The Papuan Foundation for Justice and Human Integrity (YKKMP) documented another case of torture and extrajudicial execution in the Yuguru village, Mebarok District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province. The incident occurred amid an intensified military operation launched on 18 January 2025. Military members are allegedly tortured and subsequently executed Mr Abral Wandikbo, an indigenous resident living in the Mabarok District. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has declared Yuguru a safe zone for internally displaced persons (IDPs), calling upon the Indonesian military to stay away from the area.
Chronology of events
Saturday, 22 March 2025
TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces) personnel conducted a counterinsurgency operation in the Yuguru area. They entered a honai (men’s house) in Yuguru village, Mebarok District, Papua Pegunngan Province, where Mr Abral Wandikbo (27), his brother, and their father (63) were staying. The father was suffering from chronic respiratory illness.
Mr Abral Wandikbo, who could not understand or speak Indonesian, was arrested at gunpoint after the soldiers warned: “If you run, we will shoot you.” His brother translated this threat to Mr Wandikbo. When the brother, a church minister, objected to the arrest, he was beaten unconscious with a rifle. Mr Wandikbo was then dragged, beaten, and tortured on the way to the military post at the Yuguru Airfield.
At 10:00 AM, a local youth gathered residents at the airfield, demanding Mr Abral Wandikbo’s release and asking for evidence of any wrongdoing. By evening, the community was told to go home without any resolution.
Sunday, 23 March 2025
At 8:00 AM, over 200 villagers, including Mr Abral Wandkbo’s elderly parents, gathered at the Yuguru Airfield, carrying the Indonesian flag to request Abral’s release. The parents pleaded for his return, citing his role as their caregiver.
The TNI commander responded with three pieces of questionable evidence (a photo, a Facebook post, and a video)—none linked directly to Mr Wandikbo. Despite community refutation, the commander stated that Mr Abral Wandikbo would be returned on Tuesday, 25 March.
On that day, military members reportedly tortured an indigenous pastor named Mr Eniel Gwijangge and several villagers during another counterinsurgency operation in the Engendumu Kuid Hamlet.
That same night, at around 10:00 PM, TNI personnel secretly removed Mr Abral Wandikbo from the post, executed him near the Mrame River, and disposed of his body in a garden. Villagers observed flashlights and suspected military movement during that night.
Monday, 24 March 2025
TNI forces launched operations in Kwit village, reportedly surrounding homes and beating indigenous villagers. They falsely claimed Mr Wandikbo had escaped during the operation, although he had already been killed the previous night.
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
At 10:00 AM, Mr Abral Wandikbo’s body was discovered by his family. He was found face-down, hands tied with plastic cable ties, ears, nose, and lips cut off. Somebody had put a bracelet with the Morning Star motif on the victim’s left wrist.
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
The body was cremated at 6:00 AM, while security forces fired shots nearby. Abral’s sick father died the following day, unable to cope with the shock of his son’s brutal death.
Aftermath and community demands
Military operations continue in Yuguru. The community, including IDPs from five districts, lives in fear and trauma in that area. The community urgently demands that all military forces be withdrawn from the Yuguru area and other parts of the Nduga Regency to allow a safe return and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. They call for comprehensive psychological support.
Demolition and destruction of civilian houses and public facilities
Between 22 February and 9 March 2025, Indonesian military personnel conducted multiple raids in the Mebarok District, Nduga Regency, demolishing numerous civilian homes, public service buildings, and government staff residences. A total of nine civilian houses in Yuguru were destroyed. The buildings were dismantled down to their pillars and roofs (see photos below, source: YKKMP). Additionally, a warehouse and two public health centres (Puskesmas) buildings were dismantled, with the military reusing the construction materials to build their accommodation facilities for the soldiers and a military post.
Beyond these demolitions, the military also forcibly entered and destroyed parts of 14 other houses, including two district head residences and five teacher homes, seizing personal belongings like mattresses, axes, and pans. Two buildings of Yuguru State Elementary School (SD Negeri Yuguru) were repurposed as military posts, with school materials scattered and rendered unusable (see photos below, source: YKKMP). The destruction left civilians without shelter or basic services, contributing significantly to the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Table of victims
| No. | Name | Age | Date of Incident | Additional information |
| 1 | Abaral Wandikbo | N/A | 22–25 March 2025 | Body was found on 25 March near the Merabut Plantation |
| 2 | Eniel Gwijangge | N/A | 23 March 2025 | Was tortured after military personnel |
Body of Mr Abaral Wandikbo
Houses and public facilities in Mebarok were domolished and destroyed
Detailed Case Data
Location: Yuguru Village, Mebarok District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Nduga, Mebarok
Total number of victims: 2
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Abaral Wandikbo
male
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
arbitrary detention, torture, execution
2.
1
Eniel Gwijangge
male
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
torture
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia
Perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: security force violence, indigenous peoplesSources:
Suara Papua