Latifah Anum Siregar

Papua, located in the far east of Indonesia, is one of the most diverse and remote regions in the world. With over 250 ethnic groups and languages, it’s a place of rich culture and deep traditions. But Papua faces deep-rooted challenges of marginalization, legal inequity, and social tension between indigenous and non-indigenous communities. Through her work with ALDP, Anum empowers indigenous paralegals to expand access to justice in remote areas and fosters inclusive dialogue to bridge divides—helping lay the groundwork for lasting peace and rights protection in Papua.

Through the Alliance of Democracy for Papua (ALDP), Anum focuses on two key areas to improve the complex social and political situation in Papua, located in the far eastern part of Indonesia. On one hand, she strengthens access to justice, and on the other, she promotes peacebuilding and inclusive dialogues to reduce tension between Papuans and non-Papuans.

Anum is expanding access to justice in Papua by training and empowering indigenous citizens to become paralegals. This initiative strengthens legal capacity and infrastructure in remote areas, where formal legal support is often limited. These paralegals come from diverse backgrounds—priests, teachers, farmers, fishers, and youth—from across three provinces in Papua. Their work not only empowers local communities but also nurtures a new generation of indigenous change leaders. In their roles, the paralegals help community members navigate legal challenges, raise awareness about their rights, and collaborate with Anum and other legal aid organizations to make justice more accessible. Their impact goes beyond legal support—they also document customary laws, which have traditionally been passed down orally. By preserving these laws in written form, they contribute to building a legal framework that protects indigenous land and natural resources.

Tensions between indigenous Papuans and non-Papuans have deep roots in economic, social, and political inequalities, particularly stemming from the 1970 transmigration program. While migrants have contributed to development, many indigenous Papuans continue to feel marginalized. Anum views this divide as a significant threat to lasting peace in Papua. In response, she co-founded the Papua Peace Network (Jaringan Damai Papua, or JDP) in 2009 alongside Pastor Neles Tebay, a respected peace-building advocate. JDP serves as a platform for inclusive dialogue among diverse ethnic and religious groups in Papua. As a Muslim, a woman, and a non-Papuan—what she calls her “triple minority” identity—Anum sends a powerful message that peacebuilding is everyone’s responsibility. She introduced the idea that every individual can be a peacemaker, which led to the first public dialogues between Papuans and non-Papuans across all Papua provinces in 2011. These discussions aimed to foster mutual understanding and reduce prejudice and stigma—core issues in the region’s peace process. Anum also promotes the vision of Papua as a peaceful region that upholds human rights for all, regardless of ethnicity. Through her organization ALDP, she has successfully ensured that non-Papuans are included in strategic dialogues about Papua, making their participation not only visible but meaningful.

Since 2014, ALDP has been the only organization officially authorized by Indonesia’s General Election Supervisory Agency to monitor and evaluate election processes in Papua. This unique mandate, combined with Anum’s extensive experience, positions ALDP as a key actor in promoting culturally grounded democratic practices. Recognizing the importance of bridging traditional customs with modern democratic standards, ALDP plays a vital role in advancing electoral integrity and inclusive governance in the region. Its approach is rooted in rigorous data collection and analysis, which provides a strong evidence base for improving electoral procedures. ALDP regularly publishes its findings, offering valuable insights to local, national, and international media. This commitment to transparency and data-driven advocacy has earned ALDP a reputation as a credible and independent voice in Papua’s evolving democratic landscape.

Papua, located on the western half of the island of New Guinea, is Indonesia's easternmost and largest province by land area. Rugged mountains, dense rainforests, vast river systems, and rich biodiversity characterize it. Due to its remote and mountainous terrain, much of Papua remains difficult to access, contributing to limited infrastructure and connectivity. Due to the occurrence of frequent landslides, many areas are completely cut off during the rainy season. In some parts of Papua, it can take days of walking or the need to fly in small aircraft just to reach a health clinic or school. Papua’s remoteness is not just about distance, but about the lack of basic infrastructure, making access far more difficult and expensive.

Moreover, indigenous Papuans have long been marginalized in the Indonesian legal and governance systems. Many live in remote mountainous or forested regions, where state institutions such as courts, police, and legal aid services are either absent or poorly functioning. Education levels are generally lower than the national average, contributing to low awareness of constitutional rights and state laws. In such contexts, customary laws continue to play a central role in regulating community life. However, the lack of integration between customary law and national law often results in indigenous communities being sidelined in formal legal proceedings. When indigenous Papuans do engage with the national legal system, they frequently face language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and a lack of adequate legal representation.

