Papuan separatist leaders have accused Indonesian security forces of killing six civilians in the Highlands region of West Papua, intensifying longstanding tensions in the restive province. The incident reportedly occurred on September 18, when security personnel allegedly opened fire on a group of 10 villagers returning from a gold-panning site near Samboga village, Yahukimo Regency. According to the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM), an umbrella group comprising several armed separatist factions, six civilians died as a result of the shooting.
The TPNPB-OPM claimed soldiers used drone surveillance to monitor the civilians as they left the mining area and entered the village. Separatist leader Benny Wenda condemned the attack, accusing Indonesian forces of targeting non-combatants and withholding the bodies from families as part of ongoing abuses. Wenda called on Pacific nations to increase diplomatic pressure on Jakarta and advocated for a United Nations human rights investigation into the situation in Papua. He urged Pacific leaders to raise the issue during the 2026 UN General Assembly, emphasizing that peace and justice in West Papua require international intervention.
In response, Indonesia’s Habema Operational Command, established in 2024 to coordinate security efforts in Papua, stated it was examining the allegations. Meanwhile, Operation Peace Cartenz, a police-led task force operating in the area, denied involvement in the shooting. The Indonesian military did not provide immediate comment.
The incident marks the latest in a series of violent episodes across Papua’s Highlands, where a protracted separatist conflict has persisted despite government attempts to stabilize the region. Papua Police Chief Patrige Renawan reported that between January and September 2026, 29 people had died due to violence linked to armed groups, including 25 civilians and four security personnel.
Indonesian Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai, himself a native Papuan and former national human rights commissioner, acknowledged that the government is struggling to effectively counter separatist groups’ messaging, which often disseminate claims and imagery more rapidly than official channels. Pigai emphasized the need for stronger enforcement of humanitarian law among all parties, stressing that both security forces and separatist groups must avoid harm to civilians.
West Papua has long been the site of low-level armed conflict, with separatists demanding independence from Indonesia. The government maintains that it is working to restore order and promote development, but reports of human rights abuses continue to draw international concern. This latest incident and the contrasting official responses underscore the ongoing challenges faced in resolving the region’s complex and deeply rooted conflict.