TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), admitted that his group's attack on security forces in front of Wamena Regional General Hospital violated international humanitarian law. He acknowledged that the rules of war prohibit targeting hospitals in attacks.
"On the other hand, it is true that hospitals should not be targeted in war," he said when contacted on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
However, he argued that the actions taken by the TPNPB Kodap III Ndugama-Derakma in attacking police in front of the hospital could be understood given the recent conflict situation in Papua. He cited an incident where the military entered a church that had become a shelter for civilians during gunfire.
"We are defending ourselves, so we will take any measures to expel the military occupation in Papua," he stated.
Additionally, Sebby claimed that not all TPNPB-OPM militias fully comprehend the rules of war or international humanitarian law. One reason, he explained, is limited access to knowledge, which hinders militias scattered across the Papua region.
Sebby mentioned that in 2012, during the High-Level Conference of the TPNPB OPM in Biak, they printed 1,000 books outlining international humanitarian law guidelines for distribution to combatants. "But Papua is vast. The stock is now depleted, so the books have not been fully distributed," he said.
Earlier, Theo Hesegem, Director of the Papua Institute for Human Rights and Justice, condemned the TPNPB-OPM's attack on the hospital area. According to Theo, the attack on police that occurred at the Wamena Regional General Hospital, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua, on Wednesday night, May 28, 2025, violated the provisions of international humanitarian law.
Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to the writing of this article
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