Urgent: Multiple West Papuans massacred by Indonesian police in Dogiyai

April 1, 2026

Indonesian police committed another atrocity yesterday (31st March) in West Papua, murdering at least five Papuan civilians, including a minor, in a colonial rampage in Dogiyai Regency. 

The incident began at 9:50 a.m., when a police officer was killed in front of the Ebenezer Church in Moanemani village. It is not known who killed the officer, who was an indigenous Papuan. But in response, the police opened fire on Moanemani market. The operation quickly spread to the neighbouring Ikebo village, as police fired indiscriminately into residents’ houses. It is unknown how many people in total were shot during the operation, but by the end five civilians had been killed and others wounded:

  • Siprianus Tibakoto, 19, shot in the head, deceased;
  • Yosep You, 20, deceased;
  • Ester Pigai, 60, who suffered from paralysis, shot in the body, deceased;
  • Martinus Yobee, 14, shot in the stomach, deceased;
  • Angkian Edowai, 19, deceased;
  • Maikel Waine, 14, seriously injured, possibly dead. Waine suffered a gunshot wound to the left chest that penetrated his left shoulder. Whether he survived is currently unknown.
  • Maikel Pekei, 11, shot in the upper chest, seriously injured. He remains in critical condition and is being treated in hospital.

Church sources on the ground report that an ongoing battle is being waged between security forces and Papuan youths, who are attempting to block the road into Moanemani, scattering logs and rocks across it to prevent military reinforcements arriving in the village. A joint military and police armed unit is reported to be en route to the area. On behalf of the ULMWP, I call on Indonesia to withdraw their occupation forces. Deploying the military now will only bring more bloodshed.

West Papuan civilians are the victims of Prabowo’s ongoing military escalation, which has spread across Yahukimo, Intan Jaya, Paniai, Maybrat, and now Dogiyai. What the carnage in Dogiyai demonstrates is that Indonesia views all West Papuans as legitimate targets. Elders, women, and children: no one is safe from the murderous vengeance of the Indonesian security state. The massacre triggered a wave of internal displacement, as terrified civilians fled into the mountains and surrounding villages. 

Indonesia’s actions in Dogiyai are both a crime against humanity – a grave act of colonial violence – and a breach of international law. Shooting indiscriminately into homes and a public market is a form of collective punishment, while the intentional killing of civilians is a war crime, prohibited under the Geneva convention.

On behalf of the ULMWP and the people of West Papua, I reiterate our demand for Indonesia to allow UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua. Over 110 countries – a clear majority of the UN member states – have now demanded this visit, but Indonesia continues to refuse. Dogiyai is not an isolated incident: every day brings a new atrocity. How long will the world allow this to continue before Indonesia is made to suffer genuine diplomatic consequences for their refusal?

I direct this particularly at Pacific leaders – how long will you allow Indonesia to spill Melanesian blood before taking a real stand against this genocidal occupation? How many Papuans must die?

Benny Wenda
Interim President 
ULMWP

Ester Pigai

Maikel Pekei

Siprianus Tibakoto