On 23 February 2023 (UTC+9), a riot broke out in Sinakma, Wamena, Highland Papua when a crowd of Papuans attacked Indonesian security personnel following the arrest of two Batak merchants accused of child kidnapping.
In the ensuing clash, a number of buildings were damaged, with twelve civilians and rioters killed including both merchants.
Tensions between Indonesian authorities and Papuan locals in the highland regions of Papua had been running high in early 2023, especially following the Nduga hostage crisis.
[5] Indonesian authorities had accused armed groups affiliated with the separatist National Committee for West Papua of being behind the 2019 riot.
Accounts from the Indonesian authorities noted that locals had halted the merchants and brought them to the police station, where the involved parties clarified the situation.
[11] Indonesian authorities claimed that a chain message accusing the police of protecting child kidnappers had spread through WhatsApp.
In an attempt to disperse the crowd, security personnel utilized tear gas, batons and warning shots.
[21] Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD later stated that the riot had nothing to do with the ongoing separatist movement, and had been purely incited by the kidnapping rumor.