2) Military members torture Papuan labourer at PSN site in Ilwayab District, Merauke
3) Indonesia Tightens Papua Security After Shootings
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Human Rights Monitor
https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/arbitrary-detention-of-two-papuan-youth-in-dekai-yahukimo-regency/
1) Arbitrary detention of two Papuan youth in Dekai, Yahukimo Regency: One is still a minor
On 14 February 2026, a joint team of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and Yahukimo District Police (Polres Yahukimo) officers arbitrarily detained seventeen-year-old Elipianus Esema and Atios Sobolim,18, in the town of Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Highlands Province. The arrests occurred in the vicinity of Block B shop houses following a fire incident earlier that evening. Both victims had reportedly left their homes near Blocks A and B to observe the fire. As of 15 February 2026, they remained in detention at Yahukimo Police Station.
On 14 February 2026, at approximately 9:30 pm, a fire broke out in Block B of Dekai. At approximately 10:15 pm, residents gathered to extinguish the fire. At around 10:30 pm joint security force officers were patrolling in the area, indiscriminately checking persons near the location. Officers arbitrarily detained Elipianus Esema and Mr Atios Sobolim at 10:40 pm. Authorities claimed that they were carrying a knife and a lighter at the time of arrest.
On 15 February 2026, relatives visited Yahukimo Police Station to seek clarification. The Deputy Chief of Police informed them that Elipianus and Mr Sobolim were under investigation for possession of the knife and lighter in connection with the arson incident. Both remained in custody on suspicion of involvement in the burning of Block B shop houses.
At 2:50 pm, joint security forces searched houses in the Pulau Complex, where the two detainees reside. Officers reportedly used five vehicles, forcibly entered homes, and confiscated cultural items such as traditional bows, arrows, traditional woven net bags (Noken), as well as machetes, axes, and shovels that all Papuans use for daily gardening work. Relatives and community members described the operation as an act of psychological intimidation intended to justify the earlier arrests.
Human rights analysis
The arrest and continued detention of Elipianus Esema and Mr Atios Sobolim raise serious concerns regarding violations of the right to liberty and security of person. Under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State Party, no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. Arrests must be based on reasonable suspicion supported by objective evidence.
The reported reliance on possession of ordinary household or subsistence tools as grounds for arrest appears manifestly disproportionate and insufficient to establish reasonable suspicion of participation in the alleged arson. The absence of clear evidence at the time of arrest suggests arbitrariness. Moreover, the detention of a 17-year-old minor, Elipianus Esema, additionally triggers protections under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), requiring detention to be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.
Allegations of coercive interrogation practices at Yahukimo Police Station, including threats, forced confessions, and acts amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, if substantiated, would constitute grave violations of Article 7 ICCPR and the Convention against Torture (CAT). Any confession obtained under torture or coercion is inadmissible under international human rights law and Indonesian criminal procedure law (KUHAP). The sweeping operation conducted on 15 February 2026 further raises concerns regarding the right to privacy and protection from arbitrary or unlawful interference with one’s home under Article 17 ICCPR. Confiscation of lawful work tools and cultural items without proper legal basis may also amount to unlawful seizure of property and collective intimidation.
Seventeen-year-old Elipianus Esema (left) and Atios Sobolim,18 years (right)
Detailed Case Data
Location: Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.8638158, 139.4837298)
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 2
Location: Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.8638158, 139.4837298)
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 2
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | Elipianus Esema | male | 17 | Indigenous Peoples | arbitrary detention, criminalisation |
| 2. | 1 | Atios Sobolim | male | 18 | Indigenous Peoples | arbitrary detention, criminalisation |
Perpetrator: Indonesian Security Forces
Perpetrator details: TNI and Polres Yahukimo members
Issues: indigenous peoples———————————————————————
Human Rights Monitor
2) Military members torture Papuan labourer at PSN site in Ilwayab District, Merauke
On 10 February 2026, members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI AD) reportedly tortured Mr Kristo Gonus Okui Kaize, an indigenous Papuan of the Malind Maklew tribe at the National Strategic Project (PSN) site in Wanam, Ilwayab District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province. Mr Kaize was employed as labourer at the PSN Wanam Project. He sustained open head wounds, broken teeth and a toe injury as a result of the torture. TNI members forcibly removed a toenail using pliers and threatened to kill him. The assault reportedly occurred without prior questioning.
On the evening of 10 February 2026, Mr Kaize was drinking alcohol with several workers and a TNI member named Moris inside one of the mess halls at the PSN Wanam Project site. Another TNI member called Legion, later joined them. After the men finished the drinks, the group moved to another mess hall where other TNI personnel were also drinking. When the alcohol supply was exhausted, Mr Kaize returned alone to his room. Shortly thereafter, he took a pocket torch and left the mess hall, intending to return to Wanam Village. Moments later, he heard shouting. Approximately five TNI AD personnel ran towards him shouting “kill him” and immediately began beating him without asking any questions.
The perpetrators struck him repeatedly with their bare hands and blunt metal objects. According to the victim, he was struck with an iron bar on his ribs causing him to fall down several as the assault continued. Thereupon, several soldiers restrained him while others allegedly used pliers to forcibly pull out his right large toenail. Mr Kaize suffered four open lacerations to the head, a split and swollen lower lip, broken lower teeth, swollen temples, extensive bruising, and injuries to his left elbow and ribs (see photos below, source: Pusaka).
