Papua Barat Province: Military member kills minor during a wedding ceremony in Prafi District

On 4 June 2022, a military member shot dead a 16-year-old civilian, Rafael Ivan Balaweling in the Prafi District of Manokwari Regency, Papua Barat Province. Meanwhile, the military police (POM) have launched a criminal investigation against Staff Seargeant AFTJ, a member of the XVIII/Kasuari Military Command (Kodam). The victim’s relatives expressed concerns regarding the progress and transparency in the law enforcement process against the alleged perpetrator.

The shooting occurred during a wedding ceremony in the Aimasi village. According to the military spokesperson, General Tatang Subarna, the shooting was triggered by an argument between Staff Sergeant AFTJ and Rafael Ivan Balaweling. As the situation escalated, AFTJ pulled his weapon and shot the minor in the chest. Another soldier named Staff Sergeant Bayu sustained a bullet injury in the stomach and was admitted to the Marines Hospital (RSAL) in Manokwari City. Rafael Ivan Balaweling died shortly after the shooting at the Prafi Health Centre (Puskesmas). Subarma announced that the case will be processed with full transparency in accordance with the law on military criminal procedure.

The victim’s relatives declared in an interview with media outlet Jubi on 20 June 2022 that the investigation process was slow and not open to the family. Some of the relatives were present as the shooting occurred. However, members of the military police took the relatives’ testimonies only one week after the incident. The family has not been informed about the current stage and progress of the law enforcement operation. The first reconstruction of the cause of events was reportedly carried out in Aimasi on 21 June 2022 (see photo, source: Jubi).

Detailed Case Data
name of the location: (-0.8739859392767174, 133.8210056543115), Aimasi Village
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Barat Province, Manokwari Regency, Prafi District, Aimasi Village
total number of victims: 1
period of incident: 04.06.2022
perpetrator: military
perpetrator details: Staff Seargeant AFTJ, member of the XVIII/Kasuari Military Command (Kodam)
Issues: extra-judicial killings, indigenous peoples
Sources: https://jubi.id/tanah-papua/2022/kasus-penembakan-ivan-balaweling-keluarga-minta-penegakan-hukum-militer-transparan/
Further HRM News:

NumberName, DetailsGenderAgeGroup AffiliationViolations
1 Rafael Ivan Balawelingmale16execution

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