1) Three agriculture workers shot in Highland Papua while delivering aid
September 9, 2026 19:11 GMT+700
Jayapura (ANTARA) - Three employees of the Jayawijaya District Agriculture Office were shot while traveling with a group to deliver assistance to residents in Muliama Subdistrict, Jayawijaya District, Highland Papua Province, on Wednesday.
Commander of the 1702/Jayawijaya Military District Command Lieutenant Colonel (Inf) Ilham Datu Ramang, contacted by ANTARA from Jayapura, said the shooting occurred at about 3:45 p.m. local time.
Initial reports indicated the three victims were allegedly shot by an armed criminal group, leaving two dead and one critically injured.
Ramang said the victims were evacuated to Wamena Regional General Hospital.
“The incident occurred when the victims and their colleagues were delivering food assistance in a four-wheeled vehicle,” he said, adding that eight people were traveling together to deliver pigs to residents.
Before the shooting, the perpetrators allegedly separated members of the group who were not Indigenous Papuans from their colleagues, Ilham said.
Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, public relations chief of the 2026 Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force, also confirmed that three employees had been shot in Muliama Subdistrict.
Police are investigating the unidentified perpetrators and the chronology of the incident, Sutejo said.
2) Firebomb targeting rights body office raises alarm in Indonesia’s Papua
By UCA News reporter Published: September 09, 2026 11:42 AM GMT
Restive region has seen a series of attacks on rights activists and journalists in the past few years
An unidentified man hurled a Molotov cocktail at the regional office of Indonesia's top rights body in restive Papua, the latest of a series of attacks targeting rights defenders and journalists in the Christian-majority region.
The attacker hurled the bomb at the parking area of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)'s office at Soasio Street in North Jayapura district on Sept. 9, according to local sources.
The office staff was in a meeting at the time of the attack. The bomb did not explode, and no damage to the building was reported, police said.
The commission’s Papua office head, Frits Ramandey, said police collected fragments of glass, a wick, and a broken bottle with gasoline from the site.
“It was deliberately thrown toward several motorcycles so the bottle would break and catch fire,” Ramandey said, describing the incident as an act of terror against the rights body.
Jayapura city police chief Fredrickus W. A. Maclarimboen said officers visited the scene shortly after it was reported and conducted an initial crime scene investigation. He said police have been collecting other evidence and CCTV footage to identify the attacker.
This is the latest of a series of attacks targeting rights defenders and journalists in a region where the military and armed separatists have been engaged in a bloody conflict for decades. Thousands have been killed and displaced by the conflict in the Christian-majority region.
In recent years, a number of suspected terror attacks targeted rights activists, lawyers, tribal leaders, and journalists as the fighting intensified.
On Oct. 16, 2024, two unidentified men riding a motorcycle hurled Molotov cocktails at the office of Jubi, an independent media outlet in Jayapura known for reporting on human rights and environmental issues. The attack damaged two vehicles, but no casualties were reported.
On Jan. 23, 2023, a bomb exploded three meters from the home of Jubi’s co-founder, Victor Mambor. He and his family members were unharmed.
Earlier, Mambor’s car was vandalized in April 2021, and he faced digital attacks, including doxing, hacking, and online harassment.
Last year, at least 104 rights defenders were targeted in 54 incidents, with most targets being tribal land rights advocates and journalists, according to Amnesty International.
The group named the police as the perpetrators in many cases, followed by private companies, military personnel, government, and public officials.
Emanuel Gobay, director of the Papua Legal Aid Institute, condemned the attack and said it should be treated as part of a broader pattern of terror against human rights defenders in Papua.
Gobay told UCA News that his office was also hit by a Molotov attack in 2023.
The latest "attack was carried out in broad daylight, which shows the state’s inability to protect human rights enforcement. We must know what the motive was and who was behind the attack,” he added.
The attack might be linked to the commission’s ongoing work on high-profile cases of alleged rights abuses in Maybrat, Dogiyai, Puncak and Intan Jaya, activists say.
