The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Desk of the Papuan Tabernacle Church (Kingmi Papua), The Papuan Institute of Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (ELSHAM Papua) together with the West Papuan Council of Churches have documented another case of torture in the Keerom Regency, Papua Province. Military personnel of the Kopasus Maleo special forces reportedly tortured three Papuan children and their parents inside a military post at the Yuwanain Village, Arso District, on 27 October 2022. They are part of the Damai Cartenz operation, a joint police and military operation to curb armed separatist groups in West Papua. The military members accused Rahmat Paise, 14 years, Bastian Bate, 13 years, and Laurents Kaung, 11 years, of stealing a cockatoo bird, that the military personnel sell as part of their illegal animal trafficking business.
The military police have launched an investigation into the incident. According to a spokesperson of the Pomdam XVII/Cenderawasih military command, 32 military members will be examined in relation to the case.
According to information received, military members forcefully arrested the three minors at their house at 6.00 am and brought them to the military post in Yuwanain Village. Multiple military personnel collectively tortured Rahmat Paise, Bastian Bate, and Laurents Kaung inside the military post for three hours, punching, kicking and whipping them with a water hose and iron wire. At 11.30 am, the military members brought the minors back to their parents.
Thereupon, Rahmat Paise’s parents brought their son to the Arso health centre and subsequently reported the incident to the Arso sub-district police. Instead of processing the complaint, the police officers suggested the parents to report the torture to the local government agency for women and children in Keerom, where an officer assisted the family to report the incident to the military police in Keerom.
At 6.00 pm, the Kopasus members again came to the victims’ houses and arrested Rahmat Paise, Bastian Bate, and Laurents Kaung. As Rahmat’s father, Mr Jhon Pasei, wanted to protect his son, a military member pointed his gun at him, saying that the parents could come to the military post to witness their son being tortured. After arriving at the post, the parents witnessed how the military personnel tortured the three minors. Military members repeatedly punched the parents and threatened them at gunpoint as they wanted to intervene in order to protect their children.
The special force members stopped the torture around 11.30 pm after members of the military police came to the military post. At 12.00 am, Rahmat Paise, Bastian Bate, and Laurents Kaung were admitted to the Marthen Indey Aryoko military hospital in Jayapura. Their entire bodies were bruised (see photos below, source: JPIC Kingmi Papua & ELSHAM Papua). As of 31 October 2022, Rahmat Paise keeps vomiting and is not able to take in water and digest food as a result of the torture.
Photos of Rahmat Paise, Bastian Bate, and Laurents Kaung during medical treatment at the Marthen Indey Aryoko military hospital in Jayapura
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Yuwanain (-2.9020525098415364, 140.7674106432345)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Province, Keerom Regency, Arso District, Yuwanain Village
total number of victims: 3
period of incident: 27.10.2022
perpetrator: other security forces
perpetrator details: Kopasus Maleo special forces
Issues: torture, ill-treatment, indigenous peoples, child rights, arbitrary detention
Sources:
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1 | Rahmat Paise | male | 14 | indigenous, activist | torture, arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Bastian Bate | male | 13 | indigenous, activist | torture, arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Laurents Kaung | male | 11 | indigenous, activist | torture, arbitrary detention |
