Indonesia, West Papua – In the early hours of 18 June 2025, the Indonesian military (TNI) launched a coordinated armed assault on the villages of Bulapa and Yoparu in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency.
The military forces reportedly entered through multiple routes, including the Waeabu, Mimiabu, and Bulabu rivers, and the main connecting road between Yoparu and Gamagae. According to witnesses, gunfire erupted at approximately 04:15 am and continued until 07:30 am. The raid led to the deaths of three Indigenous civilians and the mass displacement of villagers seeking safety.
At around 02:30 am, Indonesian military units infiltrated the Sugapa area in a silent formation via three key access routes. By 04:15 am, automatic gunfire was reported from the direction of Bulapa Village. As the gunfire intensified, villagers of Yoparu reportedly sought shelter at the Galunggama Catholic Church compound, while residents of Bulapa fled to nearby forests and safer areas. During this raid, three civilians were shot dead in the yard of their home in an area that the locals call Mimitapa. As of the latest update, the military remains stationed in the area with armed presence. Access to the villages is restricted for media and humanitarian workers. Civilians in the area have suffered from trauma and displacement, while further victims may still be unaccounted for.
Local communities, human rights organisations, and churches have called for the immediate withdrawal of non-organic military forces from civilian areas in Intan Jaya to prevent further escalation of violence. They also demand full and unimpeded access for humanitarian, medical, and human rights organisations to deliver emergency assistance and monitor the situation. The Indonesian government is urged to ensure the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Conventions, and to uphold its obligations under international human rights treaties.
Background
Military raids such as those recently reported from Sugapa District are no isolated incidents. Over the past months, armed violence in Puncak, Nduga, and Intan Jaya regencies has increased significantly, amid intensifying armed conflict and counterinsurgency operations against the TPNPB. Security forces, particularly the military, have increased repression against civilians, leaving residents vulnerable to arbitrary detention, torture, and unlawful executions. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has reached a new peak in June 2025, leaving more than 97,000 indigenous Papuans internally displaced as a result of the intensifying armed conflict.
The incident constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, including the prohibition of extrajudicial killings and the principle of distinction, which requires parties to a conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians. The use of lethal force in civilian areas without warning or the presence of active hostilities violates the right to life and security under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a State party. The military presence and restriction of access further impede humanitarian relief and accountability efforts.
Table of civilian victims killed during military raid in Sugapa District on 18 June 2025 (see original document)