The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Desk of the Papuan Tabernacle Church (JPIC Kingmi Papua) reported a case of enforced disappearance in the Intan Jaya Regency. According to relatives, members of the Damai Cartenz police task force forcefully entered their house in the Amaesiga Village, Sugapa District, on 10 November 2023, around 5:00 am, shortly after an armed clash between security forces and members of the West Papua National Liberation (TPNPB). The security force members arbitrarily arrested 26-year-old Mr Otopius Bagau, a resident of the neighbouring Homeyo District, who had come to visit the family since 9 November 2023. The relatives described that the security force members tortured Mr Bagau during the arrest.
On 12 November 2023, the relatives went to the District Police headquarters in Sugapa to ask about the whereabouts of Mr Otopius Bagau. A police officer said that Mr Bagau was not among the persons detained at the police station. The relatives continued searching for Mr Bagau (see photo: Mr Otopius sitting with his soft air rifle while hunting birds, Source: Kingmi Papua) but could not find him as of 21 November 2023. They have called upon the local police and military to immediately provide information about his place of detention, emphasising that Otopius Bagau is a civilian and not affiliated with the TPNPB.
Detailed Case Data
name of the location: Sugapa (-3.74886801093196, 137.01129539780803)
administrative region: Indonesia, Papua Tengah Province, Intan Jaya Regency, Sugapa District, Amaesiga Village
total number of victims: one
period of incident: 10.11.2023
perpetrator: other security forces
perpetrator details: unknown
Issues: torture, arbitrary arrest, indigenous peoples, enforced disappearance
Sources:
Further HRM News:
| Number | Name, Details | Gender | Age | Group Affiliation | Violations |
| 1 | Otopius Bagau | male | 26 | indigenous | arbitrary detention, torture, disappearances |