3) West Papua National Liberation Army soldiers killed in gunfire with Indonesian forces
Andrew Mathieson Updated September 9, 2026 - 10.46am (AWST), first published at 6.30am (AWST)
Note: This report includes an image some readers may find distressing.
Indonesian forces have killed four West Papuan independence fighters inside the most volatile area of the disputed Indigenous territory in Western New Guinea.
The West Papua National Liberation Army soldiers were reportedly caught up in gunfire after police in the Yahukimo regency raided a Dekai district house which was allegedly utilised as a guerilla hideout.
Yahukimo operations commander, Major Kopitua Heluka, was first to confirm the deaths from the battlefield last week.
The men shot and killed during the joint operation between the Indonesian police and its country's military included Helembo, 21, Eris Hubusa, 18, Alpius 'Moso' Sama, 22, and Ampuluak Yual, 21.
The soldiers who died were all members of the Edensawi battalion's unit, which is associated with the Liberation Army's Kodap regional defence command operating out of the Yahukimo regency among the Papua Highlands.
The longstanding Free Papua Movement declared its own national day of mourning three days after the deaths.
Their burials were held the day before the mourning on Friday.
West Papua National Liberation Army spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, said the movement extended its gratitude and condolences to the families for the sacrifices of the slain men.
Mr Sambom also asked all parties, including the Indonesians involved, to respect the mourning process.
There was no reports of any trouble or violent outbreaks.
"We officially announce national mourning to all West Papua National Liberation Army forces across the 36 Kodap commands in Tanah ('Land of') Papua and to the Papuan independence fighters, wherever they are, following the deaths of four Kodap Yahukimo members," Mr Sambom said.
The gunfight between the outnumbered West Papua National Liberation Army members and Indonesian forces, which reported no deaths in the clash, occurred under the state's operations of the Damai Cartenz-2026 taskforce.
According to Indonesian police, the raid was linked to alleged criminal offences committed by a number of people associated with the group over a number of years.
Those individuals had reportedly been on Indonesia police's wanted list and was not necessarily related to the West Papuan independence movement.
"The operation was part of law enforcement efforts against individuals suspected of being involved in a number of criminal offences in the Yahukimo region," Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, head of public relations for the Damai Cartenz-2026 operation, said in a statement.
There have been at least 16 reported West Papua National Liberation Army deaths at the hands of Indonesian forces — amid a further 26 West Papuan civilians killed by security forces — during separate clashes or counter-insurgency operations, according to figures from Asia Pacific Solidarity Network monitors.
4) Police officers allegedly beat indigenous leader during detention in Nabire
9 September 2026 / 3 minutes of reading
On 30 August 2026, officers from the Nabire Police allegedly beat and arbitrarily detained indigenous community leader Yulius Edowai, 50, in front of SMKN 2 Jayanti in Nabire, Central Papua Province. Mr Edowai is a member of the Papuan Traditional Council. He has been active in peaceful demonstrations and advocacy on humanitarian issues, including the situation of internally displaced Papuans (IDPs) affected by the armed conflict. Mr Edowai was taken to Nabire Police Headquarters and later released on the same day.
The arrest reportedly occurred on 30 August 2026, at 2.20 pm in front of SMKN Jayanti State Vocational School No. 2. Mr Edowai was wearing traditional Meepago attire (see photo on top, source, independent HRD) as officers approached and physically assaulted him before transporting him in a police vehicle to Nabire Police Headquarters (see video below, source: independent HRD). Police officers reportedly beat and apprehended Mr Edowai without showing a warrant. Police officers later released him at 11.00 pm that evening.
Human rights analysis
The alleged beating and arbitrary detention of Mr Yulius Edowai raise concerns under the right to liberty and security of person and the prohibition of arbitrary detention, as guaranteed by Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). An arrest must have a lawful basis, comply with established procedures and must not be arbitrary. The absence of information concerning the grounds for detention, together with the reported use of physical force, requires an effective and impartial investigation. The fact that Mr Edowai was subsequently released does not establish that the initial arrest was lawful or that any alleged ill-treatment has been adequately addressed.
