2) Arbitrary detention of Son Balingga at military headquarters in Dekai, Yahukimo
3) Military operation in Puncak Jaya leaves 13-year-old girl wounded and village in ruins
4) Prolonged arbitrary detention without legal assistance in Nabire
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Human Rights Monitor
https://humanrightsmonitor.org/news/two-mothers-and-two-children-arbitrarily-arrested-at-bintuni-bay-port/
1) Two mothers and two children arbitrarily arrested at Bintuni Bay Port
On 10 August 2025, police officers from the Teluk Bintuni Police Department arbitrarily arrested two young women, Mrs Aksimina Muuk,20, and Mrs Derina Mosoum, 20, at Bintuni Bay Port, Papua Barat Province, along with a five-month-old infant and a five-year-old boy, Wene Husage. Mrs Mosum was six months pregnant at the time of arrest. The group had been travelling from Sorong City to Bintuni. The police alleged that items found in their luggage, a T-shirt bearing the Morning Star symbol and camouflage-patterned trousers, were linked to separatist activism. Both women are related to Barnabas Muuk, a wanted pro-independence figure, but there is no evidence linking them to any criminal act. Despite repeated attempts by family members to visit the detainees at the Bintuni Police Station on 10 and 11 August 2025, the authorities neither allowed access for the relatives nor provided a legal basis for the detention.
On 10 August 2025, at approximately 3:00 pm, the two women and two children disembarked from a passenger vessel at Bintuni Bay Port from Sorong, where Derina had received medical treatment. Upon arrival, officers from the Bintuni Police stopped and searched them, reportedly finding the clothing items bearing the Morning Star motif and camouflage pattern. Thereupon, police officers detained the women and children at the Bintuni Police Station. According to the relatives, the police gave them 30 minutes to contact an alleged TPNPB commander in Teluk Bintuni, demanding he return a firearm reportedly taken during the 2018 killing of a Brimob officer. Officers threatened to transfer the detainees to Manokwari if the weapon was not returned. No arrest warrants were presented. On 11 August 2025, the human rights organisation KontraS West Papua publicly condemned the detention, highlighting its arbitrary nature and urging the police to immediately release the detainees. Police officials later stated they were “secured” for questioning rather than formally detained.
Human rights analysis
The incident constitutes a case of arbitrary arrest and detention, prohibited under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party. The detention of two mothers, one of whom is pregnant, and two children without charge or judicial oversight also contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), particularly Articles 37(b) and 3(1), which require detention of minors to be a measure of last resort and mandate that the best interests of the child be a primary consideration.The police’s attempt to use the detainees as leverage to secure the return of a firearm constitutes collective punishment, a practice explicitly prohibited under international human rights law. The refusal to allow family visits and to disclose the legal basis for detention further violates the right to prompt access to family and legal counsel, protected under Principle 15 of the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
The incident constitutes a case of arbitrary arrest and detention, prohibited under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party. The detention of two mothers, one of whom is pregnant, and two children without charge or judicial oversight also contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), particularly Articles 37(b) and 3(1), which require detention of minors to be a measure of last resort and mandate that the best interests of the child be a primary consideration.
The police’s attempt to use the detainees as leverage to secure the return of a firearm constitutes collective punishment, a practice explicitly prohibited under international human rights law. The refusal to allow family visits and to disclose the legal basis for detention further violates the right to prompt access to family and legal counsel, protected under Principle 15 of the UN Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
Mrs Derina Mosoum (left) and Mrs Aksimina Muuk (right), arbitrarily arrested at Bintuni Bay Port, Papua Barat Province, on 10 August 2025
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Human Rights Monitor
https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/arbitrary-detention-of-son-balingga-at-military-headquarters-in-dekai-yahukimo/
2) Arbitrary detention of Son Balingga at military headquarters in Dekai, Yahukimo
On 5 August 2025, members of the Yahukimo Military District Command (Koramil) arbitrarily detained Mr Son Balingga (see photo on top, source: independent HRDs) at the rear complex of the Koramil Yahukimo. At the time of his arrest, Mr Balingga was accompanied by his friend and had stopped to refuel his motorcycle. The arrest followed an incident involving an unidentified armed individual, suspected to be a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), who threatened a petrol seller. Despite having no connection to the incident or the perpetrator, Mr Balingga was accused of being a TPNPB member and forcibly taken into custody. Relatives have been unable to locate him through official channels.
On 5 August, at 03:30 pm, Mr Son Balingga and his friend were riding together on a motorcycle. They stopped at a roadside petrol stall behind the Yahukimo Koramil to refuel, as they were on their way to the city but had run out of fuel. While they were refuelling, a young man approached on foot and pointed a pistol at the head of the petrol seller. The seller struck the assailant’s hand, causing the weapon to fall. A scuffle ensued, during which the assailant, suspected of being a TPNPB member, struck the petrol seller on the head before fleeing towards the Buru River. In the immediate aftermath, the petrol seller, who was a TNI soldier, accused Mr Balingga and his friend of being TPNPB members. While the friend escaped, Mr Balingga was restrained. At 03:40 pm, TNI members from the Koramil arrived at the site and took Mr Son Balingga into custody, transferring him to the Kormail at 4:00 pm. Multiple eyewitnesses, including his friend and residents, confirmed that Mr Balingga had no involvement with the assailant and was merely refuelling his motorcycle as the incident unfolded. He was later transferred to the Yahukimo District Police headquarters (Polres Yahukimo), where he remained in custody as of 14 August 2025.
