The humanist approach in Papua is emerging as a central element of the Indonesian government’s strategy for managing security and social challenges in the country’s easternmost region, with President Prabowo Subianto instructing his political and security leadership to place greater emphasis on winning public trust.
The direction became clearer on October 5, 2026, when newly appointed Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman outlined the President’s instructions following the formal transfer of the ministerial position in Jakarta.
Rather than relying primarily on coercive measures, Dudung said the government would prioritize cultural engagement, community relations, and territorial development. Security operations would remain available when necessary, but the minister stressed that the use of force would be limited to selected targets.
The message represents an important emphasis in Jakarta’s approach to Papua: security is not viewed only through the lens of operations but also through the relationship between state institutions and the communities they serve.
Dudung said at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs office in Jakarta on Monday that the government will soon implement priorities focused on cultural approaches, winning the hearts of the people, and territorial development.
For the Indonesian government, the objective is to create conditions in which security and development can progress together while ensuring that communities remain at the center of government policy.
The Instruction from President Prabowo
The latest policy direction followed President Prabowo’s instruction to Dudung after the latter assumed his new position as Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs.
According to Warta Ekonomi, Prabowo instructed Dudung to place greater emphasis on an approach capable of winning the hearts of people in Papua. Dudung subsequently explained that the humanist approach was intended to make government and security personnel more acceptable to local communities because it does not make violence the primary instrument.
“I received instructions from the president that the handling should focus more on an approach to winning the hearts of the people,” Dudung said.
The instruction places community acceptance alongside conventional security considerations.
It also signals an understanding that social, cultural, and geographical dimensions characterize the situation in Papua, which security measures alone cannot always address.
For an international audience, this distinction is important. The government’s stated policy is not to abandon security responsibilities but to place greater weight on engagement with communities and local cultural realities.
From Security Presence to Community Engagement
Dudung said soldiers operating in Papua should not limit their role to security duties.
They are also expected to interact with local communities, understand local customs, and respect the cultural traditions of Papuan society.
This is the essence of the cultural approach highlighted by the minister.
The idea is relatively straightforward. A government presence is more likely to be effective when local people understand its purpose and feel that institutions operating in their communities recognize their social and cultural environment.
In Papua, where communities are spread across challenging geographical terrain and where traditional structures remain important to social life, cultural understanding can influence how public institutions are received.
Dudung’s comments suggest that the government wants its personnel to become more familiar with the communities where they operate rather than maintaining a purely operational relationship.
The approach also fits into the concept of territorial development, or pembinaan teritorial, which Dudung specifically identified as a priority.
What is the Territorial Approach?
Territorial development involves building closer relationships between state institutions and communities within their areas of responsibility.
In the Papua context described by Dudung, the approach means that security personnel are expected to engage with residents while also understanding the social and cultural conditions of their operating environment.
ANTARA reported that the government would prioritize a “winning the hearts of the people” approach and territorial development in Papua. Dudung also said the government would not pursue military operations based on violence as the main approach.
This represents an attempt to broaden the definition of security.
A stable community is not created solely through the absence of armed confrontation. Stability can also depend on public trust, communication, access to government services, and the ability of institutions to work with local communities.
The government’s current emphasis therefore combines security responsibilities with a stronger focus on social engagement.
Violence is not the Primary Option
One of the clearest elements of Dudung’s statement was the government’s position on the use of force.
He said operations involving violence would not become the default approach in Papua. Instead, such measures would be limited to selected targets when circumstances require them.
The TNI Commander was also told to prioritize territorial operations, so there won’t be violent ones. That will only be for selected targets,” Dudung said.
This qualification is important.
The policy is not an announcement that security institutions will cease responding to threats. Rather, the government is presenting force as a limited instrument within a broader strategy.
Warta Ekonomi similarly reported that a persuasive approach would not mean completely setting aside security measures. According to Dudung’s statement, firm action could still be taken when specific threats to public safety arise.
The distinction allows the government to maintain its responsibility to protect citizens while putting greater emphasis on prevention, engagement, and community relations.
Why Culture Matters in Papua
The cultural dimension is particularly significant.
Papua is home to diverse communities, languages, traditions, and customary structures. Policies designed in Jakarta may therefore have different practical implications when implemented in remote communities.
Dudung’s emphasis on understanding and respecting local customs suggests that the government sees cultural awareness as an operational requirement rather than simply a symbolic gesture.
A soldier or government official who understands local customs may communicate more effectively with residents, community leaders, and traditional figures.
This can make cooperation easier and reduce misunderstandings.
The approach also creates space for local communities to become participants in maintaining stability rather than being viewed solely as recipients of government policy.
For Indonesia, that distinction can be important in developing a durable relationship between the state and communities in Papua.
A People Centered Security Strategy
The phrase “winning the hearts of the people” used by Dudung is perhaps the clearest description of the government’s current direction.
