Attacked by nationalist groups, police fail to protect Papuan students in Makassar

On 8 June 2022, Papuan and non-Papuan students in the city of Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan Province, organised a peaceful protest against the formation of new provinces in West Papua. About twenty members of the nationalist group, Indonesian Muslim Brigade (BMI), equipped with stones and wooden batons were waiting in front of the Papuan student dormitory at Jl. Lanto Daeng Pasewang Street, and prevented the students from leaving the dorm premises.

As the students wanted to leave the dormitory at 9:40 am, BMI members attacked them throwing stones and beating them with wooden sticks. Five students sustained injuries as a result of the violent attacks (see photos and table below). The students finally decided to read aloud their demands inside the dormitory front yard (see photos below).

According to the students, the police were present but failed to protect them against the attackers. About fifteen plain cloth officers already monitored the student dormitory since 8:30 am, while twenty police officers approached the location approximately one hour later. Moreover, the police called upon the Protesters to go back into the dormitory instead of pushing back the BMI members in order to ensure the student’s freedom to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

Table with protesters injured during the attack

NoNameAgeInjury sustained
1Nagen Byage21Wound on the pointing finger
2Walfer22Cut on the lower lip, bruises
3Andi24Bruised eye, bruised temple, and forehead
4Eli Yaki21Bruises on the back
5Kemy Telenggen21Wound on the thumb

Photos of protesters injured by BMI members

Photos of protesters in front of the Papuan student dormitory

Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Asrama Papua (-5.151782683259148, 119.42207110389039)
administrative region: Indonesia, South Sulawesi Province, Makassar City
total number of victims: five
period of incident: 08.06.2022
perpetrator: police, nationalist groups
perpetrator details: About twenty members of the nationalist group, Indonesian Muslim Brigade (BMI), police and police in plain clothes
Issues: freedom of expression, torture, freedom of peaceful assembly, indigenous peoples
Sources:
Further HRM News:

NumberName, DetailsGenderAgeGroup AffiliationViolations
1Nagen Byage, studentmale21 activist freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, ill-treatment
1Walfer, studentmale22activist freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, ill-treatment
1Andi, studentmale24activist freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, ill-treatment
1Eli Yaki, studentunknown21activist freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, ill-treatment
1Kemy Telenggen, studentunknown 21activist freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, ill-treatment