On 9 September 2026, an unidentified person threw a glass bottle containing an unknown liquid and an apparent wick into the compound of the Papua Regional Office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in Dok V Bawah, North Jayapura District, Jayapura City, Papua Province.
The perpetrators reportedly threw the object towards motorcycles parked in front of the office (see photo on top, source: Suara Papua) while staff were working inside. The bottle shattered but did not cause a sustained fire, and no staff members, visitors or other persons were reported injured. Komnas HAM described the incident as a deliberate act of intimidation against the institution. The Jayapura City Police subsequently stressed that the object had not yet been conclusively identified as a Molotov cocktail, pending forensic examination of the bottle fragments and liquid recovered at the scene.
According to information provided by Komnas HAM, the perpetrator threw the bottle into the office compound at approximately 10.10-10.15 am and immediately fled. Police officers subsequently secured the scene and recovered broken glass, liquid and a white material resembling tissue that may have served as a wick. Investigators began collecting CCTV footage from the surrounding area, while the Papua Regional Police Forensic Laboratory was tasked with analysing the contents of the bottle. By 10 September, the Jayapura City Police had questioned four witnesses to reconstruct the incident, establish a possible motive and identify the perpetrator. Komnas HAM representatives maintained that the object consisted of a bottle containing petrol fitted with a wick and had been aimed at the parked motorcycles, potentially allowing a fire to spread to vehicles and towards the office building.
The incident prompted calls for an immediate and impartial investigation. Mr Saurlin P. Siagian, Commissioner for Monitoring and Investigation at Komnas HAM, called on the Papua Regional Police to identify the perpetrator, prevent similar attacks and guarantee the safety of Komnas HAM personnel working in Jayapura. On 9 September, Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai similarly urged the police to conduct a thorough and objective investigation based on admissible evidence rather than speculation. Pigai emphasised that an attack against a human rights institution could interfere with its ability to fulfil its mandate and called on the state to provide specific protection to human rights officers and defenders working in Papua.
The Papua Coalition for Law Enforcement and Human Rights, comprising organisations including LBH Papua, PAHAM Papua, LBH Kyadawun, KontraS Papua and other Papuan civil-society organisations, has placed the incident within a broader pattern of attacks against human rights defenders and independent journalists in Jayapura. On 9 May 2022, the LBH Papua office in Jayapura City was attacked in an incident involving suspected incendiary material, during which a motorcycle and vehicle were damaged. On 23 January 2023, an explosive or incendiary device detonated approximately three metres from the home of Papuan journalist Victor Mambor in Jayapura City. On 16 October 2024, two unidentified persons threw a confirmed Molotov cocktail into the compound of the Jubi editorial office in Jayapura City, setting two operational vehicles alight. The Jubi investigation subsequently stalled despite CCTV recordings and witness testimony, with no perpetrator having been punished more than a year after the attack.
Human rights analysis
The attack against the Papua Regional Office of Komnas HAM, if substantiated, raises serious concerns regarding the protection of human rights institutions and human rights defenders in West Papua. Komnas HAM is an independent state institution established under Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights, with statutory responsibilities including human rights monitoring, research, education and mediation. Its ability to operate independently and without intimidation is therefore integral to the domestic human rights protection system. The Paris Principles, endorsed by the UN General Assembly, require national human rights institutions to possess the independence, institutional capacity and conditions necessary to exercise their mandate effectively. Violence or intimidation directed against their premises or personnel risks undermining both institutional independence and access to human rights protection for victims and communities.
The authorities also have a positive obligation to protect individuals engaged in legitimate human rights work. Article 12(2) of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders requires states to take the necessary measures to protect persons engaged in legitimate human rights activities against violence, threats, retaliation, pressure and other arbitrary interference. The obligation is particularly relevant where previous comparable attacks have remained unresolved and authorities are consequently aware of a potential pattern of risk. Persistent impunity for attacks against lawyers, journalists and human rights institutions can generate a chilling effect, discouraging the documentation of violations, public criticism and cooperation with national and international human rights mechanisms.
Detailed case data
Document ID: HRM-CAS-117-2026
Location: FP8C+6MJ, Jl. Soa Siu Dok V bawah, Mandala, Kec. Jayapura Utara, Kota Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia (-2.5344078, 140.721644) Komnas HAM Papua Office in Jayapura
Region: Indonesia > Papua > Jayapura > North Jayapura
Total number of victims: dozens
1. Dozens, mixed unknown Human Rights Defender (HRD) intimidation
Period of incident: 09/09/2026-09/09/2026
Issues: human rights defenders
Sources: Suara Papua, CNN Indonesia