According to the local media outlet Suara Papua, two indigenous Papuans from the village of Janamba in the Hitadipa district of Intan Jaya regency have been missing since 21 April 2020. Witnesses claim that they saw military members arresting Apianus Zanambani (22 years), Luter Zanambani (23 years) and a third man, whose name wasn’t mentioned, near the Sugapa National Senior High School 1 (SMA Negeri 1) during a military raid in the town of Sugapa, Intan Jaya. The third man arrested was later released, however there is no information about the whereabouts of Apianus and Luter Zanambani. Another informant stated that military members allegedly brought both men to the Mamba Village, Sugapa District.
On 14 May 2020, relatives of the missing men and the Head of the Indigenous Peoples’ Association in Intan Jaya went to the Sugapa Sub-District Police Station (Polsek Sugapa) and reported Apianus and Luter Zanambani missing after repeated attempts to find the two villagers remained unsuccessful (see both documents below). The relatives and a group of villagers from Janamba came to the Intan Jaya Regent’s office on 18 and 19 May 2020 to report the alleged enforced disappearance. They demanded a close cooperation between the local government and the police to investigate the case and inform the relatives whether Apianus and Luter Zanambani were still alive.
