# Manokwari, Papua Barat Province, Human Rights Day 10 Dec. – Police violence and arbitrary arrests 

**Publisher:** [Human Rights Monitor](https://humanrightsmonitor.org)
**Document ID:** HRM-CAS-081-2023
**Document Type:** Case
**Document URL:** https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/manokwari-papua-barat-province-human-rights-day-10-dec-police-violence-and-arbitrary-arrests/
**Issues:** security force violence | indigenous peoples
**Publication Date:** December 13, 2023
**Tags:** Indonesia | West Papua

## Summary
In the town of Manokwari, a demonstration in commemoration of the Human Rights Day led to a confrontation between police and protestors in the Amban area. The police forcefully dispersed the protesters with teargas grenades and water cannons

## Detailed Case Narrative
In the town of Manokwari, a demonstration in [commemoration of the HRD led to a confrontation](https://humanrightsmonitor.org/news/police-in-west-papua-prevent-commemorations-of-human-rights-day-protesters-in-timika-and-manokwari-face-police-violence-and-arbitrary-arrests/) between police and protestors in the [Amban area](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Amban,+Manokwari+Barat,+Manokwari+Regency,+West+Papua,+Indonesia/@-0.8301676,133.8950965,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x2d540bbe19e70793:0xd1d273ebf872fa5c!8m2!3d-0.8367524!4d134.0484728!16s%2Fg%2F1hm49t4h5?entry=ttu). The police forcefully dispersed the protesters with teargas grenades and water cannons. Police representatives claimed that stones thrown by the crowd hit two officers. The protesters, Mr Manuel Mirin and Mr Noak Miagoni were arbitrarily detained at the Manokwari City Police headquarters. At least three other protesters were injured due to police violence.

The situation became tense as protesters wanted to walk from the main road to the University of Papua (Unipa) Campus to the Papua Barat Provincial Parliament and the Provincial Department for Law and Human Rights. The protestors demanded justice for alleged human rights violations in Papua, including cases such as the Wasior incident (2001), the Bloody Wamena Case (2004), and other reported abuses in Nduga and Yaukimo Regency emphasizing the importance of an accountability process of the perpetrators. They also voiced aspirations for self-determination and called for the immediate release of political prisoners in West Papua.

Before the demonstration, the Manokwari Police Chief, Commissioner Rivadin Benny Simangunsong, had deployed 150 personnel to secure the protest. Despite tensions and police repression, the crowd persisted near the Unipa Campus, waiting for the release of the detained protesters and the return of a seized motorcycle.

Human rights organisations demanded an internal investigation against police authorities who had given the order to block and disperse the protest in Manokwari. [Mr Emanuel Gobay, the director of the Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua), declared](https://jubi.id/tanah-papua/2023/polisi-yang-merepresi-massa-peringatan-hari-ham-sedunia-harus-diproses-hukum/), “The Papua Barat Police Chief should immediately initiate a legal process against officers who committed acts of violence during the demonstration on the Human Rights Day for the alleged crime of ill-treatment as stipulated in Article 351 KUHP (Indonesian Criminal Code).”  

## Incident Period & Location
- **Start Date:** December 10, 2023
- **End Date:** December 10, 2023
- **Period Type:** Single Day
- **Reference Date:** December 10, 2023 (used for chronological ordering)
- **Location:** - Amban
- **Geographic Coordinates (WGS84):** -0.84085427207023, 134.06448583436
- **Google Maps:** https://maps.google.com/?q=-0.84085427207023,134.06448583436
- **Administrative Regions:**
  - **Region 1:** Indonesia (Country) > Papua Barat Province (Province) > Manokwari (Regency) > West Manokwari (District)
  - **Region 2:** Indonesia (Country) > West Papua (Province) > Manokwari (Regency) > West Manokwari (District)

## Victims
**Total number of victims:** 5

| Count | Name | Age | Gender | Groups | Violations |
|-------|------|-----|--------|--------|------------|
| 1 person | Manuel Mirin | unknown | male | Indigenous Peoples, Activist | arbitrary detention |
| 1 person | Noak Miagoni | unknown | male | Indigenous Peoples, Activist | arbitrary detention |
| 3 people | unknown | unknown | unknown | Indigenous Peoples, Activist | ill-treatment |
| dozens | unknown | unknown | unknown | Indigenous Peoples | freedom of assembly |

## Perpetrators
**Perpetrator Category Paths:**
- **Category 1:** Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Police

- **Perpetrator Description:** unknown