“Abral Wandikbo was kidnapped, mutilated for days and killed in silent TNI operation in Yuguru, Nduga Regency. His body were thrown into civilian’s garden at night.”

Introduction

Yuguru village is in mebarok district, which is under Nduga regency, Papua Pegunungan Province. On this high elevation ground, Yuguru, is one of the villages where the civilian refugees of Nduga war are currently taking shelter in. Yuguru, in Mebarok District was the place where the transfer of the pilot happened. After general Egianus Kogeya expressed his opinion by saying that the pilot must be released for humanity reason, the transfer of hostage was able to be done on Saturday 21 October 2024, After the pilot hostage was kept hostage for 18 months since 07 February 2023. We, YKKMP, are still unable to confirm whether the transfer of the pilot on 21 October 2024 happened according to the demand of general Egianus Kogoya or was used for other means of gain in Yuguru village. The transfer of Susi Air Pilot, Phillip Mark Marthens, was accommodated by civilians in Yuguru, Mebarok District. This was wholly a result of the hard works done by the local church and cultural leaders that collaborated with Edison Gwijangge, a prominent local figure. Because of this collaboration and teamwork, the TNI/POLRI can freely use helicopter to come and evacuated the pilot that was held hostage by the West Papua National Liberation Army in Nduga region for 18 months. This good initiative from Yuguru civilians that have collaborated to rescue Susi Air Pilot, Philip Mark Marthens, and delivered him to the Indonesian security forces (TNI/POLRI) was done by Edison Gwijangge using family approach to win brigadier general Egianus Kogeya trust. The Indonesian government were supposed to provide special protection to these local people as way to appreciate the help from the civilians in Yuguru and overall Nduga Regency. In the transfer of hostage process, the agreed upon procedure between the TPNPB OPM and Indonesian government were never fully carried out. one of the agreements mentioned was to provide safety guarantees to all the civilians in the region from any form of threats and terrors.

Unfortunately, since the civilian safety agreement was not honored and the transfer of hostage was done without any assurance for agreements made, there was nothing that ties both TNI/Polri and TPNPB OPM. Because of the transfer of hostage with empty assurance on the agreements, we recently heard reports from the local villagers that: Yuguru civilians felt that they lost their freedom, safety and comfort in their own village. We have learned that the people living there were under a lot of fears and traumatic experiences. Through this article, we want to convey our message to the government of Indonesia and the TPNPB OPM, that in this war between the TPNPB OPM and Indonesia, we asked that both parties should respect and put forward the values of humanity. This means that both parties should appreciate and respect the civilians’ rights to feel free and enjoy comfort in their own village. They must not be treated inhumanely. Their rights to conduct creative activities in their own village must be given fully. All parties need to understand that kindness must not be paid with inhumane and evil response. Kindness need to be paid back with kindness too, because kindness is the capital for a wholeness of humanity. After the transfer of the Susi Air Captain, Philip Mark Mehrtens, without both parties agreement, Non-organic troops were dropped into Yuguru, Mebarok District, Papua Pegunungan Province. The armed forces started their activities in the region and asked civilians to help them rehabilitate the airstrip in Membrok District. They also build military posts in the said region.

On 17 January 2025, three Indonesian National Military (TNI) companies/kompi entered Yuguru village. They entered Yuguru village following the nearby yuguru river.

First Day:

Indonesia National Military (TNI) terrorized and interrogated Etina Wandikbo and her four children in their house for a whole day From the two military groups, one of them found a villager’s house around the Yuguru airstrip. Around 08:45AM, they found Ms Etina Wandikbo (34 years old) with 4 children. Immediately after the encounter, they searched Ms Etina, her family and her whole house, before later they were brought to the airstrip where at the same time, the second military company had just arrived to the Yuguru Airstrip. After the arrival to the airstrip, the mother and her four children were interrogated by the TNI members. In that interrogation, they asked Ms Wandikbo the whereabout of the Yuguru regional church leader (ketua klasis), Mr. Sabilik Kanrunggu. After asking about Mr. Karunggu, they also asked the whereabouts of the village leaders and Mebarok District leader. After the mother and her four children were interrogated, the TNI members told them that: “We came here not to disturb the civilians or disturb the peace here, but we came here to stay with Yuguru villagers from one end to the other end of Yuguru village. So you don’t have to feel afraid madam.” TNI also promised the four kids that: “we will take you to the city.” The mother and her four children chose to stay silent during the interrogation until the TNI members gave the safe sign and returned the mother and the kids to their house in the late afternoon.

