On 16 April 2025, members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), police officers, and civilians reportedly ill-treated 19-year-old Damianus Goo, a resident of Tigi Barat District, Deiyai Regency, in Dogiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province. While returning home from Nabire to his hometown, Mr Goo was intercepted by an individual suspected to be an intelligence officer who called joint security personnel. Without an obvious cause, the officers and several vendors from Moanemani Market violently assaulted him. The attack left Mr Damianus Goo with head and facial injuries (see photos on top & below, Source: independent HRD). Reports state that another young man named Mr Selpius Goo was also beaten under similar circumstances during the incident. The incident reflects a broader pattern of unprovoked and arbitrary violence by security forces in West Papua.
According to the information received, the beating occurred in the vicinity of Moanemani Market at around 4:00 pm and was not preceded by any warning, provocation, or legal justification. Shortly after being approached by the suspected plainclothes officer, security forces and a group of civilians collectively assaulted Mr Damianus Goo using rattan sticks, and other blunt objects. Damianus sustained significant injuries to his head and nose (see photos on top & below, Source: independent HRD) as a result of the ill-treatment. The police have not issued an official explanation or acknowledged responsibility for the assault. The victim and his family demand a public apology and legal accountability for those involved in the ill-treatment of Mr Damianus Goo and Mr Selpius Goo. They demand a prompt investigation and prosecution of all acts of torture. The use of physical violence by security forces and civilians without legal grounds exemplifies the erosion of the rule of law in conflict-affected regions of West Papua and underscores the urgent need for independent investigations, judicial remedies, and protective mechanisms for vulnerable populations.
Bleeding head injuries on Mr Damianus Goo’s face and head shortly after the collective assault, 16 April 2025
