On 10 March 2026, Members of the Indonesian Marine Corps arbitrarily detained indigenous gold panner, Mr Anton Payage, at the Marine Corps post on Seradala Road near the Nami River gold panning site in Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Highlands Province. Mr Payage was apprehended while travelling to a traditional gold panning location. The grounds for the arrest remain unclear, and no warrant was presented at the time of apprehension.
According to the information received, Mr Anton Payage and other passengers were travelling together in a single vehicle towards the Nami River gold panning site when they were stopped by members of the Yahukimo Marine Corps unit around 11:30 am. The arrest occurred directly in front of a Marine Corps post on Seradala Road. While multiple individuals were reportedly present in the vehicle, only Mr Payage was apprehended. Witnesses indicate that the security forces did not provide any explanation for the arrest, nor did the security force personnel present an arrest warrant.
Human rights and legal analysis
The arrest raises serious concerns under international human rights law, particularly regarding the prohibition of arbitrary detention. Under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State Party, any deprivation of liberty must be lawful, necessary, and accompanied by clear legal grounds. The failure to present an arrest warrant, provide reasons for the arrest, or ensure prompt access to legal counsel suggests a violation of these standards. Furthermore, the targeting of civilians engaged in subsistence economic activities such as gold panning raises concerns about discriminatory or security-driven policing practices in West Papua.
Under Indonesian domestic law, the arrest also appears to contravene provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), which requires law enforcement officials to present an arrest warrant and clearly state the reasons for arrest, except in cases of flagrante delicto. There is no indication that such conditions were met in this case. The involvement of military personnel in civilian law enforcement activities further raises concerns regarding the militarisation of policing functions and the lack of accountability mechanisms.
Given the broader pattern of similar incidents in Yahukimo Regency, this case may form part of a wider practice of arbitrary detention carried out by Indonesian security forces, particularly in areas associated with natural resource extraction or alleged separatist activity.
Detailed case data
Location: 4J38+JV, Kokamu, Dekai, Yahukimo regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia (-4.8958868, 139.6171251) Marine Corps Post near Nami River
Region: Indonesia, Highland Papua, Yahukimo, Dekai
Total number of victims: 1
1. Anton Payage, male adult Indigenous Peoples arbitrary detention
Period of incident: 10/03/2026-10/03/2026
Perpetrator: Indonesian Military (TNI), Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL)
Issues: indigenous peoples