It implies that communities will partly assess the effectiveness of state policy based on their experiences with government institutions.
This is particularly relevant in areas where security challenges overlap with social and economic concerns.
A purely security-focused response may address an immediate threat, but a people-centered approach seeks to build conditions in which communities can participate more actively in maintaining stability.
The government is therefore putting greater emphasis on interaction, communication, and territorial development.
The strategy also provides an opportunity for security institutions to support broader government programs, provided that their engagement remains consistent with their legal responsibilities and respects local communities.
The Chronology Behind the Policy Shift
The latest direction emerged alongside a change in Indonesia’s political and security leadership.
On October 5, 2026, Djamari Chaniago formally handed over the position of Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs to Dudung Abdurachman at the ministry’s office in Central Jakarta.
After the handover, Dudung outlined several priorities that President Prabowo had communicated to him.
Among them was the situation in Papua.
The minister said he had received instructions from the president aimed at making Indonesia’s political and security situation increasingly conducive. He also said he would receive comprehensive reports from deputies, the deputy minister, and the ministry’s secretary general concerning programs that were already under way, had been completed, or were planned for the future.
Papua was therefore introduced as part of a wider review of national political and security policy rather than as an isolated issue.
The minister’s immediate agenda also included forest and land fires and action against illegal shrimp seed exporters, but the Papua issue stood out because of the explicit emphasis on cultural and community-based engagement.
From Policy Statement to Implementation
The most important question now is how the new direction will be translated into practice.
A policy based on cultural engagement requires more than instructions from Jakarta. It requires personnel in the field to understand local communities and to apply the approach consistently.
The government will need to ensure that territorial activities are genuinely focused on communication and community engagement.
That means understanding local customs, maintaining dialogue with community figures, and ensuring that government personnel are familiar with the specific social conditions of each area.
The effectiveness of the policy will ultimately be measured by whether it improves relationships between state institutions and communities.
If communities become more willing to communicate with government representatives, participate in public programs, and report emerging security concerns through legitimate channels, the approach could contribute to greater stability.
Security and Development Must Work Together
The government’s humanist approach also highlights a broader reality in Papua: the close connection between security and development.
Communities need security to conduct their daily lives, but security itself becomes more sustainable when communities have confidence in government institutions and have access to essential public services.
Education, healthcare, infrastructure, economic opportunities, and social protection can all influence the wider environment in which security policies operate.
The cultural approach outlined by Dudung does not replace these development priorities. Instead, it can complement them by creating closer communication between communities and government institutions.
This is particularly relevant to Indonesia’s broader development agenda in Papua, where infrastructure and public services have increasingly become central components of state policy.
The government’s stated objective is therefore not simply to reduce security incidents. It is to create an environment in which people can live, work, and participate in development with greater confidence.
A Measured Approach to Security Threats
At the same time, the government’s position acknowledges that security threats cannot simply be ignored.
Dudung made clear that selective action remains possible against specific targets when required.
This creates a two-track approach.
The first track is preventive and community-based. It emphasizes cultural understanding, communication, territorial development, and winning public trust.
The second is selective security action against defined threats.
The distinction is important because it avoids presenting the government’s strategy as either purely military or purely social.
Instead, Jakarta is describing a model in which engagement is the preferred approach while security institutions retain the capacity to respond when specific threats emerge.
For an international audience, this provides a more complete picture of the government’s position.
The Road Ahead for Papua
The success of the new approach will depend on implementation over time.
The President’s instruction and Dudung’s public explanation provide a policy direction, but the results will ultimately emerge from interactions between government personnel and communities across Papua.
The challenge will be maintaining consistency across a region with different geographical conditions, cultures, and local dynamics.
The approach will also require coordination between the central government, provincial administrations, district governments, security institutions, and community leaders.
That coordination will be especially important if the government wants cultural engagement to become a sustained policy rather than a short-term response.
Conclusion
Indonesia’s latest policy direction in Papua places people and community relations closer to the center of its security strategy.
President Prabowo Subianto has instructed Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurrahman to emphasize an approach aimed at winning the hearts of the people. Dudung has subsequently described cultural engagement and territorial development as priorities while making clear that the use of force should be limited to selected security targets.
The significance of this approach lies in its recognition that lasting stability cannot depend on security operations alone.
Understanding local culture, respecting customary traditions, communicating with residents, and building trust can strengthen the relationship between communities and government institutions.
At the same time, the government’s stated willingness to maintain selective security measures reflects its responsibility to protect citizens when specific threats emerge.
The true challenge will arise in practical implementation. If the policy can translate presidential direction into consistent community engagement, stronger territorial relationships and better coordination between security and civilian institutions, it could provide a more sustainable framework for managing Papua’s complex challenges.
For Indonesia, the message from Jakarta is increasingly clear: security remains important, but the path toward lasting stability in Papua is expected to run increasingly through the people themselves.
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