Jayapura, Jubi – The Executive Student Council of Cenderawasih University (BEM Uncen) says it has evidence that police fired at protesters during clashes between security personnel and students at a demonstration against the New York Agreement in Perumnas III Waena, Heram district, Jayapura, Papua, on Saturday (15/08/2026).
BEM Uncen Minister for Law and Human Rights Darki Uropmabin said Jayapura City Police had denied that officers fired at protesters during the dispersal of the demonstration the day after the incident.
According to Uropmabin, police said the crowd had been dispersed using only tear gas and water cannons.
"We saw for ourselves that police did fire at the protesters. BEM Uncen rejects Jayapura City Police's claim that the BEM Uncen vice president was not shot. That is completely untrue. We have hospital records, and there is physical evidence of a gunshot wound," Uropmabin said at a press conference at the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) office in Abepura district, Jayapura, on Friday (21/08/2026).
BEM Uncen called on Jayapura City Police to take responsibility for the incident and urged that those responsible be held legally accountable under Article 351 of the Indonesian Criminal Code concerning assault, as well as applicable police disciplinary regulations.
BEM Uncen also called on the Papua Police to evaluate the performance of Jayapura City Police and police departments across Papua.
"BEM Uncen will wait for the next few days. If the police do not take responsibility, BEM Uncen will mobilise students and demand answers from the Papua Police and Jayapura City Police," he said.
Meanwhile, LBH Papua representative Emanuel Gobay questioned who was responsible for triggering the violence.
"The students who held the peaceful demonstration had attempted to negotiate with security personnel four times. One of the student leaders even agreed to serve as a guarantor for the demonstration," Gobay said.
He referred to the peaceful demonstration held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) on August 3, 2026, which coincided with a counter-rally organised by the Barisan Merah Putih.
Gobay said that under Indonesian law, police are responsible for managing demonstrations once they have received prior notification.
He questioned whether the Barisan Merah Putih had submitted a notification to police about its planned demonstration at the time.
Gobay said that if police had received such notification, they had the authority to regulate the timing and conduct of the demonstrations. For example, if the KNPB rally began at 8 a.m. Papua Time, it could have been permitted to continue until noon.
The KNPB protesters could then have been instructed to disperse before the Barisan Merah Putih held its demonstration from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
"That would be fair. But both sides were allowed to take to the streets. So who actually caused the unrest? Who had the authority and had submitted the notification? The police, under the law. Let's just do this professionally. The information and authority are all in the hands of the police," he said.
Source: https://en.jubi.id/the-cendrawasih-student-board-says-it-has-evidence-police-fired-at-protesters