Second Day:

TNI forces demolished villagers’ houses, Education facilities, Medical Facilities, and used District office along with school buildings as guarding posts. After the TNIs arrived to the airstrip, they demolished houses belonged to the local villagers there, (specifically along the outskirt of the Yuguru airstrip). The villagers there testified that: “ The demolition of houses there were done without notifying the house owners, because when the armed forces came to the airstrip area, there were no villagers present. Every family has more than one house, so before the TNI entered, they have left their village. As many as 9 civilian houses were demolished to the ground. And at the time they had to live in District Leader and the late Vice Regional Church Leader of Yuguru’s houses.” Besides that, the armed group (TNI) also took down the front door and room doors of the surrounding buildings. They also destroyed Yuguru’s elementary school and medical houses. They tore down students’ school reports, and after that they spread the documents inside the school rooms and outside the school area. Some of the documents were burned.

Day Three:

After they demolished all houses there, they built one long barrack in the airstrip area. They also repurposed the school district and school building as their guarding posts. After a couple of days since the Mebarok district leader (Nus Gwijangge) heard the news, on 6 february 2025, he and his group came from wamena city to Lanny Jaya (Tiom-Kwiyawage) and continued their trip to Yuguru village via ground route. A meeting was conducted to respond to the traumatic experiences that the villagers experienced. Yuguru region was also the center of the refugee camps from Mapnduma, Karayon, Mugi, Mam, and Yal districts (regions around Yaguru). The church authority said the following: Firstly, if you (TNI) came here to protect and guard Yuguru villagers, including building airstrip, then we say that this operation must not go across Warun and Merame rivers before our leaders come. The leaders mentioned above were the regional church leader/ klasis chairman, Mebarok District leader, representative from region legislative, and the village leader. This was done because the villagers were in trauma and any irresponsible actions will worsen the situation because of the high possibility of another open firing contacts between TNI-POLRI and the TPNPB. Within a couple of days, a group of districts leaders arrived in Yuguru. After they arrived in Yuguru, they said the same message as the church leaders to TNI armed forces. Aside from that, the head of the district also emphasized that what the church authority said was right, and that message was delivered to avoid any more civilian casualties in Yuguru village. After the church and the head of the district delivered that message to the TNI authority, the TNI authority said that we cannot take that message, and that the message should be given to their unit leader because we cannot act on that. We will wait for our leader to come.

Joint Regional Defense Commander (Kogabwilhan) of region III came to Yuguru bringing Red White Flag and Bibles

The next day, the joint regional defense commander of region III came from Timika to Yuguru, and at the time, he brought with him a Red-White Flag and Christian Holy Bibles to be given to Yuguru villagers. He handed those items to the head of district and was witnessed by the villagers in an open field. After accepting the items given by the Kogabwilhan, Yuguru head of district and other locals asked the following:

First: We ask that the TNI forces not cross the Warun and Merame rivers because there are refugee camps there. The concern was that an armed conflict may erupt and could cause civilian casualties.

Second: We (local civilians) have an unique culture where our hair commonly are styled in dreadlocks/long curls, long beard, and used traditional necklaces as our identities, so please do not mistakenly assume them as members of the TPNPB-OPM armed forces, capture them without any legal bases, interrogate, harm, torture, and kill them unlawfully.

Third: If the TNI found anyone carrying weapons (rifles/pistol alike), you may fire them, but do not ask civilians about weapons.

