On 1 October 2020, joint security force members raided the village of Wuluagaima in the Kurima district, Jayawijaya regency. Wulugaima is partly inhabited by various internally displaced persons from the Nduga regency. The security forces raided the village after they received intelligence information that members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) from Nduga were staying in the village.
The Foundation for Justice and the Integrity of the Papuan People (YKKMP) arrived in Wuluagaima shortly after the security force raid. According to YKKMP, three indigenous villagers were subjected to torture. The security personnel arrested two villagers during the raid and seized money for a total value of 23.800.000 IDR (about € 1.376) as well as four cell phones. The security force members also shot dead a domesticated pig. None of the seized objects have been so far returned to the owners.
According to the information received, security force members took position in the surrounding forests on 30 September 2020. On 1 October, around 3.50 am, approximately 100 security force members launched the raid. They surrounded the houses and threw smoke grenades in front of the doors while releasing warning shots. The villagers were forced to leave their houses and lie down on the floor. Subsequently, the villagers were interrogated one-by-one.
Nikson Wetipo, Numbugen Wetipo and Yospan Lokbere were reportedly tortured (see table below) resulting in severe injuries. On 2 October 2020, villagers brought Nikson Wetipo and Numbugen Wetipo to the town of Wamena (see intro image, source YKKMP), where they were had to undergo inpatient treatment at the Jayawijaya General Hospital.
Yospan Lokbere and Eram Tabuni were arbitrarily arrested and detained for one day at the Jayawijaya District Police Headquarters. Both were released on 2 October 2020 (see image on the right, source YKKMP) because the police did not find any evidence for any involvement in a criminal offence.
Table with victims of the security force raid in Wuluagaima Village on 1 October 2020
|
No |
Name |
Gender |
Age |
Additional information |
|
1 |
Nikson Wetipo |
male |
23 years |
Was forced to lie on the floor while security force members collectively stomped and kicked him to the chest and the back until he vomited blood. Other security force members stroke him with rifle butts on the head and body. |
|
2 |
Numbugen Wetipo |
male |
23 years |
Was forced to lie on the floor while security force members collectively stomped and kicked him to the chest and the back until he vomited blood. Other security force members stroke him with rifle butts on the head and body. |
|
3 |
Yospan Lokbere |
male |
27 years |
Arbitrarily arrested, security force members repeatedly kicked him with combat boots to the body as he was forced to lie on the ground. A security force member stroke him with a rifle butt to the head. Another officer repeatedly kicked him in the face while his hands were handcuffed during interrogation at the village. He was also whipped twice with a rope to the calves and twice with an iron wire to the back of the head. |
|
4 |
Eram Tabuni |
female |
19 years |
Arbitrarily arrested |
