PAPUA — The Central Headquarters Management of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army (KOMNAS TPNPB) has officially issued a stern statement addressed to the high-ranking officials of the Indonesian military, including Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, TNI Commander Agus Subyanto, and Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. The TPNPB demands an immediate halt to all military activities within hospitals across West Papua, which are currently providing medical care to civilian victims of military operations. The presence of armed forces in medical facilities is condemned as a form of psychological terror and intimidation against victims struggling to recover.
The military operations conducted from April 13 to 15, 2026, in Puncak Regency have left a profound grief among the Papuan people. During these attacks, the Indonesian military brutally launched aerial operations using six helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to drop bombs on residential areas. In addition to the air strikes, a ground siege in the Kembru District involved indiscriminate gunfire and the lobbing of grenades at civilian homes. This vicious assault reportedly claimed the lives of 12 civilians, including innocent children and pregnant women.
TPNPB emphasizes that the Indonesian Government must bear full responsibility for all medical expenses of the victims until they achieve a total recovery. The colonial state must guarantee the security and human rights of the survivors without any intimidation from security forces. Furthermore, hospital management is urged to adhere strictly to medical protocols and restrict military movement within hospital grounds. The Central Headquarters Management of KOMNAS TPNPB warns that any hospital allowing itself to facilitate military activities will be placed on the TPNPB’s Wanted List (DPO) as a party complicit in oppression.
Field reports indicate manipulative practices carried out by TNI personnel following the attacks. Perpetrators reportedly attempted to cover up their crimes by forcing victims to take photographs with them, providing sham medical assistance, and casting false accusations that the TPNPB was responsible for the civilian casualties. The Central Headquarters Management of KOMNAS TPNPB strongly condemns the false narratives and hoaxes continuously spread by the TNI and Polri through online media. TPNPB urges the Papuan people and the international community to disregard this misinformation, asserting that "washing one's hands" after committing massacres is an obsolete tactic of the colonial military.
As the guardians of the Papuan nation, the 36 Defense Regional Commands (KODAP) of the TPNPB declare a historical obligation to protect the people and the sovereignty of Papua's natural resources from the greed of the colonial state. TPNPB highlights that the military presence in West Papua is not for security, but rather to facilitate the plunder of gold, iron, copper, oil, and forest products for Jakarta’s interests. Natural forests are being razed to be replaced by palm oil and rice plantations—concepts foreign to the indigenous community—while Papua’s natural wealth has been drained since 1967 without bringing prosperity to the traditional landowners.
Therefore, KOMNAS TPNPB calls upon all Papuan people to reject the establishment of military posts and illegal state or foreign-owned companies on ancestral lands. Their presence will only lengthen the list of suffering for the Papuan people. TPNPB has also instructed all forces across the 36 KODAP to take decisive action against government offices and the assets of illegal companies operating without the consent of the Papuan nation. The struggle will continue until Indonesia recognizes the full independence of the Papuan Nation, where all natural wealth will eventually be managed independently by the Papuan people to build their own future.
Sebby Sambom Spokesperson for the Central Headquarters Management of KOMNAS TPNPB-OPM
Sunday, April 19, 2026