Three Christian employees working for an agriculture office in Indonesia's Highland Papua province have been killed in an armed ambush, raising fresh concerns over the safety of civilians caught up in the region's long-running conflict.
The victims were travelling with five colleagues to distribute food assistance to local residents when their vehicle was stopped on the Wamena-Tiom road in Muliama village at about 3.15pm on 9 September.
The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Its spokesperson, Sebby Sambom, alleged that the three victims were Indonesian military intelligence agents, although that claim has not been independently verified.
Sambom said fighters from the group's Kodap III Ndugama Derakma unit stopped the vehicle and searched the passengers' belongings. He claimed the three were shot after attempting to flee because they might have been able to reveal the fighters' location to Indonesian security forces.
Indonesian military officials, however, said the victims were civilians and government employees. Lieutenant Colonel Ilham Datu Ramang, commander of the Jayawijaya military district, said the armed group separated Indigenous and non-Indigenous Papuans among those travelling in the vehicle.
The three bodies were taken to Wamena Regional Hospital, while their surviving colleagues were brought to Jayawijaya Police headquarters for questioning.
Ilham said authorities had not yet established which armed group was responsible for the killings. “It cannot yet be confirmed which armed group shot them,” he said.
Chief Inspector General Faizal Ramadhani, who leads Operation Damai Cartenz, the joint security operation involving Indonesian military and police personnel in Papua, said investigators were working to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.
Father Aleksandro Rangga, executive director of the Franciscans' Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation office in Papua, told UCA News that two of the victims, Aprida Rapi, 49, and Alfonsius Albinus Meha, 35, were Catholics. The third, Willi Mbuik, 25, was a Protestant. All three came from East Nusa Tenggara province.
Father Rangga condemned the killings and said civilians were becoming increasingly vulnerable in areas affected by the conflict. He linked the concern to public comments by Indonesian military chief Agus Subiyanto about deploying soldiers to work as teachers and health workers.
The priest argued that a greater military presence in civilian roles could increase the risks faced by ordinary people while the government continues to rely on a security-focused response to the conflict.
According to Father Rangga, fighting between Indonesian security forces and armed rebel groups has become more sporadic but is now occurring closer to Wamena, the capital of Highland Papua.
He called on all sides to exercise restraint and urged the Indonesian government to pursue a national dialogue between Jakarta and Papua. He warned that replacing such a process with terms such as sectoral dialogue or constructive communication could delay meaningful efforts towards peace.
Sambom separately claimed that an exchange of fire between his group's fighters and Indonesian security forces occurred several hours after the civilian killings. He said there were no casualties among the rebel fighters, although the claim has not been independently verified.
The rebel spokesperson also threatened to expand fighting around Wamena, saying the Kodap III Ndugama Derakma unit would not withdraw. He called on motorists using Trans Papua routes to reduce their speed, remove their helmets and keep vehicle windows open, while urging government activities in Wamena to stop during daylight hours.
Sambom said hospitals, schools and activities protected under international humanitarian law should be exempt from the demand.
The TPNPB-OPM has also called for internationally mediated negotiations with the Indonesian government to address what it describes as the political causes of the prolonged conflict in Papua.
The latest killings highlight the continuing danger faced by civilians in Papua, where armed groups and Indonesian security forces have been involved in a conflict that has persisted for decades.
Based on reporting by UCA News.
