Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission, Komnas HAM, has launched an investigation into the killing of at least 12 civilians, including women and children, during a military operation in the conflict-hit Papua region. The incident occurred earlier this week in the central Papuan village of Kembru, raising fresh concerns over civilian safety amid ongoing clashes between security forces and separatist groups.

According to the commission, the victims died from gunshot wounds during what it described as an “enforcement operation” carried out by the Indonesian armed forces against the rebel group TPNPB-OPM. Several others were reportedly injured in the violence. Komnas HAM confirmed that it is currently monitoring the situation and gathering evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Commission chairwoman Anis Hidayah stated that there is a “strong suspicion” of military involvement in the civilian deaths. She emphasized the need for a thorough and transparent investigation, noting that any operation resulting in civilian casualties raises serious human rights concerns. The Indonesian military has not issued an official response to the allegations so far.

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Local media reports, however, cited statements from the military’s Habema task force, which claimed that its forces had engaged in an “armed contact” with separatist fighters in Kembru, killing four members of the insurgent group. The task force also said it was investigating a separate incident involving the fatal shooting of a child in another village, indicating multiple flashpoints of violence in the region.

Komnas HAM, while part of the Indonesian state system, operates independently and reiterated that attacks on civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances. In a statement, the commission stressed that such actions violate both human rights principles and international humanitarian law, regardless of whether they are carried out by state or non-state actors. It also called on all parties to exercise restraint and urged the military to reassess its operations in Papua.

Papua has long been a region of conflict, with separatist tensions dating back decades. The territory, a former Dutch colony, declared independence in 1961 but was incorporated into Indonesia in 1963 following a controversial process formalized by a 1969 referendum. Since then, sporadic violence between Indonesian forces and pro-independence groups has persisted, often drawing criticism from international human rights organizations.

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