2) A list of sources of information/links in Bahasa/English. PAPUA 2025 JUNI daftar sumber informasi
3) Allegations of extrajudicial execution and post-mortem mutilation during security raid in Omukia District, Puncak Regency
4) Indonesia’s Poverty Rate Falls Nationwide -- Except in Papua and Maluku
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Human Rights Monitor
https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case-news/military-members-accused-of-fatally-torturing-papuan-youth-in-intan-jaya-for-wearing-a-t-shirt-with-morning-star/
1) Military members accused of fatally torturing Papuan youth in Intan Jaya for wearing a t-shirt with Morning Star
On the evening of 17 July 2025, members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) reportedly tortured and executed Mr Obert Mirip, an 18-year-old student, inside the Titigi Military Post, Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province (see photo on top, source: Jubi). The incident occurred after Obert was accused of being a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) for wearing a shirt displaying the Morning Star Flag and the Papua New Guinea flag. Multiple reports affirm that Mr Mirip was not affiliated with any armed group but was summarily executed in military custody. His body was later returned to his village by order of the local TNI commander, without formal investigation or due process.
According to reports from multiple independent sources, TNI personnel deployed drone surveillance over Ndugusiga Village on 17 July 2025, at approximately 7:00 pm. After identifying Mr Obert Mirip based on his clothing, TNI soldiers reportedly descended from their post, forcibly arrested him at his home, and escorted him to the Titigi military post. That same night, he was allegedly tortured and eventually succumbed to the injuries he sustained as a result of torture. The next day, TNI soldiers informed nearby villagers that a TPNPB member had been shot and demanded that the body be collected for burial. Upon verification, community members confirmed that the deceased was Mr Obert Mirip.
The TPNPB Central Headquarters released a statement according to which Obert Mirip was not associated with the TPNPB and condemned the killing as a deliberate act of intimidation aimed at suppressing civilians. Local civil society actors denounced the TNI’s narrative as disinformation and accused state authorities of violating the civil and political rights of the indigenous population. The dissemination of false claims labeling Mr Obert Mirip as a TPNPB member was widely criticised as a defamatory tactic aimed at justifying unlawful violence against civilians.
Relatives and civil society representatives have called upon Indonesian authorities to conduct an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the killing of Mr Obert Mirip and to ensure that all perpetrators, including those with command responsibility, are held accountable. The Indonesian National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) should monitor the situation in Intan Jaya and other conflict areas and timely investigate allegations of grave human rights violations in West Papua.
Background
The killing of Obert Mirip underscores the urgent need for the Indonesian state to demilitarise West Papua and to guarantee the right to freedom of expression, cultural identity, and political opinion without fear of retaliation or violence. The Titigi area already became an area of conflict in April 2023, as Indonesian security forces conducted raids on four villages in the Intan Jaya Regency of West Papua, covering an area of 2.7 square kilometres. The raids destroyed at least 28 houses. Security forces reportedly killed four civilians and injured three others, including two minors. More than 3,000 indigenous Papuans were internally displaced as a result of these operations, facing dire living conditions without access to adequate food, healthcare, or education
Legal analysis
This incident constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, notably the right to life, the prohibition of torture, and the protection of civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The summary execution of an unarmed civilian without judicial process is a potential crime against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), especially in the context of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population.
Photo of Mr Obert Mirip’s body taken on 18 July 2025, after being tortured by TNI members in Titigi, Intan Jaya
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2) A list of sources of information/links in Bahasa/English. PAPUA 2025 JUNI daftar sumber informasi
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Human Rights Monitor
3) Allegations of extrajudicial execution and post-mortem mutilation during security raid in Omukia District, Puncak Regency
On 6 July 2025, a 25-year-old Papuan Villager, Mr Yemau Kiwak Magai, was reportedly executed by security force members in Gilini Village, Omukia District, Puncak Regency, Papua Tengah Province. The killing occurred during a military operation in Omukia District, beginning on Sunday, 6 July 2025. According to the information received from various sources, Indonesian military personnel brought the body to a military post after Mr Magai was shot dead. TNI members allegedly attached an explosive device to the body and later placed it in an abandoned home in the Ilaga District, causing a detonation that incinerated both the body and the house (see photos below, source: Suara Papua).
The military operation that led to the death of Mr Yemau Kiwak Magai began late in the evening on 6 July 2025, around 11:00 pm, when security forces launched coordinated raids in the villages of Gilini, Pinapa, and Eromaga, Omukia District. During the operation, 25-year-old civilian Yemau Kiwak Magai was shot dead in Gilini village. In the days that followed, the situation in Omukia remained tense, with reports of ongoing house burnings and heavy military presence. It was not until 21 July 2025 that Yemau’s charred remains were reportedly recovered by West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) combatants (see photo on top), source: Suara Papua). Indonesian military and police authorities had yet to issue any statement acknowledging or responding to the incident.
