2) Prime Minister Marape reinforces PNG's commitment at MSG
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Human Rights Monitor
1) Military raid in Tangma District accompanied by arbitrary arrest, torture, and killing of one civilian
The Papuan Foundation for Justice and Human Integrity (YKKMP) has reported further human rights abuses during a military raid in the Tangma District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, on 13 June 2025. Military members (TNI) reportedly took positions in the early morning hours, at approximately 03:00 am. The operation targeted members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) who were believed to hide among the indigenous residents. During the operation, two Indigenous Papuan civilians, Orgen Elopore, 17, and Mr Sisa Yelemaken, 25, were arrested and detained without a warrant. The soldiers allegedly detained the two villagers because they were wearing Morning Star symbols on their bracelet and T-shirt.
Orgen and Mr Yalemaken were forcibly taken on foot by the military post at the Ongolo Mountain. According to family testimonies, both detainees were tortured during their detention. Orgen Elopore was repeatedly punched by military personnel. He sustained facial swelling and bruises on the shins and forehead, while Mr Sisa Yelemaken was struck in the lower back. In the afternoon of 16 June 2025, Orgen and Mr Yelemaken were released after being detained incommunicado for three days.
On 15 June 2025, a three-hour firefight occurred between the TNI and the TPNPB in the villages Aruli and Yeleas in the Tangma District. Witness reports indicate that the TNI gunfire was indiscriminate and uncontrolled. The clash, taking place from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, resulted in the death of one elderly indigenous civilian named Mr Mesak Asipalek (see photo on top, source: YKKMP). He sustained a lethal shot to the head while standing outside his house in Aruli. Mr Asipalek attempted to flee as he was fatally shot. A TPNPB member was also shot dead during the same clash. Following the raid, about 700 Indigenous villagers from Tangma fled their homes in fear of further clashes and raids.
It is recommended that an immediate, impartial, and independent investigation be conducted into the arbitrary arrest, detention, and alleged ill-treatment of Orgen Elopore and Sisa Yelemaken, alongside a thorough inquiry into the extrajudicial killing of Mesak Asipalek, ensuring full accountability, including the prosecution of responsible military personnel. Victims and their families must be granted access to justice, including reparations and adequate medical support. The Indonesian authorities must cease the discriminatory targeting of Papuan civilians for peacefully expressing political or cultural identity through symbols such as the Morning Star. Furthermore, international human rights monitoring in West Papua must be strengthened, including urgent access for relevant UN Special Procedures. Particular attention must also be paid to the protection of minors in conflict-affected areas, ensuring full adherence to international child protection obligations.
Human rights organisations demand an immediate, impartial, and independent investigation into the arbitrary arrest, detention, and alleged ill-treatment of Orgen Elopore and Mr Sisa Yelemaken, alongside a thorough inquiry into the extrajudicial killing of Mr Mesak Asipalek, ensuring full accountability, including the prosecution of responsible military personnel. Victims and their families must be granted access to justice, including reparations and adequate medical support. The Indonesian authorities must cease the discriminatory targeting of Papuan civilians for peacefully expressing political or cultural identity through symbols such as the Morning Star.
Legal analysis
The incidents demonstrate a continued pattern of use of arbitrary detention, torture, as well as other forms of excessive and indiscriminate force against indigenous Papuans by the Indonesian military in conflict areas of West Papua. Many raids fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians, violating not only international human rights but also humanitarian law. Arbitrary detentions of this pattern violate Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as no legal grounds or due process were provided for the arrests. The acts of torture are prohibited under Article 7 ICCPR and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The fatal shooting of Mesak Asipalek on 15 June 2025 raises grave concerns of an extrajudicial execution and disproportionate use of force, infringing on the right to life under Article 6 ICCPR. The witness reports of indiscriminate shooting point to a failure to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, as required under international humanitarian law, particularly Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.
Table of victims during the security force raid in Tangma between 13 and 15 June 2025
| Name | Age | Gender | Status | Incident Date | Location | Description of Harm |
| Orgen Elopore | 17 | Male | Tortured | 13 June 2025 | Tangma District | Arbitrary arrest, facial and bodily injuries |
| Sisa Yelemaken | 25 | Male | Tortured | 13 June 2025 | Tangma District | Arbitrary arrest, beaten on lower back |
| Mesak Asipalek | N/A | Male | Killed | 15 June 2025 | Aruli Village | Civilian shot in the head while fleeing gunfire |
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, James Marape, arrived Sunday in Suva, Fiji, to attend the 23rd Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders' Summit.
The summit, chaired by Fiji this year, brings together leaders from all Melanesian states and the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia) to address shared priorities such as climate action, trade, regional security, and decolonisation efforts.
Prime Minister Marape is accompanied by the higher education minister, Feo Kinoka. His attendance underscores Papua New Guinea's commitment as a founding and senior member of the MSG, an organisation established in 1986 to strengthen political, economic, and cultural ties among Melanesian nations.
Vanuatu has handed over its role as chairperson to Fiji. This transition preceded the formal opening of the MSG Leaders Plenary meeting and a closed-door Leaders' Retreat. Prime Minister Marape is expected to deliver Papua New Guinea's country statement, reaffirming the nation's dedication to strengthening MSG cooperation while reinforcing broader regional partnerships through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
"The Pacific region stands at a crossroads. We must take a proactive approach to safeguarding our sovereignty, protecting our resources, and ensuring that our voices are heard on the global stage. Our collective efforts must also voice strongly against human rights abuses in our region and for respect for all our people and members of our Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Melanesian Spearhead Group community, and others."
He is also anticipated to advocate for reforms within regional organisations to ensure they remain responsive, inclusive, and capable of meeting current and future development and security challenges.
A significant aspect of Prime Minister Marape's engagement in Fiji includes high-level political talanoa consultations with the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the PIF. These discussions are taking place on the sidelines of the MSG Leaders' Meeting and are part of a wider regional effort led by the PIF to enhance Pacific solidarity and strategic cooperation.
The talanoa process will focus on critical issues such as regional security, climate change, fisheries resource management, political governance, national sovereignty, and the institutional reforms of both regional and sub-regional groupings in the Pacific.
Prime Minister Marape has consistently called for a reformed and united Pacific architecture, and he is expected to advocate for stronger collaboration between MSG members and the wider Pacific community. He has emphasised the importance of regional ownership, institutional capacity-building, and ensuring that regional decision-making remains grounded in Pacific cultural values while embracing innovation, inclusion, and resilience.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) is present at the MSG meeting as an observer, and there have been calls for West Papua to be included as a full member of the MSG. This ongoing discussion reflects a persistent aspiration for greater recognition and self-determination for West Papua within the Melanesian family.
It is understood that Prime Minister Marape will also highlight his discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on New Caledonia. These discussions typically centre on the decolonisation process in New Caledonia and the future of the FLNKS, which is a member of the MSG, reflecting a shared regional interest in the self-determination of the Kanak people.
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