4) Conflicting accounts surround killing of indigenous woman and alleged abduction of nine women in Jila District
1) Police crackdown on KNPB demonstrations in Jayapura leaves at least 15 protesters injured
Human rights analysis
Plaincloth police officer caught firing a slingshot at the protesters. The video was allegedly recorded in Perumnas III Waena, Jayapura, on 15 August 2026…………………….
The 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting in Koror, Palau, held from August 30 to September 3, placed West Papua back at the centre of Pacific diplomacy.
At a Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) caucus held on PIF’s margins, leaders reaffirmed their longstanding call for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to visit the West Papuan provinces. They urged Jakarta to facilitate the visit before December 31, the end of Indonesia’s term as president of the UN Human Rights Council.
Crucially, the MSG said that if the requested steps were not undertaken, Indonesia’s Associate Member status would be reviewed at the 2027 MSG summit.
Three Christian employees of the agriculture office in Jayawijaya regency in Indonesia’s Highland Papua province were killed in an ambush, renewing concerns about civilian safety amid the long-running conflict in Papua.
The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement, or TPNPB-OPM, claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging the victims were “Indonesian military intelligence agents.”
The allegation by the rebel group’s spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, has not been independently verified.
The vehicle in which the victims were traveling was ambushed and fired upon on Sept. 9 in Muliama village by the rebel group’s Kodap III Ndugama Derakma unit, according to Sambom.
The vehicle was stopped on the Wamena-Tiom road around 3:15 p.m., and the passengers were ordered to stay inside while their belongings were searched.
“Because they panicked and ran, the three victims were shot dead,” Sambom said, adding that the victims could have reported the fighters’ position to Indonesian security forces if they had escaped.
The Jayawijaya Military Command said the victims were civilians and public employees traveling with five colleagues to deliver food assistance, including piglets, to local residents when they were intercepted.
The armed group separated the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Papuans among the passengers, according to Lt. Col. Ilham Datu Ramang, commander of the Kodim 1702/Jayawijaya military district command.
The bodies of the victims were taken to Wamena Regional Hospital, while their surviving colleagues were brought to Jayawijaya Police headquarters for questioning.
Ilham said the military command was still investigating which group carried out the killings.
“It cannot yet be confirmed which armed group shot them,” he said.
Chief Inspector General Faizal Ramadhani of Operation Damai Cartenz, a joint security operation by the armed forces and police in Papua region, said they were investigating the chronology of the attack and seeking to identify the perpetrators.
Father Aleksandro Rangga, executive director of Franciscans’ Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation in Papua, told UCA News that two of the victims, Aprida Rapi, 49, and Alfonsius Albinus Meha, 35, were Catholics, while Willi Mbuik, 25, was a Protestant.
They were from East Nusa Tenggara province.
The priest condemned the killings, saying suspicion toward civilians in Papua’s conflict areas had worsened due to public statements by Indonesian military chief Agus Subiyanto that soldiers would be deployed as teachers and health workers.
“This made civilians more vulnerable while the government continues to rely on a military approach,” he said.
The priest noted that the conflict between the military and rebels had become more sporadic and was now close to Wamena, the capital of Highland Papua province.
Father Rangga urged all parties to exercise restraint and called on the government to pursue a Jakarta-Papua national dialogue, warning that alternative labels such as sectoral dialogue or constructive communication would only delay a genuine peace process.
Sambom said a gunfight with Indonesian security forces broke out several hours after the incident, and claimed there were no casualties on their side.
The Kodap III Ndugama Derakma unit “will never retreat” and was prepared to open a wider battlefield around Wamena, the rebel spokesperson warned.
He urged motorists on Trans Papua routes to slow down, remove helmets and keep vehicle windows open, while calling government activity in Wamena to a halt during daytime.
The only exception would be hospitals, schools and activities protected under international humanitarian law, Sambom said.
The rebel group also called on Indonesia to open internationally mediated negotiations with it to address the political roots of the protracted armed conflict in Papua.
4) Conflicting accounts surround killing of indigenous woman and alleged abduction of nine women in Jila District
Human rights and humanitarian law analysis
Armed clash between TNI and TPNPB in Pasir Putih Village, Jila District, on 17 August 2026
Document ID: HRM-CAS-115-2026
Location: QH3X+8MV, Papua 99966, Indonesia (-4.2466375, 137.5991719)
Region: Indonesia > Central Papua > Mimika > Jila
Total number of victims: 2
| # | Number of Victims | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1. | 1 | Neregingget Magai | female | 48 | Indigenous Peoples | right to life, unlawful killing |
| 2. | 1 | Inkolung Aim | unknown | adult | Indigenous Peoples | ill-treatment |
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI)
Sources:
Suara Papua
Papua News Online
Seputar Papua
Tribun News
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The plants were found in two separate fields in Ibiroma and Hesmat Villages, Kurima Subdistrict, Yahukimo District, on Tuesday, September 8, according to a military statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
"Based on information obtained in the field, the cannabis fields are allegedly linked to activities of an OPM group led by Egianus Kogoya," said Major General Muhammad Nas, information chief at the TNI Headquarters.
Nas said the cannabis was discovered during Operation Kinetik 3.18, conducted by 78 personnel from the 725/WRG Infantry Battalion under the Habema Joint Operations Command Task Force.
Nas did not provide details about how the cannabis fields in the two villages were discovered.
The military said the plants were seized to prevent local residents in the Papua Highlands from using them for harmful purposes.
The seized cannabis will also be used by the military to trace the whereabouts of the OPM group led by Egianus Kogoya.
The military said the seizure demonstrated its commitment to maintaining security and protecting residents by combating the circulation of illegal drugs.
Related news: Indonesia military seizes 5,000 cannabis plants in Highland Papua raid
Related news: Papua-police suspect cannabis trade for weapons in border
Related news: 80 percent of marijuana in Papua smuggled from PNG: BNN
Translator: Walda M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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