The new members of the local parliament in the regency of Nduga were inaugurated on 24 February 2020. On 26 February 2020, the parliament members organised a public worship with a traditional earth oven in the town of Kenyam, to which many indigenous peoples from nearby districts came. The public event was overshadowed by an armed clash between members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) and Indonesian Security Forces. During the exchange of fire, the security forces shot dead 25-year-old Wislina Tabuni (see intro image) as she was seeking cover. She sustained a lethal bullet wound to the neck and died shortly after the attack. Another indigenous Papuan named Yosman Wasiangge (20 years) was severely injured by a bullet during the shooting. The projectile hit Yosman in the right side of the lower back (see image on the right). He was flown on 27 February 2020 to the general hospital in Timika, where the projectile was surgically removed on the following day.
According to information from local human rights defenders, military members tortured two persons named Krianus Umburuangge (23 years) and Nekianus Umangge (32 years, see image on the left below) shortly after the exchange of fire (see table below). Both victims were admitted to the general hospital in Timika on 27 February 2020.
The reports claim that members of the military allegedly asked Krianus to help a security force member who had been wounded during the armed clash. When Krianus came to the military post, the security force members arrested and subsequently tortured him. Nekianus Umangge was arrested by military members shortly after the clash as he was fleeing the combat area with a group of villagers who had also joined the worship.
Sources claim that joint security forces combed residential areas in Kenyam on 27 and 28 February 2020 in response to the armed clash. The TPN PB announced acts of retaliation for the attacks against Papuan civilians.
Table of victims during armed clash in Kenyam on 26 February 2020
|
No |
Name |
Age |
Gender |
Additional Information |
|
1 |
Wislina Tabuni |
25 years |
female |
Mother of one infant; sustained a lethal bullet wound to the neck, the body was buried on 27 February 2020 in Kenyam |
|
2 |
Yosman Wasiangge |
20 years |
male |
Sustained bullet wound to the right side of the lower back, projectile needed to be surgically removed |
|
3 |
Krianus Umburuangge (nick name: Riantus) |
23 years |
male |
Military members repeatedly struck him with a rifle butt to the back of the head causing a bruise, repeatedly kicked him in the face causing a large wound, pulled out his right toe nail using pliers and pushed glowing cigarette butts in his back, the right pointer was struck with a hammer, he sustained bleeding injuries on the lower back, the face the right hand, right foot and in the face, as well as bruises on the rips, he had to be hospitalised |
|
4 |
Nekianus Umangge (nick name: Kiantus) |
32 years |
male |
Head of Juwe Village in the district of Mapenduma, military members arrested and tortured him, they repeatedly struck him with a rifle butt in the face leaving both eyes bruised, pushed glowing cigarette butts in his back and the right thigh, pushed a rifle barroll into the victim’s mouth causing bruises on both lips and the mouth, struck him with a wooden beam to the back of the head resulting in a bleeding injury on the back of the head, struck him with a wooden beam on the right hand and repeatedly stomped with combat boots on his chest leaving sever bruises on the victim’s chest, he had to be hospitalised |
