TPNPB-OPM Claims to Be Defending Themselves When Attacking TNI Officers at Wamena Hospital

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom revealed the reason his group attacked the Indonesian military (TNI) officers in front of the Wamena Regional General Hospital, Papua at the end of May. According to him, although it violates international humanitarian law, the attack was carried out in self-defense.

Moreover, according to him, attacks by the military officers on civilians in Papua are considered more cruel. He alluded to the incident of the entry of state soldiers into churches in Papua.

In fact, he said, the house of worship is often used as a place of shelter for civilians when there is a gunfight between the TNI and armed groups. "We are defending ourselves, so we will do anything. One of them is shooting the police in front of the hospital," said Sebby when contacted on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

According to him, the attack on the security forces was to ward off the military presence in Wamena. Sebby accused some of the health workers on duty at a number of hospitals in Papua of being members of government intelligence and the TNI-Polri.

"Doctors, health workers are from government intelligence, TNI and Polri members," he said. Sebby's accusation refers to the statement of TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto, who once said that his soldiers in Papua also served as educators and health workers.

On the other hand, Sebby did not deny that his group's actions in attacking security forces in front of Wamena Regional Hospital violated international humanitarian law. He said that in the law of war guidelines, hospitals are prohibited from being targets in attacks.

"Hospitals may not be targets in war," he said.

Sebby admitted that not all TPNPB-OPM militia understand the war guidelines or international humanitarian law. One of the reasons is because of limited access to knowledge, which hinders the militia spread across the Papua region.

Sebby said that in 2012 at the TPNPB-OPM Summit in Biak, his party had printed 1,000 international humanitarian law guidebooks to be distributed to combatants. "But Papua is big. The stock is now out, so the books have not been distributed in their entirety," he said.

The shooting incident occurred in front of Wamena Regional Hospital, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua on Wednesday night, May 28, 2025. TPNPB-OPM spokesman, Sebby Sambom, claimed that two officers were victims of the shooting. Meanwhile, the Cartenz Peace Task Force said that only one police officer was killed in the incident.

Editor's Choice: Human Rights Activist in Papua Condemns TPNPB-OPM Shooting at Hospital Complex

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