Teminabuan, Jubi – The South Sorong branch of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GMKI) has called on President Prabowo Subianto to ensure the protection of civilians and pursue a peaceful and just resolution to the conflict in Papua.
The appeal comes amid growing concern over the continuing armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).
South Sorong GMKI chair Gofon Arky Lemauk said the continued loss of civilian lives demonstrates that efforts to resolve the conflict have yet to address its underlying causes.
He said civilians should not continue to bear the consequences of a prolonged conflict and stressed that the state has a constitutional responsibility to protect all citizens, regardless of where they live or their background.
GMKI South Sorong also expressed its condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the conflict.
Lemauk noted that the victims have included not only those directly involved in the fighting but also civilians, including religious leaders, pregnant women, and people with no involvement in the conflict.
“The loss of a single human life is an irreplaceable loss,” Lemauk said in a written statement on Friday (July 10, 2026).
He said that as a Christian student organization grounded in faith, nationalism, and intellectual responsibility, GMKI believes that every person possesses inherent dignity that must be respected and protected.
“No interest can justify the loss of civilian lives. Human life cannot be measured against political interests or security approaches. The state must stand at the forefront in protecting its people,” he said.
GMKI South Sorong reminded President Prabowo that Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution explicitly mandates the state to protect all Indonesians, including Papuans who continue to live amid armed conflict.
According to the organization, the success of national development should not be measured solely by the construction of roads, bridges, or other physical infrastructure.
Instead, it said, progress should also be assessed by the extent to which the government is able to provide security, justice, legal protection, and respect for human rights.
“Development has little meaning if people continue to live in fear. The state must bring not only physical development, but also security, justice, and the assurance that every citizen’s right to life is protected,” Lemauk said.
He added that Papua should no longer be defined by recurring reports of violence.
“Every time gunfire erupts, civilians once again become those who suffer the most,” he said.
Lemauk said the government must ensure that protecting civilians becomes its highest priority rather than merely a political promise or an administrative objective.
According to GMKI South Sorong, lasting peace in Papua cannot be achieved through security measures alone but requires efforts to build trust, uphold justice, and respect human rights.
The organization said the government should implement policies that restore a sense of safety so that people can return to their daily lives, attend school, work, and worship without fear.
It also called on the government to ensure that children do not grow up under the shadow of conflict and that women, religious leaders, healthcare workers, and Indigenous communities are able to live without constant fear.
“The prolonged conflict has created a deep humanitarian crisis. Children are losing educational opportunities, healthcare services have been disrupted, livelihoods have been destroyed, and many families remain displaced,” Lemauk said.
GMKI South Sorong presented six demands to the Indonesian government.
The organization called on the government to review its security policies in conflict-affected areas with civilian protection as the highest priority. It also urged independent, professional, and transparent investigations into all alleged human rights violations.
GMKI further called on the state to provide maximum protection for religious leaders, teachers, healthcare workers, women, children, Indigenous communities, and other civilians.
The organization urged the government to open an inclusive dialogue as a peaceful and dignified pathway to resolving the conflict.
It also said development in Papua should go hand in hand with respect for human rights, social justice, improved education, and accessible healthcare services.
Finally, GMKI called for thorough investigations into all alleged killings of civilians and for those found responsible to be prosecuted in accordance with the law. (*)
