Police fail to protect Papuan students during peaceful protest in Bali

Thirteen Papuan students have sustained bruises and injuries (see table and photos below, source: AMP) after being attacked by Garuda Nusantara Patriots (PGN) members during a peaceful assembly on 1 April 2023 in the city of Denpasar, Bali Province. The PGN is one of many nationalist groups in Indonesia promoting pro-government values and state ideologies. The protest was launched by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) and aimed to raise awareness of the deteriorating human rights situation and the ruthless exploitation of natural resources in West Papua. The police failed to provide security for the Papuan protesters during the public assembly. According to AMP members, several plain-cloth police officers present did not take action to disperse the crowd or protect the Papuan students during the attack.

Papuan students gathered around 8.30 am and were met by dozens of PGN members near the Udayana Tourism Faculty in Denpasar. According to the students, plain cloth police officers had monitored protesters gathering at the meeting point. The situation turned tense after negotiations between the protesters and the PGN did not bring results. Around 10.10 am, the PGN members began throwing stones and bottles at the protesters. Others were punching and kicking the Papuan students to push them back into the university campus (see videos below, source: independent HDRs). At 10.30 am, the Papuan students retreated and cancelled the protest.

The Bali Legal Aid Institute (LBH Bali) has documented ongoing obstruction, dispersal, and violence against Papuan students in Bali. These include the arrest and beating of protesters from Formalipa Bali in March 2021, the circulation of posters with terrorist messages aimed at Papuans in May 2021, and the repression of peaceful demonstrations by Papuan students in November 2022 and December 2022. Additionally, advocates and legal aid providers accompanying Papuan students were subjected to intimidation and criminalisation.

The recurrence of these events violates human rights and manifests long-grown racist sentiments towards indigenous Papuans in some parts of Indonesian society. The circle of violence is perpetuated in the absence of law enforcement institutions to process the perpetrators of violence. In response, the AMP, LBH Bali, and the Indonesian Legal Institute (YLBHI) condemned the violence and obstruction of peaceful demonstrations in Bali. They called upon the police to fulfil their obligation to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people in Indonesia.

Video of dispersal of the protest.

Video of the dispersal of the protest.

Table of Papuan students injured in Bali on 1 April 2023

No	Name	Injury sustained
1	Wemison Enembe	Was hit by a stone and sustained a head injury
2	Gabriel Bunai	PGN members punched him; he was hit by a stone and sustained a head injury
3	Yohanes Hilapok	Was hit by a stone and sustained bruises on the hand
4	Yunus Tagi	Was hit by a stone and sustained a bleeding injury on the temple
5	Bolikam Kogoya	Was hit with a bamboo stick to the foot, causing injuries on multiple toes
6	Erik Waker	Was hit by a stone and sustained bruises on the leg
7	Fredy Agaki	Was hit by a stone and sustained bruises on the leg
8	Derimon Kepno	Was punched and hit by a stone on the calf
9	Daut Mote	Was splashed with chili fluid
10	Yan Wetipo	Was hit with a stick to the hand, causing bruises
11	Marbinus Pigai	Was punched to the head and hit by a stone in the back
12	Herry Meaga	Was splashed with chilli fluid to the eyes
13	Andi Pekey	Was splashed with chilli fluid to the eyes

Detailed Case Data
Location: Udayana Tourism Faculty
Region: Indonesia, Bali, Denpasar
Total number of victims: 13

#	Number of Victims	Name, Details	Gender	Age	Group Affiliation	Violations
1.	1	Wemison Enembe	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
2.	1	Gabriel Bunai	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
3.	1	Yohanes Hilapok	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
4.	1	Yunus Tagi	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
5.	1	Bolikam Kogoya	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
6.	1	Erik Waker	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
7.	1	Fredy Agaki	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
8.	1	Derimon Kepno	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
9.	1	Daut Mote	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
10.	1	Yan Wetipo	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
11.	1	Marbinus Pigai	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
12.	1	Herry Meaga	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly
13.	1	Andi Pekey	male	unknown	Indigenous Peoples	ill-treatment, freedom of assembly

Period of incident: 01/04/2023 – 01/04/2023
Perpetrator: Indonesian Police

Perpetrator details: Garuda Nusantara Patriots (PGN)

Issues: security force violence, indigenous peoples