On 14 July 2025, at approximately 8:00 pm, lawyer Mr Joshua Rumbiak and six companions, including Wenior Pakage, Head of the Religious Affairs Working Group of the Central Papua People’s Assembly), were allegedly assaulted by a dozen members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Battalion 754 in front of the battalion’s headquarters in Timika. The victims’ vehicle, an Isuzu Panther, was severely damaged, with all windows smashed (see video below, source: independent HRD). All seven victims sustained injuries and were hospitalised at Mimika Regional General Hospital. The attack reportedly occurred without provocation, while the victims were passing the battalion compound on their way through town.
According to victim testimonies, several TNI personnel stopped the car as the victims’ vehicle passed the 754th Infantry Battalion post and began destroying the vehicle’s windows before physically assaulting all occupants. The military members reportedly punched and kicked the seven men, resulting in head injuries and bruises requiring hospital care. Mr Joshua Rumbiak stated that no questions were asked before the assault began, describing the attack as “like terrorists” and “completely without cause.” On 15 July 2025, he lodged a formal complaint with the Military Police in Timika, demanding justice and accountability.
Human rights analysis
This incident constitutes a serious violation of the victims’ rights to personal security, bodily integrity, and freedom from arbitrary violence under both Indonesian law and international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State party. The assault appears to be an arbitrary and disproportionate use of force by state security personnel against unarmed civilians, in violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. It also raises concerns regarding impunity for military personnel operating in West Papua, where similar cases have historically gone unpunished.
Video of the damaged car recorded shortly after the assault in front of the Battalion 754 Mimka military post on 14 July 2025
Detailed Case Data
Location: GRXJ+V8J, Utikini Baru, Kuala Kencana, Mimika Regency, Papua 99910, Indonesia (-4.4502658, 136.8307549) Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Battalion 754 Mimika headquarters
Region: Indonesia, Central Papua, Mimika, Kuala Kencana
Total number of victims: 7
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Joshua Rumbiak
male
unknown
Lawyer
ill-treatment
2.
1
Wenior Pakage
diverse
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
ill-treatment
3.
5
diverse
unknown
Indigenous Peoples
ill-treatment
Perpetrator: Indonesian Military (TNI)
Perpetrator details: Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Battalion 754 Mimika
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence