The Indonesia National Army Force’s (TNI) commitment to Papua security is being framed around a difficult balance: maintaining stability in a vast and geographically challenging region while ensuring that security operations remain connected to the protection of civilians, law enforcement, and broader development efforts.
On Sunday, September 20, 2026, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto publicly acknowledged that maintaining security in Papua cannot be achieved by the military alone. Speaking in Jakarta, he pointed to the province’s enormous territory and extreme mountainous terrain as major operational challenges, while stressing the need for cooperation between the TNI, local governments, and central ministries.
His remarks came amid renewed attention to security incidents involving civilians in Papua. Rather than presenting security as a purely military question, General Agus placed collaboration at the center of the government’s broader effort to address the region’s security and development challenges.
The significance of that message lies in the fact that armed violence does not solely shape Papua’s security environment. Geography, infrastructure, economic access, public services, and relationships between security personnel and communities all influence how stability is experienced on the ground.
The challenge for the TNI, therefore, extends beyond deploying personnel. It involves maintaining security while ensuring that operations are conducted within the law and that communities remain protected.
A Difficult Security Environment
General Agus described Papua as an exceptionally large territory dominated in many areas by difficult mountain terrain.
The geography creates practical problems for security forces. Long distances, steep mountains, forests, and isolated communities can complicate troop movement, communication, and logistics. iNews reported that General Agus described Papua’s mountainous landscape as one of the most significant challenges confronting personnel responsible for security operations.
SINDOnews similarly reported that the TNI commander said security units had already been deployed in Papua because of the scale and characteristics of the region.
The geographical factor matters because conventional assumptions about security operations do not always apply in remote parts of Papua.
Difficult terrain may separate one security post from another. A community requiring assistance may be far from a major town. Roads and communications infrastructure can also determine how quickly authorities can respond to an incident.
For the state, maintaining security in such an environment requires more than manpower. It requires coordination, logistics, and an understanding of local conditions.
General Agus: Papua Cannot Be Solved by TNI Alone
The central point in General Agus’s latest statement was straightforward: Papua’s complex problems cannot be resolved by the TNI acting alone.
“Dan menyelesaikan Papua saya rasa tidak hanya oleh TNI, semuanya harus berkolaborasi,” General Agus said, according to SINDOnews. He specifically referred to local governments and ministries as important partners.
The statement places security within a broader national framework.
Local governments have responsibilities involving public services and regional development. Ministries control programs ranging from infrastructure and education to health, economic development, and social policy. The military has responsibilities related to defense and security within its legal mandate.
In this framework, security becomes one component of a larger effort to create conditions in which communities can live, work, and travel safely.
General Agus also connected collaboration with infrastructure development.
He argued that infrastructure can stimulate local economic activity because roads and bridges make it easier for communities to move agricultural products to markets. Without adequate connections, farmers may have to travel for hours to reach buyers.
That observation reflects an important reality in Papua: security and development are closely connected, but neither can simply substitute for the other.
From Security Operations to Human Security
The government’s approach to Papua has increasingly included language about protecting civilians and maintaining public welfare alongside security operations.
For the TNI, this creates an operational requirement that is more complicated than simply responding to armed threats.
A human-centered approach necessitates that communities remain a crucial consideration during the planning and implementation of security measures. It also means that the use of force must remain governed by applicable law and operational rules.
The principle is particularly relevant in a region where civilian communities can live close to areas affected by armed conflict.
Security operations may take place in difficult terrain where information is incomplete and where civilians and combatants can potentially operate within the same broad geographic area. This makes identification, proportionality, and discipline especially important.
The commitment to measured enforcement should therefore be understood not as a retreat from the state’s responsibility to protect citizens, but as an effort to make security operations compatible with legal and humanitarian principles.
Law Enforcement and the Role of the TNI
Another important element is the division of responsibilities between military and law enforcement institutions.
In Indonesia’s legal framework, the police retain primary responsibility for civilian law enforcement. The TNI has defense responsibilities and can provide support in accordance with applicable legal mechanisms.
This distinction becomes particularly important in Papua because security incidents can involve both armed threats and criminal acts.
The government therefore faces the challenge of ensuring that each institution operates according to its mandate while maintaining effective coordination.
Earlier statements from military officials in 2026 have similarly emphasized that when TNI personnel assist police in civilian security operations, the military’s role does not automatically transfer civilian law enforcement authority from the police. ANTARA reported that TNI assistance in civilian crime prevention was framed as support to police, including joint patrols and community education, while law enforcement remained a police responsibility.
The distinction provides an important institutional safeguard.
For Papua, where security issues can be politically sensitive and where public trust is essential, clearly defined roles can help prevent confusion about who is responsible for investigation, arrest, and prosecution.
Human Rights as Part of Security
The reference to human rights is equally important.
A sustainable security policy must go beyond counting operations and arrests. It must also consider whether civilians are protected and whether authorities remain accountable when allegations of misconduct arise.
In April 2026, the DPR’s Commission discussed the need for accountability in relation to security operations in Papua and said parliamentary oversight should include asking the TNI commander for information and coordinating with relevant institutions. The discussion described Satgas Habema as combining a human approach with measured action against armed groups and coordination between TNI and Polri.
This illustrates the wider institutional expectation surrounding security operations in Papua.
The military is expected to maintain security, but the manner in which that security is achieved also matters.
Respect for human rights and humanitarian principles is therefore not separate from the security objective. It forms part of the legitimacy and accountability of the operation itself.