Human rights analysis
The arrest of Mr Son Balingga constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty, violating Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State Party. The lack of a warrant, the absence of due process, and the absence of any credible evidence linking him to the armed assailant underscore the unlawful nature of the arrest. Detaining Mr Balingga without charge and withholding information from his family violates the right to be informed of the reasons for arrest and the right to communicate with legal counsel and family members, protected under international human rights law. Such actions may amount to enforced disappearance if the authorities continue to conceal Mr Balingga’s whereabouts and legal status.
Detailed Case Data
Location: 4FVV+7F, Kuaserama, Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Papua, Indonesia (-4.8567624, 139.4937361) Koramil Yahukimo
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 1
Location: 4FVV+7F, Kuaserama, Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Papua, Indonesia (-4.8567624, 139.4937361) Koramil Yahukimo
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 1
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | Son Balingga | male | adult | Indigenous Peoples |
Perpetrator: Indonesian Military (TNI)
Perpetrator details: Koramil Yahukimo members
Issues: indigenous peoples—————————————————————
Human Rights Monitor
3) Military operation in Puncak Jaya leaves 13-year-old girl wounded and village in ruins
In the early hours of 7 August 2025, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) reportedly raided the Oholumu Village, Mewoluk District, Puncak Jaya Regency, resulting in the burning of civilian homes, the destruction of church facilities, and the shooting of a 13-year-old girl named Y. W. The operation included aerial attacks by two helicopters at around 3:00 am, followed by arson and destruction of buildings, including the church facilities belonging to the Gereja Injili di Indonesia (GIDI). Y.W., a student from Oholumu, sustained a gunshot wound to her right thigh (see photo above, source: independent HRD). The bullet remains lodged in her body due to a lack of timely medical intervention. She was only transferred from Mulia to Jayapura for treatment on 14 August 2025, eight days after the shooting. Residents of the village fled following the attack, and many remain displaced.
According to the information received from local sources, TNI ground troops departed from Mulia towards Mewoluk District, moving through the forest. By 3:00 am, they had surrounded Oholumu Village. Two military helicopters arrived simultaneously, firing upon the area before landing. Ground troops subsequently burned several houses and church buildings. Y.W. left her home during the raid with a flashlight to relieve herself and was shot without warning by TNI personnel. She fell unconscious and remained unattended for hours. On 8 August 2025, villagers discovered her and transported her to Mulia for limited treatment. On 14 August 2025, she was referred to a hospital in Jayapura, where no surgical intervention has yet been performed due to financial constraints and the family’s lack of BPJS health insurance coverage.
Human rights analysis
The incident raises serious concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the prohibition on attacks against civilians under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State party. The use of lethal force against a clearly non-combatant child, the destruction of civilian infrastructure including religious facilities, and the forced displacement of the local population may constitute grave breaches and potentially amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The prolonged denial of timely, adequate medical treatment to a wounded minor also violates the right to health as guaranteed under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
13-year-old Y.W., receiving medical treatment in Jayapura
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Human Rights Monitor
4) Prolonged arbitrary detention without legal assistance in Nabire
On 31 July 2025, the Nabire City Police arrested Mr. Deki Widigipa, 24, a member of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), at A. Gobay Road, Karang Tumaritis Market, Nabire, at 11:00 am. The officers accused him of robbery and motor vehicle theft. Despite these allegations, Mr. Widigipa denied involvement in any such crimes, asserting that he had lawfully purchased the motorcycle from an unidentified man for Rp. 4,000,000 (about € 220). Since his arrest, he has been detained at the Nabire City Police Station for 11 days without access to legal counsel, raising serious concerns of arbitrary detention and denial of due process.
According to accounts from his relatives, the arrest occurred while Mr. Widigipa was in the market area. Police officers apprehended him without presenting a warrant or providing a clear explanation of the charges against him. He was taken directly to the Nabire City Police Station, where he has remained in custody. No formal charges have been brought before a court, and no lawyer has been allowed to assist him during interrogations or detention. The family reports that they were informed informally about the accusations, without any official letter being provided.
The case reflects a broader pattern of targeted arrests of KNPB activists across West Papua, where peaceful political activists are frequently accused of criminal offences unrelated to their political activities as a means to criminalise members and delegitimise their non-violent activism. The prolonged detention without access to legal representation contravenes Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and security of a person, and Article 14, which ensures the right to a fair trial. Indonesia, as a State party to the ICCPR, is under a binding obligation to respect and protect these rights.
Detailed Case Data
Location: JG94+H25, Karang Tumaritis, Pertama, Nabire Regency, Papua 98811, Indonesia (-3.3811745, 135.5049817) Jalan A. Gobay, Karang Tumaritis Market, Nabire
Region: Indonesia, Central Papua, Nabire, Nabire
Total number of victims: 1
Location: JG94+H25, Karang Tumaritis, Pertama, Nabire Regency, Papua 98811, Indonesia (-3.3811745, 135.5049817) Jalan A. Gobay, Karang Tumaritis Market, Nabire
Region: Indonesia, Central Papua, Nabire, Nabire
Total number of victims: 1
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | Deki Widigipa | male | 24 | Activist, Indigenous Peoples |
Perpetrator: , POLRES
Perpetrator details: Polresta Nabire
Issues: indigenous peoples---------------------------
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