Aida Ulim, Jayapura – The Central Board of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) says that the bomb attack on their office is part of a widespread campaign of intimidation.
The KNPB central office in Kampwolker Waena, Yabansai Village, Heram district, Jayapura City, Papua, was terrorised by an explosion suspected to be a bomb early on Monday March 16.
The KNPB Central Board stated that the suspected bomb exploded after being dropped by a drone on the office grounds.
KNPB Chairperson Agus Kossay said the repeated attacks using increasingly sophisticated methods indicate the presence of an organised group.
According to Kossay, the bomb attack was not an isolated incident, but rather part of widespread intimidation, when linked to a number of other cases involving the press and activists.
For example, the Molotov cocktail terror attack at the Jubi editorial office in Waena, Jayapura city, on October 16, 2024, the intimidation of a Nadi Papua journalist in Nabire, Central Papua on February 17, 2026, which was related to reporting on illegal mining, and the recent acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus on March 13.
"The series of attacks starting with the use of homemade bombs, drones, to the intimidation of journalists and human rights activists constitutes a form of open terror that threatens press freedom and democratic space in Papua", Kossay said at a press conference on Tuesday March 17.
He stated that this series of attacks represents an attempt to silence human rights defenders and media workers, despite the fact that protection for humanitarian activists is regulated by national and international legal instruments.
According to Kossay, these are the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1977 additional protocol on the protection of human rights, the 1998 UN Declaration of Human Rights on the rights of individuals and groups to promote and protect human rights, the 1994 Convention on the safety of UN personnel and UN Security Council resolutions.
In addition to this, Kossay continued, protection for activists is also regulated by Indonesian law, including Articles 28A and 28J of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia on human rights guarantees, Law Number 39/1999 on Human Rights, specifically Articles 100 and 103, Law Number 12/2005 and Law Number 11/2005, as well as the special protection standards set by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in its standard norms and regulations SNP Number 8 on human rights defenders.
Therefore, the KNPB calls for widespread attention from various parties and urges an independent, transparent and thorough investigation to uncover the perpetrators.
"We emphasise that security and civil liberties must be guaranteed for all people, especially human rights defenders and members of the press in Papua", said Kossay.
Meanwhile, KNPB Chairperson I Warpo Sampari Wetipo said the explosion occurred about two meters from the office wall while KNPB officials and members were resting inside.
According to Wetipo, the loud explosion awakened the KNPB members and shocked local residents. As a result of the incident, a small hole with leftovers of a Molotov cocktail bomb was formed in the courtyard of the KNPB headquarters.
"(This incident) caused panic and potentially threatened the safety of the surrounding community", said Wetipo.
He said that at the scene, several pieces of evidence suspected to be part of an explosive device were found, including pieces of black plate metal, cardboard, duct tape and small nuts and bolts. All of these findings have been documented internally by the KNPB.
He said this incident adds to the list of violence that has previously occurred at the same location. The KNPB headquarters was also the target of an attack on January 17 at approximately 4.16 am local Papua time.
"At that time, an unknown person threw a Molotov cocktail, causing a fire on the wall of our office. Fortunately, the KNPB members who were inside immediately extinguished the fire before it spread", he said.
He said that KNPB members tried to pursue the perpetrator but they managed to escape in a waiting car. Evidence including a jerry can of fuel and gloves was found at the scene.
In a statement, the KNPB urged those behind these attacks to immediately stop the terror and intimidation against human rights defenders and humanitarian workers in Papua and throughout Indonesia.
Called for an end to the terrorist acts using bomb attacks on the offices of civil society organisations, media offices in Papua and Indonesia, because they harm and violate human rights principles.
Called for the perpetrators of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, including the intellectuals behind it, to be investigated.
Demanded an end to the terror and threats against journalists in Papua, as this constitutes an act of silencing press freedom. The press should be protected under international humanitarian law.
Asked that there be an independent international investigation to thoroughly investigate the human rights violations and the silencing of democratic space in Papua.
Strongly condemned the terror and intimidation carried out at the KNPB headquarters which they consider to constitute part of an effort to curb democratic space and human rights in Papua.
Strongly condemning the perpetrators of the bombing and urging the Papua Regional Police (Polda) to immediately investigate the bombing at the KNPB headquarters.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Teror Bom Di Kantor KNPB: Bagian Dari Intimidasi Meluas".]
Source: https://jubi.id/mamta/2026/teror-bom-di-kantor-knpb-bagian-dari-intimidasi-meluas/
