Ministry of Defense unveiled a new face of its Papua policy during the Defense Diplomacy Forum at Borobudur Hotel in Jakarta on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

The forum’s concentrated focus of attention was not on military strength or new weapon systems, but on Papuan academics, youth leaders, and cultural figures, including a university lecturer, a singer, and a former Miss Indonesia finalist.

The event, titled “Building Papua to Boost Welfare and Growth,” marks a shift in the government’s defense approach, from showcasing hard power to promoting soft power through dialogue, cultural engagement, and narratives of prosperity.

“Strengthening defense diplomacy must go hand in hand with public diplomacy. Papua is not only about the past it is the future of Indonesia.” Director General of Defense Strategy at the Ministry of Defense, Major General Agus Widodo, said.

The defense ministry invited Papuans themselves to narrate development progress directly to foreign defense attachés.

Johni Jonatan Numberi, lecturer at Cenderawasih University, said the event allowed Indonesia to present a factual, balanced picture of Papua’s transformation.

“So that our international partners can see the real progress in infrastructure, education, health, and the people’s economy,” Johni said.

He highlighted programs under Otonomi Khusus (Special Autonomy), the formation of the Board for the Acceleration of Special Autonomy Development in Papua (BP3OKP), and the newly inaugurated Executive Committee on Papua Autonomy.

Chair of the Tabi Indigenous Youth Council, Pascal Marcel Norotouw, added that despite government efforts, challenges remain especially in youth involvement.

“We hope more educated young Papuans can return home and take part in development,” he said.

Security concerns

However, the optimism from the forum was clouded by fresh violence in Papua Mountains region, where an armed separatist group (KKB) attacked and killed a local schoolteacher.

Melani Wamea, a teacher at Jhon D. Wilson School in Yahukimo, was fatally assaulted by members of the KKB on Friday, October 10, 2025, police confirmed.

“The victim died from her wounds after being attacked by two armed men,” Yahukimo Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Zeth Zalino said, adding that the suspects are still being pursued.

The assault adds to a string of violent incidents targeting educators in the region this year, which have left several dead and schools burned, including one in Kiwirok,Bintang Mountains, earlier this week.

Separately, Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly for Papua (MPR for Papua), Yorrys Raweyai, condemned the attack and urged law enforcement to take firm action.

“Violence against teachers cannot be tolerated under any circumstance,” Yorrys said as quoted in a statement on Monday, October 13, 2025.

Meanwhile, Secretary of MPR for Papua Filep Wamafma stressed that the repeated attacks on education workers had become a humanitarian crisis.

“This is no longer about ideology. It’s about the future of Papua’s next generation,” Filep said.

Balancing defense and development

The Defense Diplomacy Forum underscores a broader challenge for Indonesia: how to combine security enforcement with human-centered development in Papua.

While the government pushes a welfare-driven narrative, recurring violence continues to test its credibility and the sustainability of its soft power approach.

Still, as General Agus emphasized, defense in the modern era is no longer measured only by military might, but by the ability to win hearts and minds, both at home and abroad.