Why Geography Changes the Equation
The geographical challenge repeatedly mentioned by General Agus deserves particular attention.
Papua is not a single security environment. Conditions vary considerably between urban centers, coastal communities, remote valleys, border areas, and highland districts.
The physical environment can influence everything from transportation to communication.
In mountainous areas, roads may be limited or difficult to use. Weather can affect flights and logistics. Remote communities can be separated from government services by long distances.
iNews reported General Agus’s description of the terrain as a major obstacle to movement, communication, and logistical distribution to security posts in remote areas.
This indicates that security planning must be integrated with infrastructure planning.
A new road may improve economic access while also improving emergency response. Better communications can support businesses and schools while also helping authorities coordinate during emergencies.
The relationship between infrastructure and security is therefore not necessarily military in nature. It can be part of basic state capacity.
Development as Part of Stability
General Agus’s remarks about infrastructure offer important insight into how the TNI views its role within the broader Papua policy environment.
He cited the example of roads and bridges enabling farmers to transport agricultural products to markets more efficiently.
That connection between infrastructure and economic activity has become increasingly visible across Papua.
Recent development programs have focused on roads, bridges, connectivity, agriculture, education, and health. The logic is that communities require functioning economic and public-service networks if development is to produce lasting benefits.
The TNI is not the institution responsible for delivering all of these programs. But General Agus’s statement suggests that the military sees cooperation with ministries and local governments as important to creating a wider environment of stability.
For residents, the distinction between security and development can be less clear than it appears in government structures.
A farmer needs security to travel. A teacher needs a safe road to reach a school. A health worker needs reliable transportation to reach patients. Traders need safe routes to move goods.
Stability becomes meaningful when it is reflected in ordinary daily life.
Collaboration Across Government
The emphasis on collaboration is perhaps the clearest theme in General Agus’s statement.
SINDOnews reported that he called for cooperation between the TNI, ministries, and regional governments, arguing that Papua’s problems require joint action.
Such coordination is important because Papua’s challenges are multidimensional.
Security authorities may identify an area as vulnerable, while local governments may identify infrastructure or social problems. Ministries may have economic or development programs that could address some of the underlying difficulties.
Without coordination, these efforts can operate separately.
With coordination, security, infrastructure, and development programs can potentially reinforce one another.
This does not mean that development automatically eliminates security problems. Nor does infrastructure alone resolve political or social disputes.
It does, however, create conditions in which communities have greater access to state services and economic opportunities.
The Importance of Community Trust
Ultimately, trust is the key aspect of the security strategy’s human dimension.
A security force may have sufficient personnel and equipment, but effective long-term stability also depends on whether communities are willing to communicate with authorities and report threats.
That relationship is difficult to build if people view security operations as distant or purely coercive.
Conversely, regular interaction with communities, respect for local circumstances, and clear accountability can create opportunities for greater cooperation.
This is where a human-centered approach becomes practically important.
Community engagement should not be treated merely as public relations. It can also provide authorities with better information about local conditions while giving residents clearer channels for communicating concerns.
For a region as geographically diverse as Papua, local knowledge can be particularly valuable.
A Security Strategy Under Public Scrutiny
The latest statements also come at a moment when the security situation in Papua is receiving significant public attention following several incidents involving civilian casualties.
That context increases the importance of transparency.
When security operations take place in complex environments, authorities need to explain their objectives, legal basis, and institutional responsibilities clearly. When allegations of misconduct arise, appropriate investigation and accountability mechanisms become equally important.
This is particularly relevant because the government’s stated objective is not simply to conduct security operations but to preserve stability and peace.
Public confidence in lawful mechanisms to address both security threats and potential abuses of authority is essential for achieving sustainable peace.
The TNI’s stated emphasis on collaboration therefore needs to operate on two levels: cooperation between state institutions and responsible engagement with communities.
Papua’s Security and Peace Outlook
General Agus’s statement does not present a single solution to Papua’s security challenges. Instead, it points toward a model in which the military remains part of a wider national effort.
The first element is maintaining security.
The second is ensuring that action is conducted within legal boundaries.
The third is protecting civilians and respecting human rights and humanitarian principles.
The fourth is strengthening cooperation between the TNI, Polri, central ministries, local governments, and communities.
The fifth is connecting security with development, particularly infrastructure and economic access.
These elements are interconnected.
A security operation cannot by itself build a road. A road cannot by itself resolve an armed conflict. Economic development cannot by itself replace law enforcement. And law enforcement cannot by itself address every social or geographical challenge.
The government’s challenge is therefore one of coordination.
Conclusion
The latest message from TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto places collaboration at the center of Indonesia’s effort to maintain stability in Papua.
His acknowledgement of the region’s enormous territory and extreme mountainous terrain underlines why security operations require specialised planning and sustained coordination.
At the same time, the emphasis on cooperation with regional governments and ministries broadens the discussion beyond military operations. Infrastructure, economic access, and public services are also part of the environment in which stability is built.
For the TNI, the longer-term challenge will be translating the principle of a human-centered and legally accountable approach into consistent practice on the ground.
For Indonesia, the broader objective is equally clear: security must create space for communities to live, work, and develop safely.
For Papua’s residents, the measure of stability will ultimately be found not only in the absence of violence but also in whether people can travel safely, access services, pursue livelihoods, and trust the institutions responsible for protecting them.
That makes the current commitment more than a question of military deployment. It is a test of whether security, law, human rights, humanitarian principles, and development can be made to work together across one of Indonesia’s most complex regions.
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