Activist ready to support probe on human rights cases in Papua

Netty Dharma Somba and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja The Jakarta Post Jayapura/Jakarta

Papuan human rights activists said they were prepared to support the planned investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) into alleged atrocities in the province.

Activist Iwan K. Niode, who joined the preliminary probe conducted by the commission, said the Koalisi LSM which groups several non-governmental organizations in Papua would help find witnesses and other data needed to support the formal investigation.

"I have been asked by the commission to join the inquiry team, along with several activists and we are ready to do our job," Iwan said on Saturday.

The commission decided to launch a legal probe into the Wasior incident in June 2001 and Wamena case in April 2003, where the commission found evidence of torture and extrajudicial killings against the civilians conducted by the Army and police troops.

Aside from Iwan, local activists Demianus Wakman and Rika Korain of the Koalisi LSM have been included in the investigation team.

Trikora Military Commander overseeing Papua Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal regretted the planned inquiry, saying the rights body had jumped into a conclusion without reconfirmed its findings to the military side.

"When they came here for the preliminary investigation they held talks with me, but then after they completed the probe they never confronted me with their findings," Nurdin said.

He doubted the accuracy of the data collected by the commission, saying in the Wamena incident security officers had never detained that much people as reported by the rights body.

"They said we detained 48 people, whereas we had never held that many people," Nurdin said.

He was convinced the military did not violate any standard operating procedures during the Wamena case, in which a group of military troops reportedly tortured the detainees and killed seven of them and forcibly evacuated some 7,000 residents following raids on Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels who had broken into a military armory.

Spokesman for the Papua Police Sr. Comr. David Sihombing also denied accusation that police troops had violated any procedures during the raid on people in Wasior that followed the killing of six Mobile Brigade police personnel by rebels. At least three people were killed and 16 others were tortured during the raid.

In Jakarta, the House of Representatives said the legislative body would wait until the rights body completes its probe before disclosing its stance.

Chairman of the House Commission II on legal and home affairs Agustin Teras Narang said that the rights body had the right to proceed with the investigation according to the law.

"They should continue with their investigation and remain independent," Teras said over the weekend.

He said both the House and government could not hamper the investigation as it is part of the country's commitment to upholding human rights.

As stipulated in the 2000 human rights law the House decides whether alleged crimes against humanity will be heard in the ad hoc human rights court.

So far the House has approved the rights trial of people implicated in gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999 and in the North Jakarta area of Tanjung Priok in 1984.

The legislators, however, concluded that no human rights violations had occurred during the incidents in Trisakti University and the Semanggi clover-leaf, both in Jakarta, in 1998 and 1999 respectively.