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