Indonesia, West Papua – On 12 June 2025, police officers reportedly opened fire while patrolling the Deiyapa Village, Kamu Timur District, Dogiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province, injuring a 17-year-old Papuan, Jebulon Pigai.

According to witness accounts, the police officers released shots without an obvious reason. Jebulon, who was sitting in front of his home at the time of the shooting, sustained a bullet wound in the right thigh. Following the shooting, the vehicles immediately left the scene, leaving the injured teenager behind. The incident has sparked public outrage, with community leaders demanding that the Dogiyai Police Chief disclose the identity of those responsible and ensure accountability.

At approximately 2:30 pm, a car convoy consisting of eight white Avanza cars, reportedly under the command of the Dogiyai Police Chief, was seen travelling from Ugapuga to Moanemani. During the transit, the convoy passed through Deiyapa, where Jebulon Pigai was sitting outside his home. According to multiple eyewitness testimonies, shots were fired from one of the vehicles without provocation or prior warning, striking Jebulon in the right thigh. The convoy then left the scene. The victim did not receive on-site medical attention from the authorities. Residents carried Jebulon inside the family's house and provided first aid (see photos below, source: independent HRD).

In contrast to community accounts, the Dogiyai Police denied any involvement, calling the incident a hoax and alleging that no official patrols were conducted on that day. However, a subsequent statement by the Central Papua Police Chief acknowledged a police presence in the area and described an alleged confrontation with youths engaging in extortion. The police claim that warning shots were fired after officers were threatened with machetes, yet no official injury report was filed. The existence of civilian victims was downplayed or denied.

The local community has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the shooting, with demands directed at the Dogiyai Police Chief to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. There is an urgent need for forensic examination, collection of eyewitness statements, and medical documentation to verify the facts.

Militarised policing and disproportionate force against Papuan civilians have significantly increased in the Dogiyai Regency in the past weeks. The incident is already the second of this pattern within the last month. On 23 May 2025, joint security forces reportedly opened fire and shot indiscriminately at civilians, injuring five Papuan minors in the Kimupugi Village, Kamu District. The police officers were searching for an unidentified group of persons who had thrown stones at the police post in the Pasar Lama Market in Moanemani.

This incident constitutes a potential arbitrary use of lethal force by state actors. Under international human rights law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a party, the right to life (Article 6) must be protected and respected. Law enforcement officers are required to use force only when strictly necessary and proportionate to the threat posed.

The reported shooting of an unarmed person without prior warning or evident threat violates the principles of necessity and proportionality and may amount to a serious human rights violation. Furthermore, the lack of immediate medical assistance, the flight of the police from the scene, and conflicting narratives from official sources demonstrate a failure to ensure accountability and adequate investigation, which is a breach of the state's duty to protect life and prevent impunity. The refusal to acknowledge the victim, alongside attempts to discredit community testimonies, also reflects a pattern of institutional denial and intimidation, commonly reported in other parts of West Papua

Source: https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/police-accused-of-shooting-papuan-teenager-in-dogiyai