Nabire – A wave of protest has surged in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, after the Jayawijaya Extended Family Association (KKBJ), joined by hundreds of students, occupied the Mimika Regency Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) office.
This mass demonstration was triggered by the brutal murder of two students, identified by the initials NG and TK, in Kuala Kencana District.
The bloody killing is strongly suspected to be the aftermath of a long-standing, unresolved horizontal conflict in the Kwamki Narama area.
The bodies of the two victims were first discovered by residents lying at an auto-body repair shop on Jalan Yan Tinal SP 3, Karang Senang Village, on Sunday (August 30, 2026).
This tragic incident ignited public anger, leading to a mass mobilization at the local legislative building in Mimika.
At the protest site, the crowd surrounded the council office complex while demanding that DPRD leaders and the Regent of Mimika meet with them immediately.
The crowd also demanded public accountability regarding a security situation they deemed increasingly out of control.
A protest orator, Fransiska Pinimet, voiced harsh criticism against local government officials and security forces.
She argued that the failure to address inter-group clashes continues to claim the lives of innocent civilians.
“We urge the Regent of Mimika to come here. We consider the Regent to have failed and to be incapable of resolving the recurring conflicts in Mimika Regency,” Fransiska asserted amidst the rallying crowd.
In response to the escalating situation, Central Papua legislator Peanus Uamang called on all parties to exercise restraint and urged the public not to expand the area of ​​conflict. “This is a criminal act. I urge the people of Kwamki Narama not to let the conflict spread. There must be no further casualties on any side,” said Peanus to TribunPapuaTengah.com in Nabire on Monday (August 31, 2026).
Peanus explained that the Provincial Government had actually sought to resolve the social issues in Kwamki Narama through the traditional ‘breaking of the arrow’ ceremony.
However, he expressed regret that sporadic outbreaks of violence are still occurring on the ground.
