Jakarta — Indonesian National Police Chief (Kapolri) General Listyo Sigit Prabowo delivered two key directives to the Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob) regarding security operations in Papua during the 80th Brimob Anniversary celebration at the Brimob Headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok, Friday (14/11/2025). In his statement, the police chief emphasized the need to strengthen both hard approach and soft approach strategies in dealing with armed criminal groups (KKB).
Sigit stressed that Papua’s security situation remains challenged by KKB activities across numerous locations. Currently, at least 24 KKB networks are being monitored, and this number may continue to grow.
“These groups have been identified in several provinces and are often associated with campaigns for independence or a referendum,” he said on Friday (14/11/2025).
According to Sigit, the current conditions cannot rely solely on combat operations. Security strategies must be comprehensive and human-centered.
In his directives, he instructed Brimob to enhance combat readiness, particularly for personnel involved in the Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force.
“You are actively involved in the Damai Cartenz Task Force, and therefore you must consistently maintain hard-approach capabilities—the ability to conduct combat operations in jungle environments,” he said.
This capability is crucial given Papua’s geographic characteristics, dominated by forests and mountains, as well as the mobility of KKB groups, which frequently carry out attacks on security forces.
Beyond combat readiness, the Kapolri also underscored the importance of humanitarian approaches to reduce social conflict in Papua. He emphasized that soft approaches are an essential part of modern security operations.
“However, you must also possess soft-approach capabilities, enabling us to strengthen humanitarian outreach efforts involving local community leaders, religious figures, and traditional leaders,” he noted.
Sigit believes that the involvement of local figures can help reduce tensions and minimize potential casualties. This approach is also seen as a way to build trust among local communities and prevent them from being influenced by KKB propaganda.
In addition to these two primary strategies, the Kapolri encouraged Brimob to continue improving its overall capabilities, noting that many international special units could serve as references for further development.
“Whatever skills we have yet to master, please continue conducting comparative studies and improving your capabilities,” he said.
The police chief expressed hope that strengthening Brimob’s capacity would boost the effectiveness of security operations in Papua, which remains a national priority. With the combination of these two strategies, Brimob is expected to safeguard Papua in a professional, precise, and humanistic manner.