Fourth: The head of Mebarok District asked Kogabwilhan region III to recreate and activate again the Yuguru airstrip. Because walking from Yuguru to Wamena may take up to 2 weeks on foot. Aside from Yuguru, he also asked that the 31 other districts need to have their airstrip reactivated so that the public service can run well again.

Fifth: We asked that the non-organic troops in 32 districts of Nduga regency to be taken out the 32 districts so that the refugees can go back to their home villages. The delivery of these five important messages from Mebarok head of district to Kogabwilhan region III was witnessed by all Yuguru villagers.

Work on the airstrip: Filled with intimidation and Interrogation

After the villagers’ aspirations being made, Kogabwilhan region III said that they will reactivate Yuguru airstrip. After that, we believe that Mebarok head of district was taken by Kogabwilhan region III to Timika. In the next day, TNI told the civilians of Yuguru to clean the airstrip. One man who asked us not to disclose his information was leading the work done by the civilians there. After a couple of days, Kogabwilhan region III came back to the Yuguru to measure the land that will be covered with sand by the villagers (for construction). The villagers did all that Kogabwilhan ordered, but during the work, the villagers complained because there was no proper road for them to use and the villagers working were not fit to work. Hearing the complaints, one of the man from the village reported the complaints to the TNI and asked so that they can come up with different solution. The Kogabwilhan immediately responded to the request and used large Russian-made helicopter 5 times to help transporting the materials to the designated work area. Photo: Head of Mebarok District conveying the villagers’ concerns to Kogabwilhan Region III (Special Document) After the airstrip was made, the ground officer responsible of the work reported that : the work had finished. So we asked that when any airplanes that want to come in, please inform us so that we tell the villagers who had worked here to watch the landing closely. And they(TNI) agreed to that message.

During the work, many of the youth who were asked to work were checked. Every man who came to help work were checked by the TNI. The checking was done daily. The men’s necklaces were forcedly taken by the TNI. The TNI asked the men’s identities (including the victim) and the whereabout of the TPNPB OPM army. Aside from that, the Indonesian armed forces were selectively and actively engaging with the villagers who were not able to speak Indonesian Language, and when the locals who can speak Indonesian language came to intervene, the TNI members avoided the civilians. This behavior happened repeatedly while the airstrip was being done. The airstrip work was finished and ready for use after 1 week and 2 days of work. Even after receiving the harsh treatments, the villagers came everyday to bring fresh foods and vegetables to the Indonesian armed forces there. When the vegetables, sweet potatoes, chillis, sugarcanes and other food materials were to be delivered, the Indonesian armed forces also checked into the noken (traditional Papuan bag) of the mothers and children who carried the foods.

Villagers expected civilian aircraft, but the fact was different The villagers were expecting the arrival of a civilian cargo plane to operate on the airstrip built because they did not have enough food. Many of the refugees were starving because they lacked food. With the cargo plane, the refugees expected to have access to food and other needs. On Friday, 21 March 2025, around 08:00 PM, 2 kompi/companies of TNI troops started to trace the village, through Yuguru River using the suspension bridge made by the government and arrived to Warindwom village. Both TNI kompi/companies then surrounded the village at night. On Saturday (22 March 2025), around 05:00AM, the armed forces started to surround the checked the houses in that village. Every house in that village who refused to open their door had their house doors kicked and destroyed so that the TNI can come in to investigate. After the TNI came into the civilian houses, they interrogated and terrorized the villagers. The armed forces took detecting devices that can detect metals, so every villagers’ belongings that are made of metal were checked. Then, when some villagers found owning a hunting rifle, the TNI confiscated their rifles.

