2003 Wamena incident

The 2003 Wamena incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Wamena 2003) involved a sweeping operation and forced relocation of civilians around the town of Wamena by the Indonesian Army and the Indonesian National Police following a raid on an armory. The operations lasted for around two months following the raid, displacing thousands of civilians and resulting in the deaths of around fifty civilians from various causes.

2003 Wamena incident
Part of the Papua conflict
Date4 April 2003
Location
around Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua
Belligerents
 Indonesia Free Papua Movement[lower-alpha 1]
Casualties and losses
2 dead
1 heavily injured[1]		 Unknown
51 civilians killed[lower-alpha 2]
38 heavily injured[1]

Incidents

The raid occurred on 4 April 2003 at around 1 AM,[2] launched by an unidentified mob, against the armory of the Wamena District of the Indonesian Army.[1] In the raid itself, 29 rifles were stolen by Papuan rebels alongside 3,500 rounds of ammunition.[1][3][4] During the raid, two Indonesian soldiers were killed and one was heavily injured.[1]

Between April and June 2003, sweeping operations were launched around Wamena, affecting 25 villages.[1][3] The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) estimated that nine civilians were killed and 38 were heavily injured.[1] Torture and destruction of property and public facilities were also reported.[1][5] Around 7,000 villagers were forcefully displaced, and 42 died due to starvation during this period.[1] Reports characterized the operations as not discriminating locals and those involved in the rebel movement.[6]

Aftermath

Investigations of the human rights violations during the incident was launched by Komnas HAM following approval by then-president Megawati Sukarnoputri.[3] However, as of 2019, the violations have not went to court.[7] The events have been referred to as Tragedi Wamena Berdarah (Bloody Wamena Tragedy).[8]

Five men arrested and imprisoned for their alleged involvement in the 2003 raid were given clemency by Indonesian President Widodo during one of his visits to Papua in May 2015.[9]

Notes
  1. Initial raid
  2. 9 as a direct result of the operations, 42 due to starvation following relocations[1]

References
  1. Sitepu, Mehulika (21 February 2017). "Bagaimana kronologis tiga kasus 'pelanggaran HAM berat' di Papua?". BBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  2. "MENGENANG TRAGEDI WAMENA BERDARAH, 4 APRIL 2003" (in Indonesian). KontraS. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  3. "West Papua: Police, Military involved in Papua Abuses". The Jakarta Post. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. 9 August 2004. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. "Komnas HAM Temukan Pelanggaran HAM Berat di Papua". Tempo (in Indonesian). 2 September 2004. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. "Gov't Must Address Policy Miscalculations on Papua: Report". Jakarta Globe. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. "Dynamics of Conflict and Displacement in Papua, Indonesia" (PDF). Refugee Studies Centre. 2006. p. 44. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  7. "Jaksa Agung Ungkap Hambatan Penyelesaian Kasus HAM Berat". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 7 November 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  8. "Jokowi Tak Serius Tuntaskan Pelanggaran HAM Berat di Papua". tirto.id (in Indonesian). 13 June 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  9. "A look at the Papua conflict - Indonesia's 'low-level insurgency'". Deutsche Welle. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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