Observers concluded that the armed conflict in Kiwirok has caused the internal displacement of more than 2,000 indigenous Papuans. Most of them live in temporary camps in the highland jungle, exposed to the extreme weather conditions in the central Papuan highlands. The IDPs lack access to shelter, food and medical treatment.
About 200 indigenous people from Kiwirok have fled over the border to Papua New Guinea (PNG). According to CNN Indonesia, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry is in communication with the PNG Government to confirm the number and condition of the refugees.
A recently recorded video with refugees from Kiwirok shows a group of more than 50 indigenous Papuans (see photo: a screenshot of a video published on YouTube). Three of them hold a mortar grenade, which the Indonesian military dropped from choppers on their villages. One of the refugees states, “There are about 5,000 soldiers in Kiwirok now. They have thrown bombs on our gardens and destroyed all the food. We left Kiwirok and went to Papua New Guinea. Helicopters came and destroyed our houses and belongings from the top.”
