On 7 February 2025, members of the Pumako Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) special unit reportedly opened fire at a Papuan farmer, Mr Marten Anouw, in the Kapiraya District, Deiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province. Mr Anouw was returning home from his garden near the Kapiraya Village Hall while carrying his harvest of sweet potatoes, beans, and taro. Without any apparent provocation, the Brimob officers allegedly fired 12 shots at him. Mr Anouw sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm as a result of the shooting (see photo on top, source: independent HRD). Following the shooting, Anouw was taken to the Kapiraya Community Health Centre, where he received medical treatment.
The shooting caused significant unrest in the community, leading residents to gather at the Kapiraya District Office (see video below, source: independent HRD). Mr Anouw and the community demand justice for the shooting of Mr Anouw. The shooting has again fuelled tensions in the region, raising concerns over the use of excessive force by security forces and the broader implications for the human rights situation in West Papua.
Following the incident, the residents also called for the revocation of PT Zoomirion’s permit, a gold mining company that indigenous land rights holders have claimed to operate illegally in the Kapiraya area. On 18 July 2024, a dispute over gold panning land in Kapiraya District escalated tensions between the Mee and Kamoro tribes. This dispute threatens the peaceful coexistence between the two tribes. The Central Papua Provincial Government has confirmed that gold mining activities are illegal, yet the company continues its illegal gold mining operations without interference from the police.