TNI Armed forces kidnapped Abral Wandikbo and Abral’s Family Struggle

After they (TNI) arrived to Honai (men’s traditional house), they found three people (including the TNI main victim). In that honai, there were Abral Wandikbo (27 years old), Abral’s first older sibling, and Abral’s father (63 years old). Abral’s father were suffering from acute respiratory infection. The old man was forced out of the honai including his two children. At the time, the TNI captured Abral Wandikbo and told him: “if you run, we will shoot you.” Because Abral did not understood Indonesian language, his older sibling had to translate the order to him in local language. When the Indonesian armed forces captured Abral, his brother who was a local pastor asked so that Abral not to be taken into TNI guarding post, but the TNI hit Abral’s brother using rifle’s stock on his right shoulder until he fainted. After that, the took Abral directly to the TNI guarding post in Yuguru village. During their trip to the TNI post, they repeatedly hit Abral, tortured him, and stepped on him. They pulled him and forced him to walk when he was weak to walk because of the hard punches he got.

At around, 10:00am (23), one man who wished his information not to be disclosed, gathered the local civilians to come to the airstrip and asked so that Abral can be released. They demanded the TNI to show what was Abral’s crime or what did he do wrong. If TNI did not have any evidence, they asked so that abral must be set free and returned to his family. After one of the men from the villagers crowd delivered the message, the TNI members who were on guard looked at each other, and went in to call the TNI members responsible for apprehending Abral. The TNI members responsible for capturing Abral were Yonathan, Dila, and Kris. However, because the commander was taking a bath, they were asked to wait. After the villagers waited for about 1 hour, Yonathan, Dila, and Kris came out of the TNI guarding post. After seeing the TNI responsible of capturing Abral, the spokesperson of the villagers immediately asked them to return Abral. But the three-unit leaders said that they will discuss the matter with their commander along with two or three villagers, so the villagers can return home.

Three men waited until 13:00PM in the afternoon, then they return back to TNI to ask about Abral but the TNI did not respond to their request. They waited again until 17:00PM for Abral but the TNI did not give them any information, knowing these men lived around 3 km away and had to go back home soon. The next day, Sunday 24 March, 2024 at 08:00AM, the same man who gathered the villagers gathered all Yuguru’s villagers again to participate and demanded so that Abral must be returned. Because Abral had been held hostage for 2 days at that time. The villagers (200 people) brought the Indonesian flag, planted the flag in front of the TNI guarding post, and waited for Abral to be given back. At the time, the TNI commander came out and had his troops surrounding the villagers. Then, one of the men from the villagers crowd said to the TNI: Abral Wandikbo is a civilian, he was actively involved in the reconstruction work of the Yuguru’s airstrip and he was also the one that you appointed to call villagers from far places to come and help with the airstrip work.

Abral’s parent who was not able to get out of his house for 3 years were present among the crowd at the time and with the help of nearby villagers he said: “all of you, Yuguru villagers here, and TNI are all my children, so I asked so that my child to be returned to me, because I am sick and he is the only one that was taking care of me.” After the villagers said their wishes, the TNI forces said: “okay, I will return Abral Wandikbo, but I have a proof about Abral” He then showed three evidences:

First, a picture of a person who looked like Abral, holding a long gun ,standing and looking to aside (They suspected that Abral is the person affiliated to TPNPB OPM because he looked similar, but it was actually not Abral).

Second, someone’s Facebook’s post saying TNI unit is not accepted in Yuguru village.

Third, a video of a helicopter flying captured in close range (zoomed).

These three evidences were shown from the TNI’s handphone, not Abral’s or any civilians there. (Abral was not able to read or write, and always had trouble speaking clearly/ has special needs.) After seeing the TNI evidences, one of the men present there clarified that there is no Yuguru district here, only Mebarok district. Yuguru is a name of a village. While the man still explaining, the TNI commander cut his talk and talk angrily to the villagers, saying: “ all of you from the start can be seen, all of you mothers too have seen this… why don’t you plant West Papuan flag here as well, why did you plant Indonesian flag here. We are being very respectful here. Who are guarding this airstrip? Who was scouting out there?” said the TNI commander loudly and hard to the villagers. The villagers wanted to explain but they were not given a chance to speak. At the time, the commander took charge of the conversation and he said that: “ I need time to prove these 3 evidences until then, I will return Abral home.” The TNI commander also said to Abral’s older sibling to take good care of Abral’s father. He said that three times. After that, the crowd went back to their houses.

