On 16 August 2024, police officers detained two members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) without providing a warrant during a peaceful rally commemorating the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Papua Uprising in Jayapura City, Papua Province. Mr Sadrak Lagowan, the KNPB Sentani Spokesperson, and KNPB field coordinator, Mr Omikzon Balinga, were taken into custody at Ekspo Waena, Heram District. The arrest was accompanied by heavy security presence, with hundreds of police and plainclothes intelligence personnel deployed across Jayapura in anticipation of the rally. Human rights observers understood the heavy police presence as an attempt to suppress peaceful political action in West Papua.
The day’s events unfolded with KNPB members gathering for a planned long march, which was ultimately curtailed due to the excessive security presence. Instead, the group held discussions and reflections at Ekspo Waena, Jayapura City. After reading out a statement commemorating the 2019 racist incidents, Mr Lagowan and Mr Balinga were detained by the authorities (see videos below, source: KNPB). The incident occurred only one day after police officers arbitrarily detained about a hundred protesters during a peaceful rally in Jayapura. Sixteen protesters reportedly sustained injuries as a result of police violence
The police, represented by Commissioner Deni Herdiana, claimed that the activists were merely “secured for questioning” rather than formally arrested. This explanation was challenged by human rights advocate and director of the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua), Mr Emanuel Gobay, who stressed that the detention lacked legal basis as no criminal offense had been committed.
The incident highlights the persisting lack of adherence to applicable legal provisions by Indonesian authorities, particularly in the political context of West Papua. Many Papuans perceive the restriction of freedom of expression as part of a racist and oppressive state system. Acts of criminalisation against activists and human rights defenders fuel debates about freedom of expression and human rights in West Papua, with calls for the government to respect the Papuan peoples’ right to voice their aspirations peacefully.
Police officers arrest Mr Sadrak Lagowan and Mr Omikzon Balinga in Jayapura on 16.08.2024
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Taman Budaya Expo Waena (-2.595848226370594, 140.63205676622667)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Province, Jayapura City
total number of victims: two
period of incident: 16.08.2024
perpetrator: police
perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, indigenous peoples, arbitrary arrest
Sources:
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1 | Sadrak Lagowan, KNPB | male | unknown | indigenous, activist | freedom of assembly |
| 1 | Omikzon Balinga, KNPB | male | unknown | indigenous, activist | freedom of assembly |
