Arfai incident

The Arfai incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Arfai) was a skirmish between Indonesian Army soldiers and Free Papua Movement fighters backed by local sympathizers on 28 July 1965, where the fighters launched a raid against an Indonesian barracks in an attempt to capture firearms.

Arfai incident
Part of the Papua conflict
Date28 July 1965
Location
Manokwari, Irian Jaya
Belligerents
 Indonesia Free Papua Movement
Strength
1 battalion c. 400
Casualties and losses
3[1]–18[2] killed 4[2]–36[3] killed

Events

On 26 July, three Indonesian Army soldiers were shot during a flag-raising ceremony, and the following day, the army launched reprisals, with soldiers reportedly roaming the streets firing at civilians.[4]

The raid occurred against the barracks of army's 641st infantry battalion in Arfai, Manokwari on 28 July 1965, and was conducted by an armed group under one Permanas Ferry Awom, which numbered around 400 men and originated from Biak, Ajamaru and Serui.[5] Awom was a member of the Papuan Volunteer Corps, and according to a participant in the raid during a later interview, he entered Manokwari with around 80 fighters, receiving help from local sympathizers.[6] Later lieutenant general Sintong Panjaitan, who arrived in Irian in 1967, wrote in his memoir that the attack occurred on 4:30 AM in the morning, and the Papuan fighters utilized firearms, parang, spears and bows.[3]

Reportedly, 3 Indonesian soldiers were killed in the raid and another 4 were injured,[1] while Panjaitan wrote that 36 rebels were killed. He also wrote that two pieces of small arms - a Bren light machine gun and an automatic weapon - were captured.[3] The International Center for Transitional Justice reported that "18 Indonesian military personnel and four OPM guerrillas" were killed in the incident.[2]

Aftermath

Following the incident, alongside other events in Manokwari and Sorong, the Indonesian National Armed Forces launched a military operation codenamed Sadar, which involved pressuring civilians and launching aerial attacks, on occasion burning villages.[2]

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References
  1. Djopari, Johannes Rudolf Gerzon (1993). Pemberontakan Organisasi Papua Merdeka (in Indonesian). Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia. p. 110.
  2. "The Past That Has Not Passed: Human Rights Violations in Papua Before and After Reformasi" (PDF). International Center for Transitional Justice. p. 13. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  3. Mampioper, Dominggus (18 December 2018). "Bukit Arfai riwayatmu dulu". Jubi (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. "1965: 'Kekerasan Brutal' Perdana Militer Indonesia di Papua". tirto.id (in Indonesian). 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. al Rahab, Amiruddin (2016). "Operasi-operasi Militer Di Papua: Pagar Makan Tanaman?". Jurnal Penelitian Politik (in Indonesian). 3 (1): 9.
  6. "Peristiwa Arfai 1965 dalam cerita mantan tapol Papua, Yulius Inaury". Tabloid Jubi (in Indonesian). 26 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
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