PAPUA – The Central Headquarters Management of the National Command of the West Papua National Liberation Army (KOMNAS TPNPB) has officially issued a stern warning to the Indonesian government to immediately cease the misuse of medical functions within armed conflict zones across West Papua.
TPNPB Spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, emphasized that the involvement of TNI-Polri personnel in medical roles is a clear violation of professional health laws, including Indonesian Law No. 36 of 2014. The TPNPB views this tactic not as a healing effort, but as an intelligence maneuver that further prolongs the suffering of sick Papuans in conflict areas.
Call to Expel Intelligence Agents Posing as Medics
In their official statement, the TPNPB warned all healthcare workers deployed as military intelligence agents by Jakarta to immediately leave the war zones. This demand is made to ensure safety and protection within the battlefield. In their place, the TPNPB demands the presence of neutral parties, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to manage the ongoing health crisis.
"A soldier's duty is war, not medicine. We demand that the International Red Cross enter as a neutral party so that our civilians receive proper health guarantees without military intimidation," stated the TPNPB Central Headquarters Management.
The Neglected Refugee Crisis
The TPNPB highlighted alarming data from Human Rights Monitor, which records a surge in the number of Papuan Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) reaching over 107,039 people. To date, thousands of citizens taking refuge in forests and displacement camps have not received adequate logistics, medicine, or access to education for their children. The TPNPB accuses Indonesia of intentionally closing international access to hide a humanitarian crisis that has persisted since the 1960s.
Official Position of KOMNAS TPNPB
For the sake of justice and the independence of the Papuan nation, the Central Headquarters Management of KOMNAS TPNPB declares the following positions:
- Opening Media Access: Urging Indonesia to immediately open access for national and international media to conflict zones for honest, neutral, and transparent reporting.
- International Aid Access: Demanding President Prabowo Subianto immediately grant entry permits to the ICRC (International Red Cross) to distribute global humanitarian aid to civilian victims of the conflict.
- Diplomatic Negotiations: The TPNPB declares its readiness to enter negotiations with the Indonesian side, provided they are mediated by the United Nations (UN) or a legitimate international body under the UN.
- Total Revolution: The West Papua National Liberation Army reaffirms that it will continue to wage a total revolutionary war to reclaim the full independence of the Papuan Nation. Casualties will continue to mount as long as the root political issues and colonialism in West Papua are not resolved by the UN and Indonesia.
This report is issued as a form of moral responsibility by the TPNPB toward the fate of the Papuan people who continue to be oppressed under military occupation.
Source: Press Release of the Central Headquarters Management of KOMNAS TPNPB (Friday, April 17, 2026) Spokesperson: Sebby Sambom