Mr Kaize eventually managed to escape by crawling underneath the mess structure into a large excavation pit filled with mud. In the early hours of 11 February 2026, while still bleeding and in severe pain, he crawled through the excavation site until reaching the Domokalok hamlet bridge. He then attempted to walk towards Wanam Village but lost consciousness on the road.
Early that morning, villagers from Wanam found him unconscious and escorted him to Wanam Village. He was subsequently admitted to Ilwayab Health Centre in Wogikel District for medical treatment. During his treatment, TNI personnel reportedly guarded the facility and monitored visitors, including members of his family. Mr Kaize has returned home but remains physically weak and unable to work, currently unable to meet the daily needs of his wife and two children.
Human rights analysis
The alleged conduct constitutes serious violations of international human rights law and Indonesian domestic law. The beating, threats to kill, and forcible removal of a fingernail using pliers meet the definition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as enshrined under Article 1 of the Convention against Torture (CAT), to which Indonesia is a State Party. The deliberate infliction of severe physical pain by state agents for punitive or arbitrary purposes is strictly prohibited and non-derogable. The described acts also violate Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which prohibits the use of torture and ill-treatment;
The presence of military personnel guarding the victim during medical treatment raises additional concerns regarding intimidation of witnesses and obstruction of access to independent medical and legal assistance. The case must be assessed in the broader context of recurring patterns of violence by security forces in South Papua Province, particularly in areas of indigenous land affected by strategic national projects (PSN). The cumulative record of previous cases in the regencies Mappi, Boven Digoel, and Merauke between 2014 and 2023 indicates a pattern of excessive force, impunity, and lack of accountability. The recurrence of serious abuses in Merauke Regency and surrounding areas underscores structural deficiencies in accountability mechanisms.
List of documented military violence in South Papua
The following cases illustrate a concerning continuity of human rights abuses:
- 2014 (Mappi Regency): Violence by Indonesian Navy personnel against Mr Blasius Sumaghai (23).
- 2015 (Mappi Regency): Shooting of Mr Talema Waitipo (19) and stabbing of Mr Yance Doga by Navy personnel.
- 2017 (Kimaam area): Fatal violence against Mr Isak Dewayekua (23) by members of Infantry Battalion 755/Yalet.
- 2020 (Boven Digoel Regency): Abuse leading to the death of Mr Oktovianus Warip (18) by Task Force 516/Caraka Yudha.
- 2021 (Merauke City): Abuse of a deaf youth, Mr Steven Yadohamang, by Air Force personnel.
- 2022 (Mappi Regency): Killing of Mr Bruno Amenim Kimko (29) and serious injury of Mr Yohanis Kanggun by Raider 600/Modang Task Force personnel.
- 2023 (Ilwayab District, Merauke Regency): Fatal abuse of Mr Albertus Kaize and serious injury of Mr Daniel Kaize by Navy personnel.
- 2025 (Mappi Regency): On 29 January 2025, Mr Herlis Pakaimu died after reportedly being tortured and shot by military members in Mappi Regency, Papua Selatan Province.
Mr Kristo Gonus Okui Kaize shows the injuries which he sustained as a result of the military violence
Detailed Case Data
Location: Wanam, Ilyawab, Merauke Regency, South Papua, Indonesia (-7.4207243, 139.1625989)Wanam Village
Region: Indonesia, South Papua, Merauke, Ilwayab
Total number of victims: 1
Location: Wanam, Ilyawab, Merauke Regency, South Papua, Indonesia (-7.4207243, 139.1625989)Wanam Village
Region: Indonesia, South Papua, Merauke, Ilwayab
Total number of victims: 1
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | r Kristo Gonus Okui Kaize | male | 34 | Indigenous Peoples, Labourer | right to life, torture |
Perpetrator: , Indonesian Military (TNI)
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence
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3) Indonesia Tightens Papua Security After Shootings
Ilham Oktafian February 17, 2026 | 1:47 pm
Jakarta. Indonesia has tightened security at several strategic sites in its easternmost region of Papua following a series of shooting incidents targeting an aircraft and personnel near a major mining operation, a senior minister said on Tuesday.
Chief Security Affairs Minister Djamari Chaniago said the government had reinforced protection at what it described as vital objects after suspected armed criminal groups opened fire on a Smart Air aircraft and in the vicinity of gold miner Freeport Indonesia’s operations in Mile 50, Tembagapura district, Mimika regency.
The move aims to prevent similar incidents and ensure that residents can carry out daily activities safely, Djamari told reporters.
Security reinforcements are focused on strategic operational areas and pioneer aviation routes that transport essential logistics across Papua’s remote and mountainous terrain. One location receiving special attention is Koroway Airport.
dditional personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI) have been deployed to the airport to ensure the smooth distribution of supplies and maintain the mobility of medical workers, Djamari said.
Authorities are continuing to pursue those responsible for the shootings, including the attack on the Smart Air aircraft and the incident near the mining area at Mile 50 in Tembagapura.
“Efforts to apprehend the perpetrators are ongoing in accordance with applicable legal procedures,” he said.
Earlier incidents included the shooting of a Smart Air pilot in Boven Digoel and the shooting of an employee in the mining area operated by Freeport Indonesia in Mimika. The attacks add to a series of armed violence cases in Papua that have drawn sustained attention from authorities and rights groups.
Papua has long faced sporadic violence involving armed separatist groups, whom the Indonesian government refers to as criminal armed groups, complicating security and development efforts in the resource-rich region.
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