In other words, it's an expression of empathy, and it was the phrase that came to mind when I read a report titled Rapid Independent Assessment: The Problem of Chronic Internal Displacement in Papua, which was released on Sunday.

This meticulously researched report describes a pattern of neglect and the profound vulnerability experienced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Papua that is both sobering and tragic.

During the past five years, the recorded number of IDPs in Papua has ranged from 45,000 to 100,000. The report clearly shows that the situation has changed precisely because displacement is a dynamic process.

What emerges from this report is a profoundly neglected group of people, 99 percent of whom are indigenous Papuans. This strongly points to the conflict in Papua that has been overwhelmingly affecting indigenous Papuans, above and beyond any other ethnic group.

The patterns of vulnerability revealed in this study should be a wake-up call for both government and nongovernmental agencies in Indonesia that claim to be working to improve the situation in Papua: After an average three years of displacement, 97 percent of IDPs in Papua don't have enough to eat, 87 percent lack adequate health care and almost all school-aged IDPs cannot go to school.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo may not hold aloft any claims that his administration has provided direct cash assistance to Papuans or make a big deal every time the government has distributed relief to mitigate the natural disasters that occur frequently in Papua. Then there’s the Trans-Papua Highway, which was built to connect far-flung regions.