Govt urged to address violence in Irian<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Washington-based human rights groups called on
\nthe Indonesian government to address violence allegedly committed
\nagainst indigenous women in Irian Jaya by the Indonesian Defense
\nForce (TNI).<\/p>\n
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and the
\nInstitute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy said in a
\nstatement made available to The Jakarta Post that the violence
\napparently was perpetrated by the Army's Special Force (Kopassus)
\nto protect mining interests in Irian Jaya's central highlands.<\/p>\n
\"The military is (in Irian Jaya's central highlands) to make
\nsure that investors can come in,\" a Kopassus lieutenant was
\nquoted by the groups as saying.<\/p>\n
The groups said victims of the abuse and violence included a
\n3-year-old girl, an 11-year-old girl and two women aged 50 and
\n60.<\/p>\n
In one incident, soldiers took photographs as they gang-raped
\na 25-year-old woman while she held her infant child, the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
The groups also said two women were tortured within the
\nproject area of PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of the New
\nOrleans-based multinational mining company Freeport McMoRan
\nCopper and Gold, Inc.<\/p>\n
The two women allegedly were detained for a month and tortured
\nby Indonesian soldiers in a bathroom flooded with water which
\ncontained human feces.<\/p>\n
The groups urged the government to take steps to end the
\nabuses, including ensuring restraint on the part of the troops,
\nestablishing guidelines for military personnel and not using the
\nmilitary to safeguard economic operations.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Justice should initiate an investigation
\nagainst military personnel responsible for the sexual violence
\nagainst the Irianese women, the statement said.<\/p>\n
When asked to comment, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif
\nsaid on Friday that soldiers could not be punished for human
\nrights violations in Irian Jaya because the cases occurred during
\na war with separatist rebels in the province.<\/p>\n
\"You should bear in mind that the human rights cases occurred
\nduring a war, not during a normal situation. Therefore, it would
\nbe impossible to conduct an investigation. And in such a
\nsituation, human rights abuses could have been committed by both
\nwarring sides,\" Syamsul Ma'arif told the Post.<\/p>\n
He said that despite the difficulties, the TNI would look into
\nthe report and a number of others which had been submitted by
\nsocial organizations dealing with human rights in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Syamsul also said the TNI was amending the education curricula
\nat its Army, Naval and Air Force academies in an effort to
\nimprove awareness of human rights.<\/p>\n
Special material on human rights will be included in the
\ncurricula so all cadets will have a common insight into human
\nrights, Syamsul said. (rms\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-urged-to-address-violence-in-irian-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}