Bomb Explodes in Churchyard Following Worship Service 

Around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, an explosion shattered the silence following Mass at St. Paulus Nabuni Mbamogo Station Church, Saint Michael Bilogai Parish, in Sugapa, Intan Jaya, Indonesia. 

The closing prayer had barely begun to waft through the mountain air when the bomb — or grenade — detonated in the churchyard. Four people suffered serious injuries and were identified as Petrus Pogau, Robert Nabelau, Pius Pogau, and Piter Nabelau. 

“Yesterday, we could only take two victims to the hospital. We plan to take two more victims to the hospital today,” Father Yanuarius Yance Yogi, the parish priest of Bilogai, said on May 18. 

The explosion at St. Paulus Church, Paulus Nabuni Mbamogo’s incident, is not the first, and unless fundamental change occurs, it will not be the last. This is a common thread in the fabric of violence that has been woven for six decades in Papua. 

The armed conflict between the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) in Intan Jaya has been ongoing since the 1960s, making this region one of the most active and neglected conflict hotspots in the world. 

“If left unchecked, human rights violations will spread. In this year alone, tens to hundreds of people have died or been injured,” said Yulius Wandagau, Head of the Papuan People’s Council (MRP) Customary Working Group for Central Papua. “As a result, people have fled, leaving their churches and belongings behind to live in the cities. Children have dropped out of school, malnutrition has worsened, and health services have become dysfunctional. This situation is widespread in the interior, from Intan Jaya, the three regencies mentioned above, Timika, Nabire, and even to the islands.” 

Yulius firmly requested that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and all security units assigned to Intan Jaya act more professionally and refrain from indiscriminate attacks without confirming their targets. 

‎“We hope that the TNI and units assigned to Intan Jaya will not use bombs or open indiscriminate shooting,” he said. “They must properly identify their targets. Distinguish between the TPN-OPM and civilians. This incident, especially since it occurred in a churchyard on a Sunday, is taking place.”

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