1) Arbitrary arrest and use of excessive force against Catholic activists in Merauke

2) Alleged rape of Papuan woman by Indonesian military personnel in Beoga, Puncak Regency

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(Photos in report)

Human Rights Monitor

https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/arbitrary-arrest-and-use-of-excessive-force-against-catholic-activists-in-merauke/

1) Arbitrary arrest and use of excessive force against Catholic activists in Merauke

26 January 2026 / 3 minutes of reading

On 25 January 2026, Indonesian police officers arbitrarily detained eleven members of Suara Kaum Awam Katolik Regio Papua (Voice of Catholic People of Papua) while they were staging a peaceful silent protest in front of St Francis Xavier Cathedral, located in the City of Merauke, South Papua province. The protesters reported being choked and beaten. All eleven protesters were detained at the Merauke Police Station without clear information on the alleged criminal offences.

Members of Suara Kaum Awam Katolik Regio Papua gathered peacefully in front of St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Merauke to conduct a silent protest. At around 10:00 am, police officers arrived at the location and forcibly dispersed the protesters without prior warning or dialogue. Witnesses and victims reported that several protesters were physically assaulted, including acts of choking and beating one protester. All eleven participants were then taken to the Merauke Police Station and later released without charges.

Legal counsel from LBH Papua Merauke coordinated with the Criminal Investigation Unit to seek clarification regarding the legal grounds of the arrests. However, police authorities failed to disclose the specific legal grounds for detention or the identity of the complainant, raising serious concerns of arbitrariness.

Purpose and demands of the protest

The silent protest sought to raise concerns regarding the Church’s role and state-backed development policies affecting indigenous peoples, particularly the Malind Anim and other indigenous communities in South Papua. The protesters voiced the following demands:

• A public apology from the Archbishop of Merauke to the Malind indigenous community for supporting the National Strategic Project (PSN) that threatens their survival.
• The replacement of the Archbishop by the Vatican due to alleged violations of Catholic social teachings and the Laudato Si’ encyclical.
• Immediate dialogue by the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) and the Vatican’s diplomatic mission regarding alleged ecocide, ethnocide, and spiritual destruction on indigenous customary lands.
• The appointment of a native Papuan bishop in Merauke.

Human rights analysis

The detention of eleven peaceful protesters without clear legal grounds constitutes an arbitrary detention. Any peaceful protest is protected under the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as enshrined in Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The reported use of physical violence during arrest may amount to ill-treatment and violates the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 7 ICCPR.

The incident must be understood in the broader context of shrinking civic space in West Papua, where peaceful expressions of dissent, particularly those linked to indigenous rights, environmental protection, and criticism of National Strategic Projects, are met with repression.

Indonesian police officers arbitrarily detained eleven Catholic activists in front of the Merauke Cathedral, 25 January 2026

Detailed Case Data
Location: Jl. Raya Mandala No.30, Maro, Kec. Merauke, Kabupaten Merauke, Papua Selatan 99614, Indonesia (-8.4866753, 140.3903136) Gereja Katedral Merauke, Santo Fransiskus Xaverius
Region: Indonesia, South Papua, Merauke, Merauke
Total number of victims: 11

#	Number of Victims	Name, Details	Gender	Age	Group Affiliation	Violations
1.	1	Kosmas D.S. Dambujai	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
2.	1	Maria Amotey	female	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
3.	1	Salerus Kamogou	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
4.	1	Enjel Gebze	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
5.	1	Marinus Pasim	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
6.	1	Siria Yamtop	female	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
7.	1	Matius Jebo	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
8.	1	Ambrosius Nit	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
9.	1	Hubertus Y. Chambu	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
10.	1	Abel Kuruwop	male	unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention
11.	1	Fransiskus Nikolaus		unknown	Activist, Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention

Period of incident: 25/01/2026 – 25/01/2026
Perpetrator: , POLRES

Perpetrator details: Polres Merauke members

Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence

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Human Rights Monitor

https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/alleged-rape-of-papuan-woman-by-indonesian-military-personnel-in-beoga-puncak-regency/

2) Alleged rape of Papuan woman by Indonesian military personnel in Beoga, Puncak Regency

26 January 2026 / 3 minutes of reading

Twelve members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) allegedly tortured and repeatedly raped a 48-year-old Papuan woman in the Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua Province, on 13 January 2026. The incident occurred during an ongoing military operation in the Dambet Village. Local reports allege that the perpetrators are stationed at Dambet Military Post.

According to information from local sources, the woman left her home in Meningimte Village earlier that day to travel to Milawak Village, the administrative centre of Beoga District. After purchasing necessities for her children and family, she was intercepted by twelve armed TNI personnel near the Dinimun River.

The soldiers allegedly apprehended her and subsequently tortured the woman at gunpoint. Reports indicate that the military members raped the victim repeatedly, and in turn. The torture reportedly continued until the victim lost consciousness. After the assault, the perpetrators allegedly abandoned their victim at the riverbank and continued walking towards the Dambet Village, where a military operation was taking place.

According to a local source, eyewitnesses were present and observed the incident from a distance. They were afraid to intervene due to the heavy presence of armed soldiers guarding the area. Approaching the scene would have placed the eyewitnesses at imminent risk of being shot. Locals later assisted the unconscious victim and transported her back to her family home in East Beoga District. Due to the absence of accessible health services, the victim reportedly received traditional medical treatment due to a lack of access to professional medical care.

Human rights analysis

The alleged acts amount to serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Rape committed by state agents during a security operation constitutes torture and sexual violence under Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Article 9 ICCPR protects individuals from arbitrary arrest and detention. The reported rape and sexual violence by state agents further constitute grave breaches of Articles 1, 2, and 16 of the Convention against Torture (CAT) and Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), engaging the international responsibility of the Indonesian state.

Such acts may amount to a crime against humanity when carried out as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. HRM understands this incident as part of a broader pattern of human rights violations in West Papua, with arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment, and extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of indigenous Papuans frequently taking place. A majority of such cases are reported in the context of prolonged military operations and the non-international armed conflict in West Papua.

Detailed Case Data
Location: Dambet, Beoga, Puncak Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia (-3.7982149, 137.2728413)Dinimun River near the Dambet Village
Region: Indonesia, Central Papua, Puncak, Beoga
Total number of victims: 1

#	Number of Victims	Name, Details	Gender	Age	Group Affiliation	Violations
1.	1		female	48	Indigenous Peoples	arbitrary detention, sexual assault, torture

Period of incident: 13/01/2026 – 13/01/2026
Perpetrator: , Indonesian Military (TNI)
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence, women and children

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