| Biak Massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Papua Conflict | |
| Location | Biak, Indonesia |
| Coordinates | 8°35′15″S 125°20′31″E / 8.5875°S 125.342°E |
| Date | July 2–6, 1998 (UTC+9) |
| Target | Pro-independence civilians, members of the Free Papua Movement |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 40–150 |
| Perpetrators | Indonesian Armed Forces, Indonesian National Police |
The Biak massacre was the killing of West Papuan pro-independence demonstrators on the island of Biak, Papua Province, Indonesia, in 1998.
On the morning of 2 July 1998, unarmed villagers, including Nobel Peace prize nominee and political prisoner Filep Karma raised the West Papuan Morning Star flag at a water tower. In the afternoon, Indonesia police and military fired tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd but was unsuccessful. This resulted in a stand-off that lasted several days until the morning of 6 July where the Indonesian security forces surrounded and fired upon the crowd.[1]
According to Elsham Papua, a local human rights organization, 8 people were killed and a further 32 bodies were found near Biak in the following days.[2] The Free Papua Movement claimed that around 150 people were killed.[3]
To this day, no one has been charged with the killings and the massacre is not officially recognized. No government or international enquiry has reported on it.[4]
- ^ Bevege, Alison (December 16, 2013). "Biak Massacre Citizen's Tribunal at Sydney University finds security forces intentionally killed, raped children".
- ^ Apinino, Rio (7 July 2020). "Biak Berdarah 6 Juli 1998: Jalan Damai Berbuntut Kematian". tirto.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Remembering the Biak Massacre". freewestpapua.org. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Knaus, Christopher (2021-09-18). "'Killed like animals': documents reveal how Australia turned a blind eye to a West Papuan massacre". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
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