As of mid-March 2025, more than 79,886 people in West Papua [1] remain internally displaced as a result of armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). New internal displacements were reported in four districts of the Puncak Regency, the Moskona Barat District of Teluk Bintuni Regency, Papua Barat Province, and the Yuguru District in the Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, in mid-January 2025. The displacements in Moskona Barat occurred in response to a TPNPB attack on a military post in Moskona Barat. Significant deployment of security forces caused indigenous communities in Yuguru to flee their homes
Updated information on IDPs from the districts Oksop and Kroptak indicate that several thousand IDPs continue to hide in forest shelters without sufficient access to food and shelter while being isolated from healthcare services and education. In January 2025, churches and solidarity groups were able to deliver relief goods to IDPs in the Oksop District and IDPs from Kroptak who sought shelter in the town of Wamena.
Military representatives declared the internal displacements in the districts Moskona Barat and Oksop as hoax news in an attempt to avoid further public attention on ongoing military operations in the affected areas and the displacement of local indigenous communities on the ground. The ignorant and negligent attitude among security forces and government officials hampers humanitarian access and the official recognition of the IDPs by the Central Government.
In the districts Kiwirok and Suru-Suru, heavy military presence and the absence of adequate fundamental healthcare and education services complicate the return of IDPs to their villages. In Kiwirok, indigenous communities decided to establish new semi-permanent settlements in the jungle because the military have not yet withdrawn its personnel from the villages. The new settlements are isolated from government administration, healthcare, and education.
In other locations such as in the Suru-Suru District or Maybrat, IDPs have partly returned to their villages despite ongoing security presence amid indigenous communities and dysfunctional education and healthcare services. Military personnel substitute professional healthcare personnel and teachers in these areas, a strategy that may serve as a temporary stopgap, yet far from a sustainable solution in providing adequate public services to Papuans in rural areas.
Districts Pogoma, Sinak, Kembru, and Bina, Puncak Regency
Between 5 and 11 February 2025, Indonesian military personnel were reportedly deployed to at least four districts in Puncak using military helicopters. The first drop occurred on 5 February in the Batini Village, Magebume District. About 450 military personnel with combat equipment were flown in stages. According to the information received, TNI members carried out spontaneous raids, arbitrarily interrogating residents and setting up military camps in villages and near plantations. Several thousands of indigenous peoples from the affected districts decided to flee their villages in fear of reprisals. On 14 February 2025, about 100 IDPs gathered in the diustricts Sinak and Sinak Barat (see videos below, source: WPCC) or build shelters in the forest, while IDPs with financial resources fled to the regencies Jayapura, Mimika and Nabire. The local government in Puncak has failed to provide humanitarina support to the IDPs and seek clarity in coordination with the TNI regarding the purpose and duration of the operation.
IDPs from Pogoma gather in the Sinak District, Puncak Regency, on 14 February 2025
Moskona Barat District, Teluk Bintuni
The situation in Moskona Barat District remains dire, with 14 villages completely abandoned in mid-January ‘25. The total number of IDPs is currently not available. Local communities fled their homes in fear of security raids following a TPNPB attack on a military post in the Moskona Barat District on 13 January 2025. The TPNB claimed three soldiers were killed during the ambush. The Kasuari Regional Military Commander later denied the attacks saying that the Moskona area was safe.
This statement contradicts the reality on the ground. Many villagers have reportedly fled to stay with relatives in neighbouring districts while others have built temporary shelters in the forest, without proper access to food, healthcare, and education. One elderly woman named Mrs Dina Orocomna was allegedly separated from her relatives during escape and died in the forest. The local government and authorities have been silent about the situation. Solidarity groups and churches called for immediate humanitarian aid, including logistics and medical support for the IDPs.
Mebarok District, Nduga
The situation in the Mebarok District of Nduga Regency has become increasingly tense due to increased military presence and its effects on the local population. On 18 January 2025, the Indonesian military began deploying significant forces, including 23 helicopters, in the Yuguru area of Meborok District (see photo below, Source: Jubi). The deployments have caused fear among the indigenous communities, prompting them to flee their homes. Military operations have reportedly led to the destruction of homes, confiscation of property, and the burning of personal belongings. As a result, civilians from several villages have sought refuge in nearby forests. The military intervention disrupted the community, with reports of forced interrogations and violence, including the killing of domestic animals.