Military raid in Omukia
In early July 2025, the Puncak Regency experienced a significant escalation in armed conflict as joint security forces launched extensive operations across the Omukia District. Reports indicate that these operations, which began on 1 July and intensified on 6 July, resulted in the displacement of at least 2,500 civilians, the burning of 21 civilian homes, and the shooting of at least three civilians – one fatally (see photos below, source: independent HRDs). Residents fled to Ilaga Town seeking safety, many finding shelter in makeshift camps with inadequate access to food, sanitation, education, or healthcare. Schools and health centres in the affected districts closed, while disease spread among displaced persons. Civil society leaders criticised the government’s lack of adequate humanitarian response and called for an immediate cessation of military activities and the safe return of displaced communities.
Simultaneously, the Indonesian military accused the TPNPB of carrying out coordinated arson attacks on civilian infrastructure, including the regent’s residence, a church, a health centre, and government offices in Ilaga and surrounding villages on 6 July 2025. TPNPB spokesperson, Mr Sebby Sambom, defended the attacks as acts of resistance against the militarisation of civilian spaces, saying that the Indonesian security forces had used the public facilities for military operations, constituting a direct threat to civilians and violating international humanitarian law. The TPNPB denied narratives, alleging that Mr Yemau Kiwak Magai was affiliated with the TPNPB.
Legal and Human Rights Analysis
The killing of Mr Yemau Kiwak Magai constitutes a violation of the right to life, as protected under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State Party. His extrajudicial execution, the post-mortem desecration of his body, and the use of explosives in civilian areas may amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits violence to life and person, including murder and mutilation of civilians.
Furthermore, the alleged practice of attaching bombs to deceased civilians and using them to destroy civilian homes signals a strategy of terrorising the population and targeting protected persons and objects under IHL. These acts are prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which classifies such behaviour as inhumane treatment and outrages upon personal dignity (Article 8(2)(c)(ii)).
If confirmed, these actions represent part of a broader pattern of impunity and militarisation in West Papua, in which civilians are often falsely accused of affiliation with armed pro-independence groups to justify lethal force and destruction of property. This tactic violates the principle of distinction under IHL, which mandates all conflict parties to distinguish at all times between combatants and civilians.
Mr Yemau Kiwak Magai’s body shortly after being shot (left) and the remains discovered by TPNPB members (centre, right)
Military raid in Omukia in early July 2025
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4) Indonesia’s Poverty Rate Falls Nationwide -- Except in Papua and Maluku
Erfan Maruf July 25, 2025 | 5:02 pm
Jakarta. Poverty levels in Indonesia declined across nearly all provinces as of March 2025, with the exception of Papua and Maluku, according to the latest National Socioeconomic Survey released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Friday.
Out of the country’s 38 provinces, only those in the eastern regions of Papua and Maluku saw an increase in poverty rates. These two regions continue to record the highest poverty levels in the country, with 18.90 percent of residents living below the poverty line.
Bali and Nusa Tenggara also remain above the national average, with 11.93 percent of their population -- approximately 1.9 million people -- classified as poor.
Mountainous Papua stands out as the province with the highest poverty rate in Indonesia, where 30.03 percent of residents live below the official poverty threshold.
BPS Deputy Chief Ateng Hartono said the most notable improvement occurred in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, which saw a 0.22 percentage point decrease compared to the previous period.
“From September 2024 to March 2025, nearly every major island saw a drop in both the number and percentage of poor residents -- except Maluku and Papua, which recorded increases,” Ateng said during a press briefing in Jakarta.
The latest figures indicate that most parts of Indonesia are seeing gradual improvements in their social and economic conditions.
Despite improvements elsewhere, Java continues to account for the largest number of poor residents nationwide, with 12.56 million people -- equivalent to 52.66 percent of Indonesia’s total poor population -- living on the island.
Other regional figures for March 2025 include:
- Sumatra: 5.14 million poor (8.22%)
- Kalimantan: 890,000 poor (5.15%)
- Sulawesi: 1.85 million poor (8.96%)
Nationally, Indonesia’s total number of poor people declined slightly from 24.06 million in September 2024 to 23.85 million in March 2025. That represents 8.47 percent of the population, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous reporting period.
According to BPS, this continues a positive trend in poverty reduction observed since March 2023.
However, BPS also highlighted the persistent disparity between urban and rural areas. The rural poverty rate stood at 11.03 percent in March 2025, significantly higher than the 6.73 percent rate in urban areas.
The poverty threshold was updated to reflect inflation and economic changes, with the new national poverty line set at Rp 609,160 (approximately $37) per person per month -- an increase of 2.34 percent from September 2024.
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