A current and highly publicized example is the legal battle involving the Awyu tribe in Boven Digoel, South Papua. In 2024, the Awyu brought a case to the Indonesian Supreme Court to challenge palm oil plantation permits that cover over 36,000 hectares of their ancestral forest lands. The tribe argues that the permits, issued without proper consultation, threaten not only the environment but also their cultural heritage and sacred sites, including ancestral graves. This case underscores the systemic challenges faced by indigenous Papuans in protecting their land rights through formal legal avenues. It also illustrates the broader issue of legal disempowerment, where communities must rely on NGOs and legal advocacy groups to fight for rights that should be protected by the state.

Furthermore, tensions between indigenous Papuans and non-Papuan migrants stem largely from the Indonesian government's transmigration program, which was heavily implemented during the Suharto era. This policy encouraged and subsidized the migration of people from Java and other densely populated islands to Papua and other "underdeveloped" provinces. As a result, the demographic composition of Papua changed dramatically: in some urban areas today, non-indigenous residents constitute the majority. This demographic shift has fuelled resentment among indigenous Papuans who feel they are being culturally and economically displaced. Non-Papuans often dominate the local economy, securing better access to education, health services, and business opportunities, while Papuans face systemic barriers to economic advancement. This imbalance has led to recurring social tensions, including violent incidents. One notable example occurred in 2019, when a racial slur directed at Papuan students in Surabaya triggered widespread protests and riots across Papua and West Papua provinces. Government buildings were burned, dozens were arrested, and at least 30 people died in the violence. The protests reflected not only anger at racism but also deep-rooted grievances about social inequality, land dispossession, and the lack of autonomy over their own development.

Finally, while Papua formally participates in Indonesia’s democratic processes, the quality and inclusiveness of this democracy have frequently been called into question. One major issue is the use of the Noken system in the central highlands of Papua, where voting is conducted through community representatives rather than one-person-one-vote. Though culturally rooted, this system has been criticized for its susceptibility to manipulation, vote-buying, and lack of transparency. In the 2024 regional executive elections, for example, widespread reports of irregularities under the Noken system emerged. In some districts, electoral violence and allegations of fraud led to delays and legal disputes that had to be resolved by the Constitutional Court.

In addition to electoral integrity issues, Papua’s political environment is often repressive toward dissenting voices. Peaceful demonstrations calling for a referendum or simply raising the Morning Star flag—a symbol of Papuan independence—are frequently met with arrests and prosecutions under treason laws. In 2019 alone, Amnesty International recorded dozens of political prisoners in Papua, many of whom were jailed simply for nonviolent activism. Restrictions on journalists and international observers further hamper democratic accountability. These conditions have led many Papuans to view elections as superficial, and democracy as something imposed from outside rather than an avenue for genuine political expression.

As the first Papuan woman to become a human rights lawyer, Anum began her career in 2000, shortly after Indonesia’s reformation era. Her early work focused on providing legal assistance to political prisoners and documenting human rights violations in Papua. However, she soon realized that legal aid alone was not enough. Anum believed that true justice required empowering indigenous Papuans to understand and exercise their legal rights. Recognizing the lack of access to justice in remote areas—where infrastructure, public services, and legal professionals are scarce—Anum developed a grassroots approach. She identified indigenous leaders as key actors in her strategy, but gaining their trust was a significant challenge. In many of these isolated communities, churches and pastors play central roles. Anum successfully engaged several pastors to establish legal aid programs, turning them into allies in her mission. Despite the logistical difficulties, Anum demonstrated unwavering commitment. She travelled to remote areas by renting small planes, driving for days, or even walking for a week to reach communities. These visits not only provided legal education but also allowed Anum to provide sustainable support systems for the community. Anum successfully opened what was thought of as a closed and isolated community into ALDP’s network, because since then, many organizations in Papua engage this community for other programs.

After witnessing the impact of her initial efforts and recognizing the influence local leaders (paralegals) had in expanding access to justice in remote areas of Papua, she decided to scale up her approach. She launched paralegal training programs to equip community members with the knowledge and skills needed to assist others in navigating legal challenges. Anum carefully selected participants for these trainings, focusing on the “second layer” of the community—farmers, fishers, teachers, and youth—who were eager to contribute more to society. The training materials were aligned with the Indonesian legal system, and Anum established safety mechanisms by formally introducing the paralegals to local authorities, including the police, military, courts, and government officials. This ensured their legitimacy and protection while working in their communities. To date, ALDP has trained 120 paralegals across Papua. Many of them are now actively involved with other organizations, such as the Papua Legal Aid Institute. This growing network of paralegals has become a strategic asset, enabling broader outreach and deeper engagement with indigenous communities. Anum aims to recruit up to 1000 paralegals in the next five years to strengthen the network and expand access to justice to more Papuans.