If the allegations of physical assault are substantiated, the conduct may constitute a violation of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 7 of the ICCPR and the Convention against Torture. Article 10(1) of the ICCPR further requires that all persons deprived of their liberty be treated with humanity and respect for their inherent dignity. Indonesian authorities must ensure that any use of force by law enforcement officers is necessary, proportionate and subject to accountability.
The victims’ reported roles as indigenous community leader and peaceful activist also engage the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association under Articles 19, 21 and 22 of the ICCPR. His traditional attire and participation in indigenous advocacy are relevant to the protection of cultural identity and the rights of indigenous peoples. Articles 18B(2) and 28I(3) of the Indonesian Constitution recognise and respect indigenous communities and their cultural identities, whilst the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms indigenous peoples’ rights to maintain their institutions, participate in public affairs and exercise their rights without discrimination.
Police officers bring Mr Yulius Edowai to the Nabire police headquarters, 30 August 2026
5) Police officer charged following fatal shooting of civilian in Timika
9 September 2026 / 4 minutes of reading
A civilian identified as BP, was reportedly shot dead by an off-duty police officer on 2 August 2026 at the Raffles Residence 3 housing estate, Block M, Mimika Baru District, Mimika Regency, Papua Tengah Province. The alleged shooter, identified as Aipda M, was an officer stationed at Mozes Kilangin Airport Police Station in Timika. Witness accounts and police statements agree that the officer initially assaulted the victim during a domestic dispute but differ over the circumstances immediately preceding the fatal shot.
According to a first-hand account provided by a witness at the scene, the officer went to the victim’s house following a dispute concerning the victim’s relationship with the officer’s wife. The witness alleged that the officer assaulted the victim inside the house, chased him outside and assaulted him again. The victim then returned inside to retrieve a machete. By the time he came back, the officer was reportedly already inside his vehicle, from which he fired the fatal shot.
The police presented a partially different chronology during a press conference on 2 August 2026. Mimika District Police Chief AKBP Alfredo Agustinus Rumbiak stated that the officer had gone to his estranged wife’s residence to pick up their child for a study session. A verbal altercation with BP escalated into a physical confrontation, during which the officer struck the BP before his wife intervened. The officer subsequently entered his vehicle with the child. According to the suspect’s account, BP then approached the car carrying a machete. The officer claimed that he felt threatened, could not immediately drive away because the car needed to be reversed, and fired spontaneously in self-defence. The shot struck BP in the head, causing his death at the scene.
Investigation and subsequent developments
Following the shooting, Aipda M reportedly contacted a colleague and surrendered to the police. Investigators secured his pistol, the machete believed to have been carried by the victim and the vehicle involved in the incident. The Criminal Investigation Unit of Mimika District Police and its forensic identification team attended the scene, while the victim’s body was transported to Mimika Regional General Hospital. Available reports do not establish whether a post-mortem examination was conducted or whether independent forensic evidence has been obtained.
On 10 August 2026, the Mimika District Police Chief confirmed that Aipda M had officially been designated a suspect. An article published by Fajar Papua on 11 August stated that the case had been taken over by the Professional Standards and Security Division (Propam) of the Central Papua Regional Police. The Police Chief assured the public that the officer’s status would not exempt him from legal accountability but did not elaborate on the criminal charges, confirm whether the suspect was detained, or the status of criminal or disciplinary proceedings.
Human rights analysis
The case raises concerns about a possible arbitrary deprivation of life, the misuse of a police firearm and the adequacy of the subsequent criminal investigation. The fatal shooting engages the right to life protected under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 28A of the Indonesian Constitution. Although the officer was reportedly off duty and the confrontation arose from a private dispute, his status as a police officer and use of a service firearm require careful examination of state responsibility and applicable standards governing the use of force.
A claim of self-defence does not, by itself, establish that lethal force was lawful. Investigators must determine whether the officer faced an imminent threat to life or serious injury, whether firing the weapon was strictly necessary, and whether less harmful alternatives were reasonably available in the circumstances. The victim’s possession of a machete is relevant to that assessment, but cannot substitute for an examination of the actual threat at the moment the shot was fired.
