West Papua – On 19 April 2025, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) members reportedly executed an unarmed indigenous Papuan named Mr Yulli Kalakmabin, 28, in Wanbakon Village, Serambakon District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency.
Kalakmabin, a resident of Parim Village, was travelling to Oksop District to visit his wife and children when he was fatally shot dead with a pistol. The shot struck his spine and penetrated his left arm (see photos below, source: independent HRD). The killing took place amid a broader military occupation of the Serambakon and Oksop districts, where military operations have intensified since late 2024, endangering civilian life and security in the area.
According to information from human rights defenders in Oksibil, Yulli departed Parim Village in the early morning of 19 April. Around 4:47 pm, while passing through Wanbakon Village, he was shot by joint TNI forces without warning. His body was left at the site of the crime for two days. It was only on 22 April that Mr Kalakmabin's body was evacuated. The body was buried later that day at the Darikal Public Cemetery at 5:00 pm. The TNI issued no official statement to date, and local authorities have not initiated any legal investigation into the case.
The victim's family and local community demand an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into Mr Yulli Kalakmabin's death. All perpetrators should be held accountable under Indonesian and international human rights law. From a legal perspective, the killing of Mr Kalakmabin constitutes a violation of the right to life under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a state party.
Cases of extra-judicial killings frequently occurred in West Papua, particularly in the context of counter-insurgency operations in conflict-affected areas of West Papua. The case exemplifies the urgent need for demilitarisation, accountability, and human rights monitoring in West Papua, where systemic impunity continues to shield security forces from justice.