Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
JPIC OFM
Jayapura (Fides News Agency) – “Following yet another massacre, there is an urgent need to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law and reduce the presence of Indonesian army troops. At the same time, humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach more than 100,000 displaced persons, while a genuine dialogue must be opened between independence groups and the central government, for the good of this long-suffering province of West Papua.” This is the appeal sent to Fides by Fr Alexandro Rangga OFM, director of the Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in the Indonesian province of West Papua.
The Franciscan confirmed that three Christian employees of the agricultural office in Jayawijaya Regency were killed in an ambush on 9 September, once again raising the issue of the safety of civilians amid the long-running conflict in Papua. He told Fides that two of the victims, 49-year-old Aprida Rapi and 35-year-old Alfonsius Albinus Meha, were Catholics, while 25-year-old Willi Mbuik was a Protestant Christian. All three came from other provinces of Indonesia and had moved to Papua.
The attack was claimed by the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM). According to reports, the armed group stopped the convoy and separated indigenous Papuans from non-native people, who were then killed.
Fr Rangga condemned the killings, stating that the situation of civilians in conflict-affected areas of Papua has deteriorated, as they face attacks by separatist groups (TPNPB-OPM) on the one hand and are often caught up in operations by Indonesian security forces on the other.
Alongside the exploitation of natural resources by major multinational corporations – through concessions granted by the central government, but with little tangible development benefiting indigenous communities – another source of conflict in recent years has been the government’s policy of demographic resettlement, known as transmigrasi. The policy involves the migration of people from Java and other Indonesian islands and has made indigenous Papuans a minority in their own territory, while increasing social tensions.
The Franciscan expressed “deep concern over the situation in Papua” and reiterated the approach shared by the Franciscans and members of the local Church: “As citizens who uphold the values of humanity and justice, we feel it is our duty to denounce the suffering of our fellow citizens in Papua. We reject every form of violence that harms human life in Papua, and we reject an approach to Papua based on security measures or militarisation.”
“We denounce every form of development policy and practice that plunders, damages and exploits Papua’s natural resources, destroying the lives of Papuans, and we encourage peaceful dialogue in order to find solutions to the conflict in Papua.”
“True peace can be built only on a foundation of justice and recognition in the name of humanity,” he noted.
The troubled region of Papua has also recently been addressed by local Catholic bishops.
Yanuarius Teofilus Matopai You, Bishop of Jayapura, condemned the “grave violations of human rights” taking place in the region and stressed the importance of peaceful dialogue between Jakarta and Papua “in order to break the cycle of violence that generates nothing but suffering.”
“A military approach cannot resolve the conflict, and all forms of killing are unacceptable, because life is a gift from God. As a Catholic community, we must continue to protect humanity and promote a dignified life for all,” he said.
Bishop Bernardus Bofitwos Baru of Timika launched an appeal, calling on President Prabowo Subianto and Armed Forces Commander Agus Subiyanto to “seek dialogue” after “the blood of so many innocent civilians has been shed.”
(PA) (Fides News Agency, 15/9/2026)
