Court to start trying Abepura case

Court to start trying Abepura case

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: The trial of two Military chiefs for
high-profile human rights abuses in Abepura, Papua, will start on
May 7, an official said on Tuesday.

Makassar District Court spokesman Heru Pramono said his
office would be used by an ad-hoc court to try the case.

Heru said the two defendants in the case, Brig. Gen. Wainal
Usman, a former chief of Mobile Brigade division at the Papua
provincial police; and Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing, the former chief
of Jayapura Police subprecinct, would attend.

The Abepura incident took place on Dec. 7, 2000. It started
when 30 armed residents attacked and set fire to the Abepura
Police station in Papua at about 1:30 a.m. local time. A
policeman, Sgt. First Class Petrus Eppa, was killed and three
other police officers were wounded in the melee. The mob also
attacked the Irian Jaya Autonomy office and killed security
officer Markus Padama.

Police in Papua began a search for the perpetrators an hour
later across Jayapura. They arrested and tortured hundreds of
residents suspected of having been involved in the attack. Three
of the residents were killed. -- Antara