BOVEN DIGOEL – Arbitrary actions by security forces have once again tarnished the democratic space in the Land of Papua. On Friday, May 1, 2026, four humanitarian activists were reportedly forcibly arrested by members of Kodim 1711/Boven Digoel at the courtyard of the Santa Bunda Hati Kudus Catholic Church Km 6, Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua. The incident, which occurred around 15:45 WIT, has drawn sharp scrutiny because it was carried out without any clear arrest warrant and involved a military unit in handling civilians.
The arrest of Roberts Lana, Julianus Kotremku, Stanislaus Aterop, and Adrianus Mahadin began while they were in the church environment which is geographically located near the Kodim headquarters. The TNI personnel allegedly conducted the arrest on the grounds that the activists were still within the military post area. The four victims were immediately taken to the Kodim 1711 Headquarters to undergo interrogation for approximately three hours in a tense situation without being accompanied by legal counsel.
The involvement of TNI personnel in arresting and examining civilians is considered a serious violation of legal procedures. Within the Indonesian legal system, the authority to arrest and examine civilians lies with the police force, not the military. The arrests, carried out without showing official warrants to the victims or their families, are seen as a form of intimidation against humanitarian activists and Human Rights Defenders (HRD) who have been consistently assisting civil society in Papua.
After undergoing examination at the military headquarters until 19:00 WIT, the four activists were then picked up by intelligence officers from the Boven Digoel Resort Police (Polres). The TNI argued that this transfer was conducted to hand over the handling of the case to the authorized party, namely the police. At the Polres office, they again underwent further interrogation for approximately 30 minutes in the intelligence room before finally being released at 20:00 WIT and driven back to the initial location of the arrest in front of the Catholic Church.
A representative from the Human Rights Defender (HRD) monitoring this case emphasized that this event adds to the long list of pressures on civil space in South Papua. They stated directly in their report that this action is very concerning for the future of human rights. "The involvement of TNI personnel in arresting civilians without a clear legal basis is a clear form of arbitrary action that contradicts the principles of a constitutional state and respect for human dignity," the reporter emphasized in their official statement.
Although the four activists now been released, this incident leaves deep trauma and concern. The public urges that legal procedures be enforced transparently and requests security forces to stop using repressive approaches against activists fighting for humanitarian values in the Land of Papua. This event serves as an important reminder for the international community and human rights institutions to continue monitoring the democratic emergency situation currently taking place. ***