Police officers forcefully dispersed a peaceful demonstration organised by the Alliance of Students, Youth, and People Caring for the Customary Land of South Papua (Ampera) in the Merauke Regency, Papua Selatan Province, on 18 November 2023. The demonstration aimed to voice concerns about the plight of the Awyu indigenous people, who had faced defeat in a dispute at the Jayapura State Administrative Court. Twenty student activists were arbitrarily detained at the Merauke District Police Headquarters (see photos on top and below, source: independent HRDs). All were reportedly released on the following day.
Human rights organisations criticised the arrests. The Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) protested the police intervention, asserting that Ampera had adequately notified the Merauke Police about the demonstration beforehand. LBH Papua Director Emanuel Gobay argued that the dispersal and subsequent arrests constituted a violation of Law No. 9/1998 on Freedom of Expression in Public, emphasizing that the actions of the Merauke Police contradicted their duties as law enforcers, as outlined in Article 13 of Law No 2/2002 concerning the Indonesian National Police.
Gobay further denounced the arrests as an abuse of authority, citing relevant regulations and accusing the Merauke Police Chief of suppressing democratic space and violating human rights principles as well as fundamental standards in the implementation of police duties. LBH Papua called for the immediate release of the 20 Ampera PS protestors, urging intervention from the Papua Regional Police Chief and the Papua Selatan Governor.
Representatives of the Papuan Regional Police (Polda Papua) denied that the protesters were arbitrarily detained. In an interview with CNN Indonesia, Polda Papua spokesperson Commissioner Ignatius Benny Prabowo stated, “… there were no arrests. They [the protesters] were only questioned and later sent home […] they were secured because they carried Morning Star symbols during the rally.”
Names of persons arrested in Merauke on 18 December 2023
| 1 | Eliron Kogoya | 11 | Yohanes Tegie |
| 2 | Yoram Owagai | 12 | Alex Boby |
| 3 | Emynce (female) | 13 | Martinus Magai |
| 4 | Elias Thackon | 14 | Paulus Madai |
| 5 | Ambros Nit | 15 | Simri Tabuni |
| 6 | Fidel Bengga | 16 | Boas Wegi |
| 7 | Natalis Buer | 17 | Dorus |
| 8 | Petrus Buer | 18 | Kosmas Kosay |
| 9 | Dadiel Magai | 19 | Yulianus Tigi |
| 10 | Robertus Meanggi | 20 | Yulius Tani |
Photos of detained AMPERA activists in Merauke, 18 11.2023
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Polsek Merauke (-8.474659564934484, 140.43678617322018)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Selatan Province, Merauke Regency, Merauke District
total number of victims: twenty
period of incident: 18.11.2023
perpetrator: police
perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: arbitrary arrest, freedom of peaceful assembly, indigenous peoples
Sources:
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1 | Otopius Bagau, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Eliron Kogoya, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Yoram Owagai, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Emynce, student | female | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Elias Thackon, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Ambros Nit, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Fidel Bengga, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Natalis Buer, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Petrus Buer, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Dadiel Magai, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Robertus Meanggi, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Yohanes Tegie, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Alex Boby, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Martinus Magai, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Paulus Madai, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Simri Tabuni, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Boas Wegi, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Dorus, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Kosmas Kosay, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Yulianus Tigi, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
| 1 | Yulius Tani, student | male | unknown | indigenous | arbitrary detention |
