Govt asked to investigate right abuses in Papua

Govt asked to investigate right abuses in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Leaders of religious groups in Papua have called for an
independent investigation into alleged human rights abuses by the
military in Wamena in the hunt for the perpetrators of an arms
robbery at the local military compound in April.

"We call on the central government and local authorities in
the province to pay serious attention to the human rights abuses
in the military operation in Wamena," Rev. Herman Saud of the
Evangelical Church in Papua said here on Saturday.

Rev. Socrates Sofyan Yoman, chairman of the Papua branch of
the Baptist Communion, said the National Commission on Human
Rights had been asked to thoroughly investigate the rights
abuses.

Brother Theo Van der Broek of the Jayapura Diocese concurred
and said an independent, thorough investigation was vital to
avoid confusion in the province.

A coalition of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has
formed a team to do an independent inquiry into the arsenal raid,
and claims to have found a number of human rights violations
committed by soldiers against local people.

At a press conference here on Thursday, team spokesman Anum
Siregar said the team had collected data on 35 cases of arrest,
torture and intimidation, 17 arson cases and 16 robbery cases
since the military investigation into the arms robbery began in
the middle of April.

"Villagers have been tortured, as have those detained at
detention houses belonging to the both local military and police.
Yapenas Murib died before reaching hospital due to injuries
inflicted during torture. Many villagers in Wamena have been
tortured and intimidated, and their belongings stolen during
military sweeps in their villages in Jayawijaya regency. Many
houses, churches, school buildings and polyclinics have also been
burned down," said Anum.

Frederika, a staff member at the Jayapura bishop's office,
said that during the two-month hunt, seven innocent civilians,
including two Baptist church ministers, had been killed or
persecuted.

Brothers Enggelek and Kotis Tabuni, both in their 40s, died of
injuries inflicted during torture in Kuyawage village on May 4,
she said.

The team also recovered the bodies of three civilians in a
forest in Kuyawage village on May 14. The three were identified
as brothers Yesaya and Obenus Tulenggan, and Eretene Murib. They
died of starvation while hiding from the military in the forest,
said Frederika.

She said Kabelek Hiluka, who was shot dead in a house in Ibele
village, was a resident of Kurulu village and not a rebel as the
military claimed.

"Hiluka was a grandson of Karulu Mabel, a Papuan figure who
played a major role in the province's integration with Indonesia.

The Army has deployed hundreds of soldiers, including 140
personnel of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) and Strategic
Reserves Command (Kostrad), to hunt down the men who killed two
soldiers and stole 29 rifles and guns and thousands of rounds of
ammunition from the arsenal on April 4.

Most of the arms have been recovered.

Several personnel of the Jayawijaya military district and
several villagers allegedly involved in the robbery have been
detained at local military and police detention houses.

Anum, also coordinator of the Democratic Alliance for Papua
(ALDP), said soldiers burned down houses and other buildings such
as churches and schools in Wapuga and Kuyawage villages,
Jayawijaya, on April 21 and April 22.

The soldiers also stole money, eggs and important documents
such as school certificates and bank books, he said.

"The rights of the people of Wamena have been abused in the
search for arms and ammunition stolen from the military
district's arsenal," he said.