Irian activists fail to attend press conference<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Four Irianese, who were reportedly abducted by
\nmilitary officials earlier last month and released only last
\nweek, failed to show up yesterday for a press conference meant to
\nexplain their whereabouts during the time they were missing.<\/p>\n
Reverend Abimelech Michael Woriyassy and youth activists Yusak
\nSamuel Wonatorey, Hengky Jokhu and Samuel Satia failed to appear
\nas scheduled at the office of the Foundation of the Indonesian
\nLegal Aid Institute. A relative of Hengky Jokhu said he had got
\nthreatening phonecalls.<\/p>\n
Dadang Trisasongko, a lawyer at the institute, said the four
\ndid not tell the foundation why they could not appear in public.<\/p>\n
"I regret this. Their appearance would have been invaluable to
\nour effort to enforce the law," he told The Jakarta Posts.<\/p>\n
"This could set a bad precedence. Arbitrary arrests might
\nhappen again in the future," he said.<\/p>\n
He said the press conference was scheduled to reveal to the
\npublic what happened to the four Irianese after they were
\nreportedly unlawfully arrested by the military.<\/p>\n
"We told the press they went missing," Dadang said. "Now that
\nthey have been released, we think it is necessary for them to
\nexplain what happened to them, where they were detained during
\nthe period they were reportedly missing."<\/p>\n
Dadang said that a few Irianese youth activists had also been
\nreceiving calls from unidentified people asking them not to go to
\nthe press conference.<\/p>\n
Hengky's sister-in-law told the Post that her sister, Hengky's
\nwife, received two threatening telephone calls from a person
\nclaiming to be a military official.<\/p>\n
"The person threatened to harm my brother-in-law if he
\nappeared in the press conference," she said.<\/p>\n
Reverend Michael was taken from his home in West Jakarta
\ntogether with Yusak on the morning of March 19.<\/p>\n
Bambang Widjojanto, chairman of the legal aid foundation's
\nexecutive board, said at a recent meeting with the National
\nCommission on Human Rights that Michael was interrogated at the
\nWest Jakarta Military District about the recent riots in
\nJayapura, the capital of Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
The riots broke out after locals were prevented from paying
\ntheir last respects to separatist leader Thomas Wapay Wainggai
\nwho died on March 12 in Cipinang prison in Jakarta, and whose
\nbody was flown to Irian Jaya for burial at home. Four people,
\nincluding an off-duty military official, died in the incident.<\/p>\n
Michael was released on the same day after ten hours of
\ninterrogation, while Yusak, who was taken to a different place,
\nwas released on March 29.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that Michael was also questioned about his
\nrelationship with several Irianese separatist leaders, including
\nKelly Kwalik, Daniel Kogoya and Moses Weror.<\/p>\n
Samuel Satia and Hengky Jokhu were taken on March 20 and March
\n25 respectively. Both of them were released on the same day as
\nYusak. (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irian-activists-fail-to-attend-press-conference-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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