The evidence concerning the preceding assaults is particularly significant. Both the witness account and the police chronology indicate that the officer initiated physical violence against the victim. Investigators should therefore assess whether the officer’s conduct contributed to the escalation, whether he had an opportunity to disengage, and whether his subsequent use of lethal force was necessary and proportionate.
6) Indigenous Papuan dies following alleged police assault in Merauke, South Papua Province
9 September 2026 / 5 minutes of reading
Mr Leonardo M. Konorop, a 38-year-old civilian and indigenous Papuan died on 8 September 2026 after sustaining severe head injuries during an alleged assault involving police officers and a suspected Indonesian military (TNI) member. According to the family’s chronology, the assault occurred on Brawijaya Street, Merauke City, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province on 3 September 2026, at approximately 11:00 pm. Mr Konorop reportedly lost consciousness immediately after being struck on the head with a piece of wood (see photo on top, source: independent HRD). Three Merauke Police officers have been held for questioning, while the precise circumstances of the assault, the identity and roles of those responsible, and the medical cause of death remain under investigation.
According the Merauke Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua Merauke), which represents the relatives of the deceased victims, an initial confrontation began at around 9:00 pm on 3 September 2026, when Mr Konorop reprimanded an off-duty police officer riding a motorbike along Brawijaya Road for revving his engine. The officer subsequently called relatives and fellow officers to search for him. Mr Konorop’s family alleges that the search escalated into a chase and that threats were made against them, including threats to burn down their house.
At approximately 11:00 pm, Mr Konorop emerged from hiding, reportedly intending to apologise and surrender. According to witnesses, officers immediately struck Mr Konorop on the centre of his head with a piece of wood, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness. A police vehicle subsequently transported him to the emergency department of Merauke Regional General Hospital.
On 4 September 2026, at approximately 3:00 pm, Leonardo Konorop underwent surgery and was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he remained unconscious. His family attempted to file a police report, but according to their account, an argument arose with officers, including the individual alleged to have struck him. The family stated that police initially characterised the incident as self-defence alleging that Mr Konorop was intoxicated.
On 5 September, officers visited the hospital, met the family and obtained witness statements, after which family members were taken to Merauke Police Station to provide further information. Mr Konorop eventually succumbed to his injury on 8 September 2026 following several days of intensive medical treatment.
Police response and legal proceedings
On 7 September 2026, Deputy Merauke Police Chief Jerry Koagouw confirmed that three officers had been detained for questioning, although no suspects had yet been formally identified. On 8 September, Merauke Police Chief Leonardo Yoga expressed condolences and stated that preliminary evidence pointed to one officer, identified as R., as the person who struck Mr Konorop. He emphasised that all three officers remained classified as witnesses and that the investigation was continuing. Yoga also stated that the officer had felt threatened by Leonardo, who was allegedly intoxicated and armed with a machete.
LBH Merauke reported that approximately three police officers and one TNI member were suspected of involvement in the pursuit that culminated in the assault. LBH Merauke Lawyers stressed that individual responsibility had not yet been established and that the legal aid organisation would continue assisting the family. The police have indicated that the matter will proceed through both general criminal proceedings and internal disciplinary or ethics processes.
Human rights analysis
The death of Mr Leonardo Konorop engages Indonesia’s obligation to protect the right to life under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as well as the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 7 ICCPR and the Convention Against Torture and Other Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). Where a person dies following alleged violence by state agents, the authorities must conduct a prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation in line with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Deaths (2016). The fact that the officer was reportedly off duty does not remove the need to investigate whether he acted under official authority, used his police status to mobilise colleagues or otherwise engaged state responsibility. The alleged participation of a military member and alleged threats against the family must likewise be examined.
The competing accounts of self-defence require scrutiny. The alleged possession of a machete or intoxication, even if established, would not in itself justify the use of potentially lethal force. Investigators must determine whether Mr Konorop posed an imminent threat at the moment he was struck, whether the force used was necessary and proportionate, and whether less harmful means were available. If the family’s account that he was approaching to surrender is corroborated, a deliberate blow to the head with a wooden object would raise grave concerns regarding unlawful and potentially excessive force. The medical evidence must establish the nature of the injuries, their causal relationship to the alleged assault, and whether any other factors contributed to his death before a definitive legal assessment can be made.
