Rights body team visits Irian Jaya<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Just a day after arriving in Timika, Irian Jaya,
\ntwo National Commission on Human Rights members suggested
\nyesterday that the number of suspected human rights violations
\nmay be higher than originally reported by church groups.<\/p>\n
Commission member Asmara Nababan said preliminary
\ninvestigations indicated an increase in the number of violations
\nthat have occurred.<\/p>\n
He refused to say how many were initially reported or how many
\nnew cases have been uncovered, saying only that the initial
\nnumber of cases reported was in the dozens.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe two or three more commission members will be added to
\nlook into this matter so we can collect more data,\" he said as
\nquoted by Antara from Timika.<\/p>\n
He said visits to Bela and Jila villages already revealed that
\nmore investigating was needed.<\/p>\n
The commission promised to hold an investigation after
\nreceiving reports last month of killings and vandalism allegedly
\ncommitted by the Armed Forces in a number of Irian Jaya villages.<\/p>\n
The report claimed that between December 1996 and October
\n1997, a number of innocent civilians were killed when a military
\nunit was operating in the Mimika area.<\/p>\n
The report, compiled by three church groups in Irian Jaya,
\nsaid the incidents occurred in the villages of Bela, Alama, Jila
\nand Mapenduma.<\/p>\n
Nababan arrived in Timika with fellow commission member
\nClementino dos Reis Amaral on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The two then visited surrounding villages and held dialogs
\nwith tribal heads and dozens of residents from Bela and Jila
\nvillages.<\/p>\n
Benny Mom, a community leader from Bela, claimed that a number
\nof local people were killed when a group of soldiers swept
\nthrough the village during operations to free hostages held by
\nlocal separatists in the Mapenduma area in May 1996.<\/p>\n
\"We demand the government investigate the human rights
\nviolations and take tough action against the soldiers involved,\"
\nBenny asserted.<\/p>\n
He also said that the government should gradually pull out
\nsoldiers stationed in the villages so that local people could do
\ntheir daily activities without fear.<\/p>\n
Nababan said that the rights body would urge the Armed Forces
\nleadership to reduce the number of military personnel in the area
\nand punish those involved.<\/p>\n
However he pointed out that any withdrawal of troops would
\nhave to be gradual.<\/p>\n
Local churches have also established their own team to
\ninvestigate the human rights violations.<\/p>\n
The church group has rejected the establishment of a fact-
\nfinding team established by the Trikora Military Command
\nsupervising Maluku and Irian Jaya over fears that it would be
\nneither independent nor objective. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-team-visits-irian-jaya-1447893297",
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