TNI promised to return Abral Wandikbo (27) alive, but he was found killed in an inhumane and gruesome manner.

On that Sunday night (24 March 2025), around 10:00PM, Abral Wandikbo was taken out of the TNI guarding post and brought to the side of Mrame village to be killed there. After he was killed, they threw his body into the villager’s garden. At the time when the TNI in groups were carrying him, some villagers who stayed in the village witnessed theTNI, because they were using headlights in the location where they found Abral’s body. After the TNI dumped Abral’s body, they returned to the guarding post. The local villagers thought the TNI were going to Kuwit village to do a silent operation, but it turned out that they had killed Abral Wandikbo. On Monday 25 March 2025, the TNI operating in Kwit village, in that operation had surrounded one of the village leaders, named Nadlogum.

They then also surrounded Yimidli village leader, named Kenamba and took his handheld transceiver. On that same day, the TNI captured and hit one of the pastors, named Aniel. At the same time, one of the villager men heard from Single Side Band Radio (SSB) that a helicopter was coming to the airstrip. Responding to the news, the man told the other villager men to stay ready around the airstrip. Around 10:00, the helicopter came and dropped food and other logistic tools. The helicopter went back to Timika without carrying anything. Sometime later, these villager men met with TNI members that came after doing silent military operation in Kwit village. The TNI members said to the villagers: “We just went together with Abral Wandikbo to Kwit village, but during our trip, he escaped. So if his family had found him, please let us (TNI) know.” This lie was said by the TNI, knowing they (TNI) had killed Abral Wandikbo at night.

On Tuesday 26 March 2025, around 10:00am, Abral’s family found the body of Abral Wandikbo in the same location where the villagers saw flashlights on sunday night. Abral’s body was facing to the ground, his hands were cuffed in the back using plastic cuff. Both of his ears, nose and mouth were cut and thrown. And on his right hand, they placed West Papuan Morning Star Flag Wristband (Abral did not have any wristband before).

After the body was found, the villagers took Abral’s body to his village and at around 6PM, they burned his remaining body. At the same time, the Indonesian armed forces hide their weapons. One day after that, on 27 March 2025, Abral Wandikbo’s father died from a heart attack. Abral’s father had died after knowing his son died in a very gruesome and inhumane way. Abral’s father was buried beside his father (Abral was his father favorite son only caretaker since his older brother was a pastor and actively work to provide food in the family). The Civilian refugees wished for:

1. The military must be taken out of Yuguru, one of the main refugee centers where refugees from 5 districts are located. More than that, Captain Philip Marthens (New Zealand’s Pilot that was taken hostage by TPNPB OPM) has been returned. The refugees and villagers of Yuguru do not want to be relocated elsewhere because they had experiences where Indonesian governments did not pay attention to their needs.

2. The new Nduga government officials must think of better ways to accommodate and help return other refugees that went to other regencies to come back home.

3. The most important of all, is a total rehabilitation, including psychology, to help the civilians heal.

4. Abral’s family demanded so that Abral’s killers to be put accountable for their crimes according to the national law.

Recommendation

With these events, Yayasan Keadilan dan Keutuhan Manusia Papua (YKKMP) recommended the following:

1. After this report is published, Yayasan Keadilan dan Keutuhan Manusia Papua enforces the government to observe the situation in Yuguru village, Mebarok District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

2. Everyone responsible for the kidnapping, mutilation, and killing of Abral Wandikbo must be immediately processed according to the national law

3. As requested by Yuguru villagers, Non-organic military troops must be immediately taken out of Yuguru village, Mebarok District, Nduga regency.

4. Yayasan Keadilan dan Keutuhan Manusia Papua enforces the government to have a comprehensive refugees’ recovery. Psychologically, hometown facilities, Health Service, Education, Economy, and all relevant aspects.