The investigation should comply with the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), including an independent forensic examination, preservation of medical records, documentation of the alleged weapon, collection of available CCTV footage, and separate interviews with civilian and police witnesses. The family must have access to information, legal representation and protection from intimidation. Any criminal proceedings should be independent of internal police disciplinary processes. Moreover, all persons implicated, including any military personnel, should be investigated without discrimination or institutional interference.
Mr Leonardo Konorop died on 8 September, after undergoing intensive medical treatment at the General Public Hospital in Merauke
Period of incident: 03/09/2026 – 08/09/2026 Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence Sources: Suara Papua Jubi Kompas Related Cases:
7) Suspected Molotov thrown at Papua Human Rights office
September 9, 2026 20:35 GMT+700
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - A suspected Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Papua representative office of Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in Jayapura on Wednesday, a local chief said.
Head of the Papua Komnas HAM office Frits Ramandey said the incident occurred at about 10:15 a.m. local time while staff were working.
“At around 10:15 a.m., the perpetrator threw a Molotov cocktail and immediately fled,” Ramandey said.
According to Ramandey, the object was a gasoline-filled bottle fitted with a fuse, thrown toward motorcycles parked in the office yard.
“Based on our observation, the Molotov cocktail was deliberately thrown at parked motorcycles to set them ablaze and potentially spread the fire to the office,” he said.
However, the fire did not grow or spread to the office building, he said.
Ramandey described the incident as an act of terror and a serious crime, urging police to immediately identify the perpetrator and determine the motive behind.
“This terror is a serious crime, so police must identify the perpetrator because the incident occurred during the day,” he said.
Ramandey said the Papua Komnas HAM office had filed a police report so the case could be investigated.
He expressed hope that the investigation would prevent similar attacks against human rights workers in Papua.
8) Jakarta urged to follow through on UN human rights chief’s visit to West Papua
News Desk September 9, 2026
Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) has urged Indonesia to turn its words into concrete action over a proposed visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to West Papua, calling for a clear timetable, genuine access and meaningful engagement. The call comes after Melanesian countries last week urged Jakarta to facilitate the long-awaited visit or reconsider Indonesia’s status as an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), RNZ Pacific reported on Tuesday. The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) countries first requested the visit in 2019.
However, it has yet to take place, despite ongoing armed conflict and allegations of human rights violations in the Indonesian-controlled Papua region, internationally known as West Papua.
Frustration has grown among Melanesian countries in recent years, particularly over Indonesia’s failure to allow the visit to proceed.
Responding to the MSG’s statement last week, the Indonesian Government told RNZ Pacific that the visit was progressing as planned but did not provide further details.
“We have always had constructive discussions on issues considered important by other MSG members, and we can also confirm that the proposed visit is on the right track,” an Indonesian spokesperson said.
KNPB international spokesperson Victor Yeimo said that, for Papuans, Indonesia’s statement that the visit was progressing as planned must now be translated into concrete and verifiable action.
“If this visit is truly on track, we respectfully ask: What is the timetable? What practical arrangements are being made? And when will the High Commissioner be able to visit West Papua and engage directly with the Papuan people?” Mr Yeimo said.
“The question is whether the UN’s top human rights official will now be given meaningful and independent access to assess the broader human rights situation.”
Mr Yeimo said that during a visit to Papua, the High Commissioner should be allowed to freely engage with Indigenous communities, victims of human rights violations, displaced people, civil society groups, churches, human rights defenders and other affected communities.
“Such engagement must take place without intimidation, surveillance or reprisals, and without restrictions on whom people may speak to or what concerns they may raise,” he said.
Mr Yeimo said Papuans were not asking the international community to simply accept their narrative, nor were they asking it to simply accept Jakarta’s version of events.
“We are asking the United Nations to come, listen directly and assess the situation for itself. That is the purpose of an independent human rights assessment,” he said. (*)
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