On 21 October 2025, plainclothes police officers riding motorcycles arbitrarily arrested 17-year-old Cansius Yawiwa in Jalan Kuda Mati, Kamundu Subdistrict, Merauke City, South Papua Province. During his detention, the victim was subjected to torture, resulting in bruises across his body and abrasions on the right upper right side of his back (see photo on top, source: independent HRD). The incident raises concerns regarding the use of arbitrary detention and torture by Indonesian police in Merauke.

According to information provided by the victim's family, several plainclothes police officers intercepted and forcibly arrested Cansius Yawiwa without providing identification or an arrest warrant at approximately 2:40 pm. Following his disappearance, the family searched for him at several police stations in Merauke, including Kuda Mati Police Station and Merauke Police Headquarters, but police personnel denied knowledge of his detention.

At around 5:00 pm, the family again approached the Kuda Mati Police Station and Merauke Police Headquarters to demand clarification, but were only told to "wait for internal coordination results" from the leadership. At approximately 8:00 pm, Cansius was released from custody, covered in bruises as a result of beatings during police interrogation. The family took him home and provided medical treatment independently.

Human rights analysis

The arbitrary arrest and subsequent ill-treatment of a minor, conducted without a warrant or due process, constitute serious violations of international and national human rights law. The incident breaches:

• Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to liberty and security of person and prohibits arbitrary arrest or detention;
• Article 37(a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibits torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of children; and
• Articles 28G and 28I of the Indonesian 1945 Constitution, which protect the right to personal security and freedom from torture.

The repeated use of unlawful arrests and torture by security forces in West Papua, particularly against minors, reflects a pattern of impunity and institutional failure to uphold the rule of law. Such practices undermine public trust in law enforcement and perpetuate a climate of fear, particularly among Indigenous Papuan communities.

Source: https://humanrightsmonitor.org/case/police-reportedly-arrest-and-torture-minor-in-merauke