July 6, 1998, was a dark moment for the people of Papua. Exactly 28 years ago, Papuan people gathered at the Biak City Health Centre Water Tower (now Biak Numfor regency) to express their political aspirations and their hope for the right to self-determination.
The peaceful action was also marked by the raising of the Morning Star independence flag, joint prayers and struggle and spiritual songs, which were responded to with repressive actions by joint military and police forces of the Republic of Indonesia. To date, not a single perpetrator has been tried and received punishment.
On the contrary, the Papuan people continue to experience repeated human rights crimes, leaving behind a trauma that continues to be felt by the victims, the victims' families and the Papuan people to this day.
Based on testimonies from victims and witnesses, joint forces consisting of the Maluku Regional Police (Polda) Mobile Brigade (Brimob), the Biak District Police (Polres) Brimob, the Army (TNI AD) from the 733 Infantry Battalion and the District Military Command (Kodim), the Navy (TNI AL) and the Air Force (TNI AU), surrounded the location from various directions and opened fire at the crowd and civilians in and around the location.
Victims who were arrested were then taken to Biak Harbor and subjected to hours of beatings, torture and inhumane treatment before some of them were transferred to health facilities. The results of reports compiled by the Irian Jaya Evangelical Christian Church (GKI), the Jayapura Diocese Catholic Church, the Tabernacle Bible Church of Indonesia (GKII) and the Papua Human Rights Study and Advocacy Institute (Elsham Papua), noted that at least 150 people were arbitrarily arrested and detained, 37 people were injured, eight people died and three people were declared missing. And it did not stop there. Based on the testimony of a fisherperson, there were at least 32 mysterious bodies which were later found floating in Biak waters.
In July 1998, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) stated that there had been human rights violations in the dispersal of the protest in Biak. These findings were then followed up through the formation of the Regional Policy Review Team for Papua Military Operations which in 2010 recommended that the Biak Incident be investigated further because there were allegations of gross human rights violations. However, even after 28 years had passed, this recommendation never progressed to the pro-justitia investigation stage as mandated under Law Number 26/2000 on Human Rights Courts.
The lack of progress in handling the Bloody Biak incident shows the strong culture of impunity in resolving cases of human rights violations in Papua. Not a single perpetrator has been held accountable through applicable legal mechanisms, while the victims and their families continue to live without certainty of truth, justice or recovery. This situation shows that the state is still failing to fulfill its obligations to protect, respect and fulfill human rights. This situation then perpetuates human rights violations and makes it seem as if the violations that occur are a consequence of living in Papua.
Based on Kontras monitoring results, from mid-May to June 2026 there have been a number of violent incidents in Papua, especially in Intan Jaya regency, Central Papua, which shows an escalation of the security situation and an increasing impact on civilians.
First, on May 17, 2026, there was a grenade explosion in the grounds of the Saint Paul Nabuni Mbamogo Catholic Church which resulted in four civilians being injured. Second, on June 18 a grenade exploded that was allegedly dropped using a drone in Danggoa Village, Agisiga district, which injured two civilians. Third, on June 27 there was a firefight between the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) Rajawali Task Force. Fourth, June 29 there was a shooting at the vehicle of the pastor of the Moni Puncak Deanery, Timika Diocese, Yanuarius Yance Yogi. Fifth, on June 29 a shooting occurred on Mount Titigi, Sugapa, which resulted in two civilians being injured. Sixth, on June 29 a pastor named Elianus Agimbau was killed by the TNI and found dead in the bushes with cuts, one ear severed and missing and five gunshot wounds to his body. Seventh, on June 29 a young man named Okto Tigau died as a result of being accused of being a combatant who was part of the TPNPB militia. On his body were found traces of torture and several gunshot wounds. His body was also found in the Rajawali TNI Task Force Post area which is the army headquarters under the Habema Corps. Eighth, a pregnant woman named Melkiana Duwitau died as a result of being hit by a stray bullet that penetrated her house. Based on information gathered by Kontras, the entire series of incidents allegedly involved personnel under the TNI's Habema Operations Command that are currently deployed in the Intan Jaya area.
Furthermore, based on Kontras monitoring, from January to June 2026, there were 26 incidents of violence against civilians in Papua. Of this number, TNI personnel were involved in 19 incidents, National Police (Polri) members were involved in five incidents and joint TNI-Polri forces were involved in two incidents. The violence resulted in 24 people being arrested, 34 people injured and 28 people dead. The forms of violations recorded included 16 shooting incidents, three incidents of torture and seven incidents of arbitrary arrest.
Instead of prioritising solutions that are oriented towards protecting human rights, the government still places a security and military approach as the main response to all problems occurring in the land of Papua. This approach has proven unable to reduce the escalation of violence, and has even contributed to high rates of human rights violations, torture and the use of excessive force against civilians. This situation is exacerbated by discriminatory practices and stereotypes against the Papuan people which have the potential to override the principles of due process of law and the criminal justice system. This point of view ultimately excludes the criminal justice system and the working mechanism of law enforcement, causing fair legal solutions to become increasingly distant from reality, while violence continues to recur without accountability.
As long as impunity continues to be maintained and the state does not show the political will to investigate and punish perpetrators of human rights violations, Papua will continue to bleed. The absence of accountability not only deprives victims of access to truth, justice and healing, but also creates space for the recurrence of similar violations. In such conditions, violence is no longer seen as an aberration, but rather as a consequence that continues to be reproduced by security policies that fail to place respect for human rights as the main foundation.
Based on the above and in conjunction with the 28th anniversary of the Bloody Biak Tragedy, we urge that:
First, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia must be able to carry out its obligations by fulfilling, respecting and protecting human rights, especially for the people in Papua, as well as carrying out a thorough evaluation of the security policies and approaches that have been implemented in Papua and immediately withdraw the troops that have already been deployed.
Second, the Komnas HAM must immediately form an investigation team for the Biak incident to carry out a pro-justitia investigation into allegations of serious human rights violations in this incident based on Law Number 26/2000 on Human Rights Courts, as well as following up on allegations of other human rights violations that have occurred in Papua.
Third, the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia must immediately form an ad hoc investigation team in accordance with the mandate of Article 21 paragraph (3) of Law Number 26/2000, as well as seriously follow up on all investigation results files that have been submitted by Komnas HAM regarding allegations of serious human rights violations that occurred in Papua.
Fourth, the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) must play an active role and go directly to the families of victims to provide access to medical, psychological and psychosocial assistance as a right of victims and families of serious human rights violations that have befallen the people of Papua.
Jakarta, July 6, 2025
Kontras Working Body
Dimas Bagus Arya
Coordinator
Contact Person: +6289651581587
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "28 Tahun Peristiwa Biak Berdarah: Selama Impunitas Dipelihara, Papua Terus Berdarah!".]
