| Kiwirok bombings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Papua conflict | |||||
| |||||
| Combatants | |||||
 Indonesia |  West Papua National Liberation Army | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| 50 – 297 dead, up to 2,000 displaced | |||||
The Kiwirok bombings were a series of aerial bombardments carried out by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) against civilians in the Kiwirok district of the Bintang Mountains Regency of West Papua in October 2021.
After gaining independence from the Netherlands, Indonesia claimed all Dutch colonial territories of the Malay Archipelago, including West Papua (formerly Dutch New Guinea). Following a controversial referendum known as the Act of Free Choice, the Papua conflict began as separatists from the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) have conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against the Indonesian forces, while Indonesia has been accused of conducting a genocidal campaign against the local indigenous tribes. [1]
On 8 September 2021, members of the TPNPB burnt machinery used for the construction of the Trans-Papua Highway. [2] 5 days later, riots broke out in Kiwirok when members of the TPNPB attacked public buildings, including a school and a medical centre, [3] injuring nine people, one of whom later died. [4] This incident was quite unusual for Kiwirok as TPNPB attacks have usually focused on other areas such as Oksibil. As a result, Indonesia has strengthened their military presence in Kiwirok, further intensifying the conflict. This included carrying out several raids during the months of September and October, in which Indonesian security forces took villagers' belongings, and in extreme cases, killed their livestock and even removed roofing from their homes. [2]
On 10 October 2021, 14 bombs were dropped onto two buildings, including the TPNPB's local headquarters. [5] According to Papuan People's Assembly chairman Timotius Murib, this was then followed by a series of bombings between 14 and 21 October, in which 42 bombs were dropped in residential areas within 4 villages. Eyewitness testimony obtained by the BBC corroborates this account, [4] while later reporting has identified 9 villages which were bombed in the campaign: Depsus, Kotopib, Fomdin, Pemas, Lolim, Delepkrin, Kiwi, Kiwi station, and Babinbahkon. [6]
According to information obtained by Tempo, and confirmed by Indonesian forces, Serbian-made Krušik mortars were used in the bombings. [7] Witness testimony states that 4 helicopters, as well as one drone were used to carry out the bombings. [2] According to Conflict Armament Research, Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN) had purchased roughly 2500 mortars in February 2021. The purchased mortars had been modified in Indonesia. Questions have also been raised by whether or not the bombs were dropped from BIN or TNI aircraft, the latter of which would constitute a violation of the ammunition purchase agreement according to Serbia. [8] [9] Later reporting also stated that Thales FZ-68 rockets were also used during the bombardments, [6] while the drone was likely identified as a Ziyan Blowfish A3 based on drawings from witnesses. [10]
Estimates regarding the casualties following the bombings vary wildly. According to Indonesian media, 500 people were reportedly forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict as a whole, [11] while the BBC has stated that the number "could be in the hundreds or thousands". [4] Later reporting based on eyewitness reports puts this number as high as 2000 from the bombings alone, and states that 15 people died as a direct outcome of the bombings, while 284 died as a result of starvation after having to flee their homes. [6] Numbers obtained by church workers were lower, putting the total death toll to approximately 50 people. Several villages also became inhospitable as a result, with Human Rights Monitor identifying 206 buildings which were destroyed, 127 were residential buildings destroyed by the Indonesian Security Forces, while the rest were public buildings destroyed by either the Indonesian forces or TPNPB. [2]
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicles. Other cluster munitions are designed to destroy runways or electric power transmission lines.
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from the breakup of Yugoslavia, which began in mid-1991, into six independent countries matching the six entities known as republics that had previously constituted Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Macedonia. SFR Yugoslavia's constituent republics declared independence due to unresolved tensions between ethnic minorities in the new countries, which fueled the wars. While most of the conflicts ended through peace accords that involved full international recognition of new states, they resulted in a massive number of deaths as well as severe economic damage to the region.
The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization is a name given to a separatist movement that aims to separate West Papua from Indonesia and establish an independent state in the region. The territory is currently divided into six Indonesian provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and West Papua, also formerly known as Papua, Irian Jaya and West Irian.
Human rights in Indonesia are defined by the 1945 Constitution and the laws under it; several rights are guaranteed especially as a result of the constitutional amendments following the Reform era. The Ministry of Law and Human Rights deals with human rights issues in the cabinet, and the National Commission on Human Rights, established in Suharto's New Order administration in 1993, is the country's national human rights institution.
