Papua security: Hostage crisis and calls for military transparency

The Regent of Nduga, Yoas Beon, has expressed deep shame and condemnation following the hostage-taking of nine women in the Jila District of Mimika, Central Papua. Beon demanded that the armed group associated with Kodap III Ndugama, led by Egianus Kogoya, immediately release the women without conditions and surrender to authorities. He emphasized that such inhumane actions tarnish the reputation of the Nduga people and do not represent their community.

Human rights officials, including Komnas HAM Papua, have also condemned the incident. They noted that the armed group has used the term “securing” to describe the detention of the women, a practice that violates human rights principles regarding the treatment of vulnerable groups.

In a separate development regarding the regional security situation, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai has called for greater transparency from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri). Pigai requested official disclosure regarding the total number of personnel deployed to Papua. He argued that transparency is necessary for public accountability concerning the use of state funds and to ensure that security deployments do not infringe upon civilian liberties or democratic life in the region.