military operations in their home villages. For instance, residents in Agisiga District fled after a drone dropped what was suspected to be a bomb, causing fear and panic. Other villagers have been displaced by direct clashes between the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI)-National Police (Polri) and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM). News of potential TPNPB-OPM incursions into villages has also triggered fear of armed confrontations, prompting residents to seek safety elsewhere.

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The data we received from the refugee handling team indicates that they are from villages currently being accommodated by several families, and the local government is providing food, totaling 3,000 people.

Komnas HAM Papua has met with the local government to address the situation, and officials are working to document the origins of the displaced populations. The Intan Jaya displacement adds to a growing number of internally displaced persons in Papua. Komnas HAM's annual report noted similar situations in Yahukimo, Puncak, Jayawijaya, and Maybrat regencies throughout 2025. Issues faced by these displaced communities include overcrowded temporary shelters, food shortages, lack of specialized services for vulnerable groups, disrupted education for children, minimal psychosocial support, inadequate sanitation and clean water, and loss of livelihoods due to inaccessibility of farmland. In some locations, over 9,000 people have been reported living in tents.

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That caused the community to panic, and the community left.