On 3 April 2026, members of the Indonesian Marine Corps arbitrarily detrained and subsequently tortured Mr Etoni Suhun, 18, at a Marine post on Tambang Kokamo Road near Dekai town, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Highlands Province. Mr Suhun is a senior high school student from Weawen Village, Soloikma District, Yahukimo Regency. He was detained without legal basis and subjected to severe physical abuse over a period of approximately two days and three nights before being released on 5 April 2026 morning.
Mr Suhun was travelling by minibus from Dekai to a gold panning site along the Ei River when Marine personnel stopped the vehicle and searched all passengers at a checkpoint around 10:30 am. Officers reportedly singled him out solely on the basis of his physical appearance, including his dreadlocked hair, necklace, and beard. Despite finding no incriminating evidence, the officers detained him and transferred him between multiple Marine posts, including locations along the Seradala Road and in the Kokamo Village.
During detention, Marine personnel accused him of being affiliated with the TPNPB and subjected him to repeated interrogation accompanied by torture. The victim reported being kicked with boots, beaten with electrical cables on the back (see photos below, source: independent HRD), and electrocuted with exposed wires while his hands were tied behind his back, and his eyes covered with duct tape. The hands were only untied during during meals.
On 4 April 2026 at approximately 11:10 Papua Time, he was transferred to another Marine post on Jalan Statistik. Mr Suhun was ultimately released in the morning of 5 April 2026, as military members returned him to his home in Paradiso Street and allegedly gave him IDR 100,000 (about € 6) while instructing him not to document or disclose the abuse.
Human rights analysis
This case constitutes a prima facie violation of the prohibition of arbitrary detention. The absence of an arrest warrant, lack of evidence, and reliance on discriminatory profiling based on physical appearance indicate clear non-compliance with both Indonesian criminal procedure and Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Under international human rights law, the detention appears unlawful and arbitrary, lacking necessity, proportionality, and legal certainty.
The reported acts of torture , including beatings, electrocution, and coercive interrogation, constitute serious violations of the absolute prohibition of torture, a non-derogable norm under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The deliberate infliction of severe physical and mental suffering for the purpose of extracting a confession or information meets the legal threshold of torture. Furthermore, the attempt by officers to silence the victim through intimidation and monetary inducement raises concerns regarding obstruction of justice and impunity, undermining the victim’s right to an effective remedy.
This case must be viewed within a broader pattern of arbitrary detentions and torture by security forces in Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, over recent months. Multiple documented incidents indicate that young Indigenous Papuan civilians have been repeatedly targeted by security forces on vague or unsubstantiated suspicions of affiliation with the TPNPB. Such operations have frequently involved racial profiling, interception at checkpoints, and subsequent detention in military facilities without judicial oversight.
Testimonies from several cases point to the systematic use of torture and coercive interrogation methods, including beatings, electrocution, and threats, suggesting that such practices are not isolated but may reflect a pattern of conduct tolerated or inadequately addressed within security operations in the Yahukimo Regency and potentially other conflict areas. The recurrence of these violations, coupled with the absence of effective accountability mechanisms, raises serious concerns regarding structural impunity and the normalisation of abusive practices in the region.
Wounds on Mr Etoni Suhun’s back which he sustaiuned as a result of torture during military detention in Derkai District between 3 and 5 April 2026
Detailed Case Data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-058-2026
Region: Indonesia > Highland Papua > Yahukimo > Dekai
Total number of victims: 1
#
Number of Victims
Name, Details
Gender
Age
Group Affiliation
Violations
1.
1
Etoni Suhun
diverse
18
Indigenous Peoples, Student
arbitrary detention, torture
Perpetrator: Republic Indonesia > Indonesian Security Forces > Indonesian Military (TNI) > Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL)
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence
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Arrests of KNPB members in Dekai, Yahukimo - 16 arbitrarily arrested
Arbitrary detention of two Papuan youth in Dekai, Yahukimo Regency: One is still a minor
Military drone attack on civilian house in Dekai kills Papuan 17-year-old pupil - one person injured
Police arrest two minors in Dekai without a warrant
Police officers arbitrarily detain three Papuans at Dekai Airport, Yahukimo