Testimonies from villagers in Yuguru paint a grim picture of the Indonesian military’s presence. According to reports, military personnel arrived by helicopter and began detaining villagers, forcing them out of their homes at gunpoint while interrogating them about the whereabouts of specific individuals. The military also seized personal belongings and mocked indigenous people who could not speak Indonesian. Residents have also reported being coerced into making pro-government statements.
The destruction of homes and properties has instilled fear and trauma among the population. Military members reportedly louted residential houses, deliberately destroyed livestock, and seized belongings from residents such as school supplies, machetes, and rifles. Following these events, residents from at least nine villages fled into the forests, leaving them displaced and vulnerable. The military’s occupation of civilian infrastructure, including schools and health centers, further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis. According to witness reports, the military occupied the Yuguru Elementary School 1 and the Mebarok District Office, converting the buildings into military posts.
The military presence has been met with strong opposition from indigenous communities (see photos below, source: Suara Papua). They argue that Yuguru is not a war zone but a place of refuge for civilians from Nduga. Community members in Mebarok have called on President Prabowo Subianto to withdraw the troops, emphasizing their fear and distress due to the establishment of multiple military posts amidst the community and repeated incidents of intimidation, including forced interrogations at gunpoint. People from nine villages reportedly remain in the forest, because they are afraid of the military presence in Yuguru.
Oksop District, Pegunungan Bintang
According to data compiled by priests of the catholic church, about 707 residents from the Mimin Village, Oksop District remain internally displaced in the forest. The IDPs belong to the indigenous Ngalum tribe. While the majority of IDPs from Oksop returned to their villages in late December 2024, 707 IDPs, including 251 children, remain in the forest due to ongoing fears of military presence.
In mid-January, the Head of the Public Relations Desk of the Damai Cartenz Police Task Force, Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, declared all information on internal displacements in the Oksop district as hoax news. “Some residents moved to a safer place at the end of November 2024 but have returned to Oksop District […]. The information currently circulating is hoax news that is deliberately spread to provoke”, said Sutejo on 15 January 2025.
On 17 January 2025, the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC OFM) Papua compiled detailed data on the ongoing displacement crisis in Oksop District which began in late November 2024. The JPIC OFM’s field investigations show a mass exodus prompted by fears of armed conflict, with military forces occupying civilian spaces. Military actions, such as setting up posts in churches and using local facilities without consent, have intensified fears among the local population.
On 18 January and 22 February 2025, Indonesian military forces reportedly carried out operations in the Oksop District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, destroying civilian homes in the Mimin Village. Churches and solidarity groups were able to deliver humanitarian supplies to IDPs in Oksop and brought in some health workers in early February 2025 (see photos on top & below: source: GIDI Church). Previously, the military had reportedly restricted humanitarian workers from delivering the supplies from Oksibil to Oksop.
The Indonesian army continues to occupy the Oksop District Office and the Mimin Village’s church, further deterring residents from returning. Restrictions on movement also remain in place for those who returned to their villages, with residents limited to working outside their homes only between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm. Community leaders have called for the withdrawal of the military from Oksop to allow the IDPs to safely return. Ignoring these appeals, the provincial and local governments have neither visited the IDPs nor provided humanitarian access.
IDPs in the Oksop District, January 2025
Houses destroyed by military members in the Mimin Village on
Kroptak District, Nduga
The military operation in Kroptak, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan, has caused the displacement of around 2,000 people. About 260 IDPs from Kroptak sought shelter in the town of Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. On 9 January 2025, the Papua Pegunungan Provincial Health Office visited Nduga IDPs in Wamena and delivered humanitarian supplies. The church and solidarity groups again provided these IDPs with food supplies and other relief goods on 17 and 22 January 2025 (see photos and video below, source: Kingmi Papua church). However, apart from Wamena, a larger number of IDPs reportedly fled to Kuyawage in Lanny Jaya Regency, as well as the districts Kenyam and Mbua in Nduga Regency. Those IDPs continue to be isolated from humanitarian supplies such as clothing, food, and shelter.
In mid-February 2025, students from Nduga in Makassar demanded accountability from the Indonesian military and urged them to immediately seize operations in the Kroptak area. Their demands emphasize the need for the Indonesian government to prioritize civilian protection, end military abuses, and ensure the safety and dignity of displaced persons.
