Rights group calls for probe into alleged extrajudicial killing in Papua
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
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Woman in India pulls a gun on petrol station worker during argument, video of incident goes viral
The incident began when the fuel attendant (left) asked the woman's family to step out of their car before refuelling. - SCREENGRAB FROM PHIR NAMO PHIR MODI/FACEBOOK SINGAPORE: Upset that a petrol station employee had pushed her father during an argument, a woman in north India's Uttar Pradesh state pulled out a gun and threatened to 'shoot so many bullets' into the worker's body. A video of the incident, which took place in Hardoi district on June 15, went viral online. In the video, the woman is seen walking up to the station attendant with a.32-bore licensed revolver in her hand. She then presses the muzzle of the gun into the man's chest, forcing him to take a few steps back. She is heard saying in Hindi: 'I will shoot so many bullets that even your family won't be able to identify your body.' In an attempt to defuse the situation, a man and another woman – identified by local media outlets as the woman's mother – pull her away, separating her from the employee. The woman holds up the gun to another onlooker before walking away with her mother trailing behind her. The family reportedly left the scene after that. According to Indian English-language newspaper The Economic Times, quoting the police, the incident began when fuel attendant Rajnish Kumar asked the woman's family to step out of their car before refuelling, as part of a standard safety measure. However, the family refused to comply, sparking an argument. This led to Kumar pushing the woman's father, Ehsan Khan, prompting the woman, identified as 21-year-old Ariba Khan, to step in. The Economic Times reported that Kumar has filed a police report. Legal notices were also issued by the police to Khan and her parents. The revolver, which was legally owned by Khan, and 25 live bullets have also been seized. 'The accused said the... station worker abused them, following which they got furious and took out the revolver,' said The Times of India, quoting a police officer. Further investigations are under way. Khan is reportedly a business owner, while his daughter is a student pursuing medicine. - The Straits Times/ANN
Borneo Post
6 hours ago
- Borneo Post
KL cops classify Cheras double shooting as murder, appeal for witnesses
Screengrabs of a video show two men shot dead by unknown assailants outside a shopping mall in Cheras just after midnight on June 17, 2025. — Photo from Facebook/Mohd Hafiz KUALA LUMPUR (June 17): Police have classified the shooting of two men outside a shopping mall along Jalan Loke Yew in Cheras shortly after midnight as murder. Deputy Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said the investigation is ongoing, with efforts underway to determine the motive and identify the suspects. 'The case is being probed under Section 302 of the Penal Code,' he said in a media statement. The victims, both local men in their 40s, died at the scene after a group of men in ski masks opened fire from inside a vehicle. Police called on members of the public with information to come forward by contacting the Cheras police hotline at 03-9284 5050 / 5051 or the Kuala Lumpur police hotline at 03-2115 9999. – Malay Mail crime lead police shooting witness
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Rights group calls for probe into alleged extrajudicial killing in Papua
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
