Manokwari, Jubi – Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Manokwari, West Papua, staged a protest on Jalan Pahlawan on Monday (May 4, 2026), burning tires to express frustration over what they describe as neglect by the National Nutrition Agency (Badan Gizi Nasional / BGN).

The demonstrators called on BGN headquarters to evaluate the performance of its West Papua regional office.

Protest coordinator Thomas Sanadi said MSME operators involved in the Free Nutritious Meal (Makanan Bergizi Gratis / MBG) program had been ignored for the past two months.

“Most of us are indigenous Papuans participating as MSME partners in MBG, but we feel abandoned by the BGN Regional Office in Papua,” Sanadi said during his speech.

Sanadi, who supplies pudding to several MBG kitchens in Manokwari, said the lack of coordination and support has left businesses unable to meet financial obligations, including paying employees and covering operational costs.

“We feel deceived. For two months, we’ve been left without clarity. As a result, 24 of our employees have not been paid. Vehicle rentals and shop leases are piling up—all due to the unprofessional management of the program by the West Papua BGN Regional Office,” he said.

Representing fellow MSME operators, Sanadi demanded that BGN headquarters immediately dismiss the head of the West Papua regional office.

“Irresponsible individuals like this are not fit to lead in West Papua. They do not understand how to nurture and support the people. We urge BGN to take firm action,” he added.

The demonstration was monitored by Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri). Traffic from the Sanggeng area toward Wosi and Jalan Baru was diverted for several hours before returning to normal after protesters dispersed. (*)