Military forces, using helicopters, attacked and burned down homes in the Kroptak area on 7 December 2024, targeting civilian properties, including houses and livestock. As a result, residents of six villages—Minim, Kroptak, Komoroam, Pesat, Gol, and Golparek fled into the forest. Despite the scale of displacement, the government has provided little support to the IDPs. The military occupation of the villages continues, with military posts set up in civilian homes.
IDPs from Kroptak receive relief goods from solidarity groups at their temporary shelter in Wamena, on 17 and 22 January 2025
Kiwirok District, Pegunungan Bintang
IDPs from the Kiwirok District continue to be displaced in the forest. Local church workers stated that the IDPs have set up six permanent camps in the surrounding forest. The IDPs have opened up new gardens where they can follow their daily lives without facing suppression or surveillance from security forces. About two hundred refugees from Kiwirok who had crossed the border to Papua New Guinea reportedly returned to Pegunungan Bintang to unite with other IDPs in the permanent camps. However, the camps have been isolated from government administration, healthcare, and education services since September 2021.
The military controls major settlements in Kiwirok. Airplane services to Kiwirok are restricted and closely monitored by the military. While the district office in Kiwirok has relaunched operations in the absence of residents, the health centre (Puskesmas) and schools have remained dysfunctional since September 2021. Public life in Kiwirok has almost come to a complete standstill due to the ongoing military presence in the district.
Suru-Suru District, Yahukimo
As of mid-January 2025, more than half of the IDPs from Sur-Suru have returned to their villages although schools, the local health center (Puskesmas), and the local administration on village and district levels in Suru-Suru remain dysfunctional. While professional health workers and teachers are absent from the district, military personnel have taken over basic healthcare and elementary education for those who have returned. Other IDPs continue to stay in Yahukimo’s largest town Dekai or the neighbouring Asmath Regency. About 200 military personnel remain in the district where they conduct regular patrols and monitor daily life in the villages. According to local informants, only local churches maintain their services in some congregations. Solidarity church-based groups donated clothes and other relief goods. Kingmi Papua Church representatives from Suru-Suru stressed the need for medical services and other humanitarian access in the district, which is located in the swampy lowland areas of the Yahukimo Regency. The local churches and IDPs face difficulties in covering transportation expenses as most communities are only accessible on water.
Maybrat Regency
The situation of IDPs from Maybrat, Papua Barat Daya Province, remains dire nearly three years after an attack on the Kisor Posramil on 2 September 2021. The attack forced approximately 3,374 civilians from 50 villages in the Aifat Selatan and Aifat Timur Jauh districts to flee their homes. Despite efforts to repatriate the IDPs in January 2025, the conditions of those returned remain poor. The Maybrat regional government’s handling of the situation has been criticized for being insufficient and lacking involvement from key stakeholders such as churches, NGOs, and human rights advocates. Joint security forces continue occupying a school and civil office building in Maybrat. The security forces restrict villagers from gardening in certain areas. All villagers including civil servants are subjected to security checks and have to report to the military post if they want to go to the forest. The local government’s failure to address the IDPs’ basic rights or engage in necessary reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts, has exacerbated the crisis.
In early January 2025, the Maybrat IDP Coalition called on the central and regional governments to take urgent and comprehensive action to address the needs of the displaced people. They demand the immediate formation of a team that includes all relevant parties to ensure the fulfillment of the IDPs’ rights upon return to their villages. The Coalition also demanded the withdrawal of military forces from the affected districts, the cessation of using civilian spaces as military posts, and the lifting of restrictions on indigenous peoples’ access to their ancestral lands.
Paniai Regency
All IDPs from the districts Paniai Timur, Agadide, Ekadide, and Bibida have reportedly returned to their homes. The military increased its presence in the area and has established a military post in Bibida. Security forces damaged windows and doors of residential house which were not fixed upon return especially in the Bibida District.
Kramongmongga District, Fakfak Regency
According to observers in Fakfak, all IDPs returned to their homes after the army and the local government pressured them to do so. Since August 2023, the military has established a post in one of the residents’ houses in Kramongmongga village. Military members are closely monitoring activities and everyday life in the district.
