Alive and active; previously imprisoned 2016-2017, now under investigation
Credit: Ilustrasi editorial — bukan foto orang atau kejadian
Demianus Magai Yogi — “Jenderal RR Demianus Magai Yogi” (sejak 2025); mengklaim diri Panglima Tertinggi West Papua Army
Damianus Magai Yogi
An armed figure from Paniai whose posts run from chief of general staff of TPN Paniai (2016) to self-declared supreme commander of the West Papua Army (2022), now active as “General RR Demianus Magai Yogi”; rivals in TPNPB-OPM reject that claim. Arrested on 13 October 2016 and imprisoned until August 2017; as of 2026 he is under investigation over a letter on Rp700 million in funds.
Personal Dossier & Background
Date & Place of BirthBorn in 1994 (stated in a Jubi interview, November 2021), making him about 32. His exact place and date of birth are not in any public source, though the context points to Paniai.
Tribe & Regional OriginYogi clan, Mee people, Meepago customary area; his bases are Eduda and Totiyo near Enarotali, Paniai.
Family Background / ParentsHis father was Tadeus Yogi (also written Thadeus or Tadius Magai Yogi), founder of the TPN-OPM faction in Eduda in the early 1970s, who died on 9 January 2009 — Damianus says he was poisoned, while Tribun's reporting says he was shot. His mother's name is not in any public source; by his own account she died of illness after being continuously pursued by security forces.
Educational BackgroundSchooled in Paniai and dropped out in the fifth grade of primary school (Jubi). No further education is documented.
Position / RolePost history: 2016 chief of general staff of TPN Paniai; 5 July 2020 commander of TPNPB Paniai Division II; 24 June 2021 commander of TPNPB-OPM Kodap IV Meepago; 9-13 August 2021 installed as “supreme commander of TPNPB-OPM West Papua” at a summit in Paniai; 31 December 2022 claimed the post of supreme commander of the West Papua Army; since 2025 he uses the title “General RR Demianus Magai Yogi”. His appointment by Benny Wenda in August 2021 was rejected by other guerrilla leaders (IPAC, 2022).
Latest Legal StatusHe was placed on the Paniai police wanted list in 2016; the then-Papua police chief, Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw, said on 17 October 2016 that “the two people on the Paniai police wanted list and sons of an OPM figure are Jemi Magai Yogi and Demianus Magai Yogi”. He was arrested at Sentani airport on 13 October 2016 and imprisoned until August 2017 in Nabire. As of October 2026 he is alive, free and active; no source reports a new wanted status, an arrest or a death. In March 2026 he was under investigation over a letter on Rp700 million in funds and an attack on a PT Kristalin post, with police stating no suspect had been named.
Verification noteThe claim to be “leader of the West Papua Army faction” is only partly borne out and must be read as a figure's own claim. He does claim the title “supreme commander of the WPA” and is widely described that way (including by police through Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno), and the WPA exists as an entity formed on 1 July 2019 through the Vanimo Border Declaration, an ULMWP idea. But his leadership is not independently verified and rivals reject it: TPNPB-OPM spokesman Sebby Sambom (Pos-Kupang, 4 January 2023) said the groups of Benny Wenda, Damianus Magai Yogi and Menaseh Tabuni are rejected for damaging unity. Names easily confused: his younger brother Jemmy (Otto Jimmi) Magai Yogi, WPA Division II Paniai chief of staff, arrested on 16 October 2024 and on the Papua police wanted list — the wanted label in 2024 reporting refers to the brother, not Damianus. The spellings Damianus and Demianus are the same man; the West Papua Army is distinct from the Mathias Wenda-led TRWP and from Goliat Tabuni's TPNPB.
Dossier sourcesJubi — wawancara (November 2021): lahir 1994, pendidikan, keluarga · ANTARA (17 Oktober 2016) — kutipan Kapolda Papua soal DPO Polres Paniai · IPAC laporan No. 77 (2022) dan No. 21 (2015) · Pos-Kupang/Tribun (4 Januari 2023) — penolakan Sebby Sambom · PapuaTengah.News (Maret 2026) — penyelidikan surat dana Rp700 juta
Photographic Evidence of Crimes & Terror
Evidence of criminal offenses and extortion secured by officers in the Paniai and Deiyai region.
Credit: Dokumentasi Terbuka / Penegak HukumTrack Record of Crimes & Threats
- Command roles in the Paniai/Meepago armed structure: chief of general staff of TPN Paniai (2016), commander of TPNPB Paniai Division II (2020), commander of Kodap IV Meepago (2021).
- Claims the post of supreme commander of the West Papua Army (31 December 2022) and a general's title since 2025, claims other TPNPB-OPM factions reject.
- Under investigation in March 2026 over a letter on Rp700 million in funds and an attack on a PT Kristalin post; police said no suspect had been named.
Documented Losses & Civilian Damage
Fatalities: At least 12+ casualties recorded from shootings and abductions across Paniai and Deiyai.
Displacement: Hundreds of construction workers and local traders forced to halt operations in West Paniai and Bibida.
Public Facilities: —