On 25 January 2026, Indonesian police officers arbitrarily detained eleven members of Suara Kaum Awam Katolik Regio Papua (Voice of Catholic People of Papua) while they were staging a peaceful silent protest in front of St Francis Xavier Cathedral, located in the City of Merauke, South Papua province. The protesters reported being choked and beaten. All eleven protesters were detained at the Merauke Police Station without clear information on the alleged criminal offences.
Members of Suara Kaum Awam Katolik Regio Papua gathered peacefully in front of St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Merauke to conduct a silent protest. At around 10:00 am, police officers arrived at the location and forcibly dispersed the protesters without prior warning or dialogue. Witnesses and victims reported that several protesters were physically assaulted, including acts of choking and beating one protester. All eleven participants were then taken to the Merauke Police Station and later released without charges.
Legal counsel from LBH Papua Merauke coordinated with the Criminal Investigation Unit to seek clarification regarding the legal grounds of the arrests. However, police authorities failed to disclose the specific legal grounds for detention or the identity of the complainant, raising serious concerns of arbitrariness.
Purpose and demands of the protest
The silent protest sought to raise concerns regarding the Church's role and state-backed development policies affecting indigenous peoples, particularly the Malind Anim and other indigenous communities in South Papua. The protesters voiced the following demands:
- A public apology from the Archbishop of Merauke to the Malind indigenous community for supporting the National Strategic Project (PSN) that threatens their survival.
- The replacement of the Archbishop by the Vatican due to alleged violations of Catholic social teachings and the Laudato Si' encyclical.
- Immediate dialogue by the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI) and the Vatican's diplomatic mission regarding alleged ecocide, ethnocide, and spiritual destruction on indigenous customary lands.
- The appointment of a native Papuan bishop in Merauke.
Human rights analysis
The detention of eleven peaceful protesters without clear legal grounds constitutes an arbitrary detention. Any peaceful protest is protected under the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as enshrined in Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The reported use of physical violence during arrest may amount to ill-treatment and violates the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 7 ICCPR.
The incident must be understood in the broader context of shrinking civic space in West Papua, where peaceful expressions of dissent, particularly those linked to indigenous rights, environmental protection, and criticism of National Strategic Projects, are met with repression.
Detailed Case Data
Location: Jl. Raya Mandala No. 30, Maro, Kec. Merauke, Kabupaten Merauke, Papua Selatan 99614, Indonesia (-8.4866753, 140.3903136) Gereja Katedral Merauke, Santo Fransiskus Xaverius
Region: Indonesia, South Papua, Merauke, Merauke
Total number of victims: 11
1. Kosmas D.S. Dambujai, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
2. Maria Amotey, female unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
3. Salerus Kamogou, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention, ill-treatment
4. Enjel Gebze, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
5. Marinus Pasim, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
6. Siria Yamtop, female unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
7. Matius Jebo, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
8. Ambrosius Nit, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
9. Hubertus Y. Chambu, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
10. Abel Kuruwop, male unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
11. Fransiskus Nikolaus, unknown Activist, Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
Period of incident: 25/01/2026-25/01/2026
Perpetrator: POLRES
Perpetrator details: Polres Merauke members
Issues: indigenous peoples, security force violence