IDPs across West Papua, Indonesia, as of 13 March 2025
| Regency | No IDPs | Displaced since | Additional info |
| Nduga [2] | 58,981 | 4 Dec. 18 | IDPs originate from 11 districts in Nduga; more than 615 IDPs reportedly died as of January 2022. New displacements were reported from the Yugur District on 18 January 2025 |
| Puncak [3] | 2,724 | 27 Apr. 21 | at least 16 IDPs have reportedly died during displacement |
| > 3,000 | 3 Juni 24 | 900 households from districts Agandugume and Oneri fled their villages | |
| Intan Jaya [4] | 5,859 | 26 Oct. 21 | at least 126 IDPs face health issues, and 11 IDPs reportedly died |
| Maybrat [5] | 1.009 | 2 Sep. 21 | IDPs originated from 5 districts; 138 IDPs reportedly died, and the local Govt reportedly facilitated the return of IDPs since November 2022 |
| Pegunungan Bintang (Kiwirok District) [6] | 2,252 | 10 Oct. 21 | about 200 IDPs fled to PNG, 74 IDPs reportedly died, and dozens of IDPs suffered from sickness |
| Yahukimo (Suru-Suru District) [7] | > 800 | 20 Nov. 21 | IDPs from 13 villages sought shelter in 15 temporary camps, 16 women gave birth without medical attention, and 13 IDPs reportedly died. |
| Yahukimo (Dekai District) [8] | 554 | 21 Aug. 23 | 13 persons were sick; one died, and two females murdered |
| Pegunungan Bintang (Oksop District) [9] | 707 | 08 Dec. 24 | the IDPs originate from Oketumi, Mimin, Alutbakon, Atenor, and Bumbakon villages, including 251 toddlers, 45 elderly persons, ten pregnant women, and at least six sick persons urgently requiring medical attention |
| Nduga (Kroptak District) [10] | 2,000 | 7 Dec. 24 | first counts mentioned 65 toddlers, eight pregnant women, five severely ill individuals, and 15 elderly persons. |
| Teluk Bintuni (Moskona Barat District) [11] | N/A | 15 January 2025 | One woman reportedly died in the forest during displacement |
| Nduga (Mebarok District) [12] | N/A | 18 January 2025 | residents from at least nine villages fled into the forests |
| Puncak (Districts Pogoma, Sinak, Kembru & Bina) [13] | > 2,000 | 12 February 2025 | IDPs originate from the distrcts Pogoma , Sinak, Bina and Kembru |
| T O T A L | > 79,886 | ||
[1] The term ‘West Papua’ in this paper refers to the western half of New Guinea Island, composed of the Indonesian provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah, Papua Selatan, Papua Barat, and Papua Barat Daya
[2] Compiled by a group of Papuan human rights defenders that visited IDPs from Nduga in the town of Wamena and surrounding areas between 12 and 20 July 2023
[3] Jubi (9.11.2021): SORAKPATOK: 300 tewas dan 50 ribu warga Papua mengungsi, available at: https://jubi.co.id/sorakpatok-300-tewas-dan-50-ribu-warga-papua-mengungsi/&
Jubi (12.07.2024): 500 KK dari Distrik Agandugume dan Oneri, sudah sebulan lebih mengungsi di Sinak, available at: https://jubi.id/polhukam/2024/500-kk-dari-distrik-agandugume-dan-oneri-sudah-sebulan-lebih-mengungsi-di-sinak/
[4] CNN Indonesia (30.10.2021): Ribuan Warga Papua Mengungsi Usai Pecah Kontak Senjata, available at: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20211030195433-12-714496/ribuan-warga-papua-mengungsi-usai-pecah-kontak-senjata
[5] Local human rights defenders from Maybrat compiled a list of IDPs that remain internally displaced as of 19 February 2025.
[6] Compiled from multiple lists with names of IDPs, which local human rights defenders compiled in Pegunugan Bintang between April and July 2023. Church workers updated the number of deaths in July 2023
[7] The number is based on data compiled by local church workers. The information was received in February 2022
[8] The number is based on a name list that human rights defenders in Dekai compiled in September 2023
[9] Based on data collected by the GIDI Church and local informants
[10] Based on data collected by human rights defenders in Kroptak. HRM received the reports on 18.12.2024
[11] Based on media information published on 13 January 2025 and information collected from local human rights defenders received on 19 January 2025
[12] Based on media information published on 26 February 2025
[13] Based on media infor|<mation published on 14 February 2025 and information collected from local human rights defenders received between 11 and 19 February 2025
