Rights group calls for probe into alleged extrajudicial killing in Papua

The Star

17-06-2025

JAKARTA: Amid reports of increased military activity in Nduga regency, Highland Papua, following the release of a New Zealand pilot from rebel captivity, rights groups said that Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel have committed an extrajudicial killing of a Papuan civilian, an accusation the military has denied.
On Friday (June 13), the Papua Justice and Welfare Foundation (YKKMP), supported by a coalition of civil society organisations including Amnesty International Indonesia, reported the alleged killing of 27-year-old Abral Wandikbo to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
YKKMP head Theo Yegerem previously told The Jakarta Post that Abral was a resident of Waredobobem village in Mebarok district, Nduga. Nduga was a regency where New Zealand pilot Phillip Mertens was kept for 19 months in captivity by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), before his release in September last year.
According to YKKMP's investigation and testimony from a Waredobobem resident, Abral spent his days caring for his ailing father and had no known ties to any separatist groups. He was arrested by the TNI on March 22 and taken to a military base for questioning on suspicion of links to the TPNPB.
After his arrest, Abral's family and several villagers visited the military base to assert his innocence. A soldier reportedly showed them two photos and a video from Facebook in an apparent attempt to link Abral to separatist movements.
The soldier reportedly said Abral would be interrogated and released the next day. But when the villagers returned on March 23, they were told he had escaped while being transported to Kwit village, also in Mebarok.
On March 25, Abral's family began their own search and found his body in a field outside of his village. His hands were tied behind his back with plastic handcuffs. His ears, nose and mouth had been mutilated, and the skin on his forehead was cut off.
Theo of YKKMP said Abral's alleged killing came amid the TNI's growing presence in Mebarok. The district previously had no military personnel, but troops began arriving in January.
Weeks into their deployment, the military reportedly dismantled several homes and a community health centre (Puskesmas) to extract timber and building materials.
Following the Friday meeting with Komnas HAM, Amnesty said Abral's alleged killing constituted a gross human rights violation, citing violations of his right to life, personal safety and access to legal assistance during arrest.
'The government and the TNI must promptly and thoroughly investigate the alleged torture and extrajudicial killing of Abral Wandikbo, as well as the reported destruction of homes and public facilities,' Amnesty said.
Meanwhile, Komnas HAM chair Anis Hidayah condemned 'the killing of a civilian by mutilation', saying that the right to life is a fundamental human right that must be respected and protected by the state. 'We will gather data and facts related to the case,' she said on Sunday.
The military, in response, has denied allegations of an extrajudicial killing in the case of Abral. TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi told the Post on Thursday that Abral, who allegedly also went by the name Almaroko Nirigi, was captured during a 'measured and professional' military operation, based on evidence showing he was an active TPNPB member.
Kristomei said that during questioning, Abral had agreed to guide troops to Kwit village, where he claimed two military-issued firearms were hidden.
However, while en route, Abral allegedly tried to escape and jumped into a ravine. Soldiers fired warning shots but did not pursue him or verify his condition due to security risks.
'Allegations of human rights violations like this are routinely made by the [TPNPB-OPM] whenever one of its members is shot. Conversely, when they brutally kill civilians, those victims are then claimed to be TNI intelligence agents or spies,' Kristomei said.
When asked about the apparent mutilation on Sunday, Kristomei said that 'the TNI would never commit such savagery'.
He also denied that the TNI had dismantled homes and the Puskesmas in Mebarok, saying troops had only cleared access to an airstrip for logistics delivery and had instead provided free medical services at the Puskesmas. - The Jakarta Post/ANN