Living in Sanctuary Abroad
Credit: Dokumentasi Publik Terbuka / Siaran Pers TPNPB-OPM
Juru Bicara Komando Nasional TPNPB-OPM
Sebby Sambom
Spokesperson publishing official claims of responsibility for civilian executions, censoring local media, and issuing death threats against civil officials.
Personal Dossier & Background
Date & Place of BirthNo official document (birth certificate, identity card or published court ruling) carries his date of birth. International human rights databases and Indonesian Wikipedia record 3 January 1975; Papuans Behind Bars says he was 30 when arrested in 2008 (implying 1978), so 1975 cannot be confirmed. His birthplace is likewise uncertain: English-language advocacy sources say Yalimo, Indonesian-language sources say Wamena.
Tribe & Regional OriginYali people. Advocacy sources give two versions of his home area: Yalimo, or the Baliem Valley/Wamena. (Sources: Papuans Behind Bars; Suara.com, 6 December 2018)
Family Background / ParentsCentral Spokesperson of the TPNPB-OPM National Command under Supreme Commander Goliath Tabuni. Serves as propaganda narrator and voice of unilateral claims for armed violence in Papua from overseas hideouts.
Educational BackgroundNo public source records his schooling — the education claim in the previous profile cannot be substantiated and is withdrawn. What is documented before he became a spokesman: a National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) activist in Sentani, Jayapura; arrested on 17 December 2008 on charges under Articles 106, 110 and 160 of the Criminal Code; sentenced to two years under Article 160 on 10 September 2009; released on parole on 14 December 2009; arrested again on 4 December 2010 and paroled in July 2011; crossed into Papua New Guinea in February 2013 and sought asylum, where he remains. (Sources: Papuans Behind Bars; International Federation for Human Rights; BBC News Indonesia; Suara.com, 6 December 2018)
FamilyHis wife is not named in public sources. Child: Wimane Sambom (born 20 December 2008 in the Papua police cells).
Position / RoleA spokesman who relays press statements based on reports from Kodap commanders; he holds no territorial command and leads no fighters. The Damai Cartenz task force describes him not as an official spokesman but as a propaganda spreader — a security-force statement we quote as such. His name is spelled differently across sources: Sebby Sambom, Sebby Sambon, Seblom Sambom.
Photographic Evidence of Crimes & Terror
Official statement by Sebby Sambom declaring flight bans and legitimizing shootouts targeting civilian passenger planes.
Credit: Tangkapan Layar Siaran Pers Terbuka TPNPB
Visual propaganda footage distributed to international media outlets to obscure the murder of non-combatant civilians.
Credit: Tangkapan Layar Arsip MediaTrack Record of Crimes & Threats
- Issued official statements justifying murders of innocent civilians by unilaterally labeling them as 'spies' without evidence.
- Issued open threats to shoot Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai if he enters Papua territory.
- Intimidated local Papuan journalists via unilateral media rules prohibiting objective balanced coverage in conflict areas.
- Managed fundraising avenues and armed violence publicity networks among international sympathizers.
Documented Losses & Civilian Damage
Fatalities: Provided propaganda legitimacy for the murder of at least 82 civilians across Papua
Displacement: Triggered widespread panic among medical workers and teachers through broadcast ultimatums
Public Facilities: Silenced independent local press freedom and obstructed neutral human rights monitoring