Update: Chinese Diver Accused of Killing and Eating an Endangered Species from Kompas.com
Photo caption:
A Chinese foreign national (WNA) with the initials WS was proven to have violated the law in connection with illegal hunting in the waters of Piaynemo, Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua. The perpetrator, who had previously been detained by the Solong Immigration Office on Monday (14/9/2026), was handed over to the Southwest Papua Regional Police (Polda) along with a number of pieces of evidence on Tuesday (22/9/2026) to be processed under the law. (DOK. Directorate General of Immigration)
Administrator’s Note: Many of you are aware of the Chinese diver accused of killing and eating an endangered species of sea turtle. The diver, aka WS, has been detained in Sorong while the Indonesian government investigates. This story is appeared in Kompas.com this morning, September 23, 2026. The original story is written in Bahasa Indonesia. It is translated here. We will continue to provide updates as the story develops.
KOMPAS.com – A Chinese foreign national (WNA) with the initials WS has been proven to have engaged in illegal hunting in the waters of Piaynemo, Raja Ampat Regency, Southwest Papua. The perpetrator, who was previously detained by the Solong Immigration Office on Monday (14/9/2026), was handed over to the Southwest Papua Regional Police (Polda) along with a number of pieces of evidence on Tuesday (22/9/2026) to be processed under the law.
“Because there are indications that he hunted protected wildlife, we handed WS over to the Regional Police for further legal proceedings,” said Head of the Regional Office of the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Immigration for Papua, Asrul, in an official statement on Wednesday (23/9/2026). The handover of WS was also attended by representatives from the Sorong Immigration Office, the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration for West Papua, the Southwest Papua Regional Police, and National Police Criminal Investigation Department officers.
“Papua is a legitimate part of the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, whose honor and integrity must be protected. We will not allow anyone, especially foreign parties, to act or behave arbitrarily within Indonesian jurisdiction,” said Asrul.
Sea turtles are fully protected by law in Indonesia. Referring to Law (UU) Number 32 of 2024 Article 21 paragraph two, it states: “Every Person is prohibited from: a, hunting, capturing, injuring, killing, storing, possessing, keeping, transporting, and/or trading in protected Wildlife in a live condition.” Perpetrators who violate these rules will be sentenced to imprisonment for a minimum of three years and a maximum of 15 (fifteen) years, as well as a fine of at least category IV and at most category VII.
WS is known to work as a certified diving instructor. Before being arrested, WS’s activities drew public attention after documentation of them circulated on social media. In the posts, WS was allegedly hunting and consuming sea turtles. The Sorong Immigration Office then placed WS on the Subject of Interest (SOI) list and monitored WS’s movements through the Passenger Profile Information System (SIPP) at various Immigration Checkpoints (TPI).
On the other hand, when met at the Makassar Immigration Office, WS was reluctant to provide extensive details regarding the allegations of hunting protected wildlife. He said that his presence in Papua was solely for tourism purposes. “I was there (Raja Ampat) for only five days for a vacation,” WS said at the time. The location of the incident in Raja Ampat, a leading marine tourism destination in Southwest Papua, prompted the Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) to also respond.
The Ministry of Tourism condemns the actions of tourists who hunt turtles with spearguns. “We emphasize: there is no tolerance for anyone who damages the Raja Ampat ecosystem. Tourists coming to Indonesia are required to comply with Indonesian law and respect the applicable conservation regulations,” the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement on Tuesday (15/9/2026). The ban concerns not only the hunting of protected wildlife, but also any actions that damage coral reefs, take, injure or kill protected marine life, as well as other activities that threaten the sustainability of the ecosystem.
