Papua rebels kill teacher, injure 6 accused of spying for Indonesian military

A West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) rebel commander claimed responsibility for an attack that killed a teacher and injured six others in Indonesia’s Papua region.

Gunmen stormed a housing complex for educators in Yahukimo, a remote highland regency, opening fire and setting buildings ablaze around 4 p.m. Friday, said Esau Miram, Yahukimo’s deputy regent.

The teachers were military intelligence operatives operating undercover, alleged Elkius Kobak, a TPNPB commander in Yahukimo.

“The killing was carried out by our forces under my orders,” Kobak said in a statement. 

The rebel group also called on Papuans in conflict zones to kill Indonesian migrants, whom they described as “Indonesian military and police working as teachers and medical staff.”

Rosalia Rerek Sogen, a teacher, died at the scene, while four other teachers and a health worker were injured. Three of the six suffered serious injuries, Antara, the state news agency, reported.

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Indonesian authorities swiftly denied the rebels’ accusation and condemned the violence as an unprovoked attack on civilians. 

Col. Candra Kurniawan, a spokesman for the Indonesian military command in Papau, called the TPNPB a criminal organization and threatened a strong response.  

“The victims were educators and medical personnel – not spies,” Candra said in a statement. “This is a desperate attempt to justify their brutality. The public knows the truth.”

Frits Ramandey, head of Papua’s office of the National Human Rights Commission, called Friday’s attack “unjustifiable under any human rights principles.” 

“What happened in Anggruk violates fundamental human rights protections,” Ramandey told BenarNews. “When I visited the hospital, I saw the deceased female victim with my own eyes. This is deeply regrettable and unacceptable.”

Guerrilla war

The attack underscored the volatile security situation in Papua, a resource-rich but underdeveloped region on New Guinea island, where separatists have waged a low-intensity guerrilla war since the 1960s. The Indonesian government formally took control of Papua following a United Nations-backed referendum widely viewed by Papuan activists as illegitimate.  

Over the years, the government has deployed military personnel to remote villages, arguing that their presence is part of development and counterinsurgency efforts in the region located at the far-eastern tip of Indonesia. But separatists accuse the government of using teachers and health workers as proxies for surveillance and control – a claim officials reject.  

Violence has surged with rebels targeting security forces, infrastructure and civilians accused of collaboration.

In turn, Indonesia has bolstered its military footprint, leading to cycles of reprisals that have displaced thousands.  

Human rights groups have urged the government to address grievances through dialogue rather than force, citing longstanding complaints of political marginalization and economic neglect, adding that both sides have committed abuses.