Building on her work with paralegals and indigenous leaders, Anum expanded her efforts to preserve and formalize customary laws—a vital part of indigenous identity and governance in Papua. Many indigenous communities rely on oral traditions to pass down their laws, which makes them vulnerable to being overlooked or misunderstood within the national legal system. To address this, Anum and her organization, ALDP, began working with tribal councils to document these customary laws in written form. One notable success was with the Customary Council of the Jouw-Warry Tribe in Demta, who agreed to formalize their laws through a collaborative process. This initiative not only preserved cultural heritage but also established a legal framework that bridges indigenous practices with the Indonesian legal system. To ensure legitimacy and alignment with national standards, ALDP partnered with academics, the regional police, and the Papua Legal Aid Institute. Anum also made it a priority to involve law enforcement from the beginning, particularly the police, so they would be informed and supportive of the process. Once documented, these customary laws could be integrated into the broader legal system, offering a model that could be replicated by other indigenous groups across Papua. Throughout this process, Anum upheld democratic values—ensuring participation, transparency, and equal dialogue. Her approach has empowered communities to take ownership of their legal traditions while gaining recognition and protection under national law.

After building strong relationships with indigenous communities, Anum turned her attention to bridging the deep social divide between Papuans and non-Papuans—a legacy of decades-old inequalities and stigma. As a non-Papuan herself, she co-founded the Papua Peace Network (JDP) to foster open, respectful dialogue among religious and ethnic groups, and established the Papua Muslim Network to encourage broader participation in peacebuilding. Under her leadership, ALDP organized the first public dialogue between Papuans and non-Papuans, preceded by focus groups that revealed a shared desire for peace. These inclusive efforts not only built trust and empathy but also empowered non-Papuans as active contributors, with their experiences and insights documented to promote transparency and wider engagement. Today, these efforts have led to the establishment of a local conflict resolution mechanism. When tensions arise, Papuan and non-Papuan communities now come together in peaceful dialogue to address issues collaboratively and find constructive solutions.

In 2014, ALDP achieved a significant milestone when it was officially certified by the Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) as the only independent election observer from Papua. Since then, ALDP has played a vital role in ensuring that both national and regional elections in Papua are conducted with accountability, transparency, fairness, and democratic integrity. Her focus in the coming years is to reform the Noken voting system, a traditional method used in some indigenous communities, that is often exploited by political actors, undermining its original intent. By educating indigenous communities about their voting rights, encouraging inclusive decision-making by tribal leaders, and advocating for improved voting infrastructure provided by the government, she will continue to strengthen democratic practices in Papua, ensuring that indigenous voices are not only heard but respected within Indonesia’s broader political landscape.

Born and raised in Papua, Anum is the ninth child out of twelve siblings from a non-Papuan family. Her father is a military court auditor from North Sumatra, and her mother has Manado-Ambon heritage. Since childhood, Anum has experienced the warmth of religious and ethnic diversity in her family. Anum's grandmother celebrates Christmas, and Anum celebrates Eid. However, mutual respect is always felt. Anum's love for Papua is deeply ingrained. From a young age, Anum felt that Papuans were peaceful and open to differences. Despite working in the military court, Anum's father always taught the principle of justice for all, which contrasted with the majority view of the military in Papua at the time.

Since childhood, Anum's family often watched the news, especially discussing issues about Papua. Her family always valued her opinions and discussed them openly. This laid the foundation for Anum's idealism to prioritize freedom of speech, equality, and critical discussion in her life.

As a Muslim, non-Papuan woman and hijab wearer—a triple minority in Papua—Anum sometimes felt that some Papuans considered her different. However, Anum understood their feelings and consistently demonstrated that she wanted to do good for everyone. During college, Anum became a women's activist and succeeded in becoming the first woman to chair the Islamic Student Association branch in Papua, honing her skills in voicing opinions on women's and Papua issues. Her family was worried that Anum would not get a job, but after graduating with a bachelor's degree, Anum decided to work at a bank to prove to her family that she could have a proper job. However, she did not last long because it did not align with her conscience to fight for justice. Anum also briefly served as a member of the Papua House of Representatives (DPR) from 1997-1999, but did not continue in the next period, because she felt that serving as a House Representative did not fully empower her to champion human rights in Papua in the way she aspired to, leading her to seek more impactful avenues for advocacy.

In 1999, Anum decided to become the first female human rights lawyer in Papua and joined the legal team for major political prisoner cases. This opened Anum's eyes to the human rights situation in Papua and encouraged her to establish ALDP in 2001. Started as an organization that provided legal assistance, Anum transformed ALDP into one that could bring about systemic change and played a crucial role in peacebuilding and the democratic process in Papua. In 2007, Anum received the Women Peacemakers award from the University of San Diego, California, and in 2015 received the Gwangju Human Rights award from The May 18 Memorial Foundation, South Korea.