Terrorism in Indonesia refer to acts of terrorism that take place within Indonesia or attacks on Indonesian people or interests abroad. These acts of terrorism often target the government of Indonesia or foreigners in Indonesia, most notably Western visitors, especially those from the United States and Australia.
The Papua conflict is an ongoing conflict in Western New Guinea (Papua) between Indonesia and the Free Papua Movement. Subsequent to the withdrawal of the Dutch administration from the Netherlands New Guinea in 1962 and implementation of Indonesian administration in 1963, the Free Papua Movement has conducted a low-intensity guerrilla war against Indonesia by targeting its military and police, along with ordinary Indonesian citizens.
Numerous war crimes were committed by all sides during the Kosovo War, which lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. According to Human Rights Watch, the vast majority of abuses were attributable to the government of Slobodan Milošević, mainly perpetrated by the Serbian police, the Yugoslav army, and Serb paramilitary units. During the war, regime forces killed between 7,000–9,000 Kosovar Albanians, engaged in countless acts of rape, destroyed entire villages, and displaced nearly one million people. The Kosovo Liberation Army has also been implicated in atrocities, such as kidnappings and summary executions of civilians. Moreover, the NATO bombing campaign has been harshly criticized by human rights organizations and the Serbian government for causing roughly 500 civilian casualties.
Kelly Kwalik was a senior separatist leader and military commander with the Free Papua Movement (OPM), a separatist organization based in Indonesia's Papua Province.
Mohamad, Ardyan (2016-03-31). "Filipina tolak TNI ikut bebaskan WNI disandera Abu Sayyaf". merdeka.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
The Nduga massacre was a shooting of construction workers that occurred on 1 December 2018, in Nduga Regency, Papua, Indonesia. The shooting is considered to be part of the Papuan conflict. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) acknowledged responsibility and the Indonesian government labeled the attack a massacre.
2019 (MMXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2019th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 19th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2010s decade.
The 2019 Papua protests were a series of protests by Papuans in Indonesia that began on 19 August 2019 and mainly took place across Indonesian Papua region in response to the arrests of 43 Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java for alleged disrespect of the Indonesian flag. Many of the protests involved thousands of participants, and some grew from local protests in Surabaya to demanding an independence referendum for the whole region. In several locations, the protests turned into general riots, resulting in the destruction of government buildings in Wamena, Sorong and Jayapura. Clashes between protesters and police resulted in injuries, with over 30 people killed from both the clashes and the rioting.
Operation Cartenz's Peace, formerly Operation Nemangkawi, is a joint-operation conducted by Indonesian National Armed Forces and Indonesian National Police to curb armed separatist rebels in Papua. According to Papua Regional Police head, Mathius Fakhiri, there are currently six active separatist groups located mainly in Papua highlands. While there are two groups which became less active or retired after Operation Nemangkawi. Tinggi Nambut faction under Goliath Tabuni were beaten in October 2018, and 10 members were subdued by Police. Goliath Tabuni moved to Gome District and presumed retired. Lanny Jaya faction under Purom Wenda became less active after Police operation in Balingga District and its headquarters in Kali Mau. Some members of this group left and "return" to Indonesia.
The West Papua National Liberation Army, officially referred to in Indonesia as the Armed Criminal Group, and after 2021, Separatist Terrorist Group, is a Western New Guinean insurgent group in Indonesia. It is the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement.
Goliath Namaan Tabuni is a Papuan guerilla leader who is commander of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). Mostly based around Puncak Jaya Regency, his unit is known for launching attacks and ambushes against Indonesian government units.
On 16 July 2022, a group of around 20 gunmen armed with long-barreled weapons and blades entered the Kampung of Nonggolait in Nduga Regency, Highland Papua, Indonesia. The attackers opened fire on a grocer, and then shot seven traders riding on a freight truck. Four bystanders were also shot.
The following is the broad timeline for major events in the Papua conflict.
The 2023 Oksibil attacks were conducted by the separatist West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) periodically on Oksibil, the seat of Bintang Mountains Regency, Highland Papua from 7 January to 12 January 2023. According to the Regional Police of Papua, the Bintang Mountains is one of 7 regencies that are vulnerable to separatist attacks.
The Nduga hostage crisis began on 7 February 2023 when Free Papua Movement insurgents attacked a plane and took its pilot and all five passengers hostage. While the passengers were soon released, New Zealander pilot Phillip Mark Mehrtens remained in captivity until 21 September 2024.