Dozens of Indonesian Air Force personnel reportedly tortured a young West Papuan man in Merauke, Papua Selatan Province, on 13 March 2026. The young man, Bernadus Eusebius Ndawe, a member of the Kimam tribe, was accused of theft. In fact, he was intoxicated at the time; he had picked up a sandal thrown by a friend into the Indonesian Air Force mess area and fallen asleep there. Around 30 military personnel woke Bernadus, intimidated him, and beat him on the head, face and body, causing injuries including a laceration to his lip. During the torture, his hands and feet were tied and his clothes were stripped off.