Convicted Papuans to be brought to Jakarta

Convicted Papuans to be brought to Jakarta

Nethy Dharma Somba , The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Human rights lawyers in Papua lodged a protest with the local
office of the justice and human rights ministry on Sunday for
trying to "abduct" 13 people convicted of hoisting separatist
flags in Wamena in 2000, and transfer them without proper
procedures.

Aloysius Renwarin from ELS-HAM, a legal aid institute in
Papua, called the attempt "an abduction" because the move was
done without informing the lawyers or family members of the
imprisoned Wamena 13.

The 13 convicted flag-raisers, Rev. Obed Komba and a group of
his supporters, have been incarcerated at the Wamena Prison for
hoisting the separatist flag, The Morning Star, three years ago.

Latifah Anum Siregar, another lawyer for the group, said that
the plan to send her clients to Jakarta was accidentally
discovered by ELS-HAM, as the 13 were seen at the airport as they
were being moved. But there had been no previous communication
between the government and the lawyers as to why or where,
specifically, that they were being taken.

Aloysius just happened to meet Ishak Tabuni, a member of the
local legislative council from Wamena at the airport, and Ishak
told him of the transfer to Jakarta, so ELS-HAM intervened and
temporarily halted the transfer. The authorities are holding the
flag-raisers at the police station while they negotiate with the
lawyers.

According to the prison warden accompanying the Wamena 13, the
decision to transfer the prisoners to Jakarta was based on a
request from the Supreme Court, but when asked he could not
produce proof of such a request.

MB Aronggear, head of the local office for the justice and
human rights ministry, was in no mood to discuss the move. "This
is still in process. Please, don't ask me for a comment,"
Aronggear told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Siregar said there was a request from the local administration
to transfer the Wamena 13 to Jakarta, but Aronggear had not given
his approval.

Anum said the attempt to transfer people without proper
procedures could provoke conflict.

Separately, Jayawijaya police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Agung
Makbul said that the plan to move the prisoners to Jakarta was
out of his hands.

"The prisoners are the responsibility of the justice office,
because they have been convicted," he told the Post.

Meanwhile, Rev. Obed said that he was taken away by security
officers as he left the Kemah Injil Church in Wamena. He was not
allowed to speak to his family before leaving.