Nabire, Papua. Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai says Papuans have the right to demand greater prosperity, justice and fulfillment of their rights, but cannot call for Papua to break away from Indonesia.

Pigai said people in Papua remain free to raise grievances over welfare, inequality and other issues as long as they express their demands through lawful and constitutional means.

“What is not allowed is saying, ‘We want independence, separate us from Indonesia.’ That is not allowed,” Pigai said during a working visit to the Central Papua provincial legislature in Nabire on Monday evening, according to state news agency Antara.

“Other things are allowed. There is no problem, as long as they are done in the right way.”

His comments came as Indonesia celebrated its 81st Independence Day, while Papua remained one of the country’s most politically sensitive regions, marked by a long-running armed conflict and an independence movement challenging Jakarta’s rule.

Pigai, a Papuan who previously served as a human rights activist and commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission, said demands for better living standards and an end to injustice were consistent with Indonesia’s Constitution.

“If you ask for the Papuan people to be prosperous, just, prosperous, healthy and peaceful, you are actually carrying out the mandate of the 1945 Constitution,” he said. "Never be afraid to speak about injustice.”

Evidence-based Advocacy
Pigai also urged residents and lawmakers in Central Papua to strengthen advocacy by collecting evidence to support complaints about rights violations and other problems.

He said residents should compile facts, data, information and documentation about issues they encounter. Complaints backed by evidence, he said, could then be pursued through legal mechanisms and potentially result in binding court decisions.

“I am saying this because I am in a conflict area. If I were in the provincial capital, I would not know the details,” Pigai said. “The goal is to help protect the people and provide justice to them.”

Central Papua is among Indonesia's newer provinces, established in 2022 as part of Jakarta's administrative reorganization of Papua. The region includes areas affected by armed conflict between Indonesian security forces and pro-independence fighters.

Pigai said access to justice also needed to be improved by bringing law enforcement institutions closer to communities in conflict-affected areas.

He said his ministry had received proposals to establish prosecutors' offices serving Paniai and surrounding areas, as well as Puncak Jaya, Mulia and nearby districts.

But Pigai said the presence of prosecutors, police and courts must be matched by stronger civil society organizations and lawyers who can represent residents.

“Judges will certainly be there, prosecutors will certainly be there, police will certainly be there. Now, who will defend the people? Who are their lawyers? Who will advocate for them?” he said.

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