Activist ready to support probe on human rights cases in Papua
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.