Human rights body demands end to alleged harassment

Human rights body demands end to alleged harassment

JAKARTA (JP): A coordinator of a human rights body has
demanded the National Police chief order an end to the alleged
harassment of Institute for Human Rights Research and Advocacy
(Elsham) executive Johanes G. Bonay.

"We condemn the security administration's actions for
violating human rights and the law in their attempts to settle
the Dec. 7 incident in Abepura, which sacrificed the civilians
who had no knowledge of the incident," Munarman, the coordinator
of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence,
said.

He said Irian Jaya Police had questioned Bonay since Dec. 16
for his investigative reports on the police's actions against
rioters alleged to have attacked the Abepura Police station on
Dec. 7, in which two police officers were killed and two others
injured.

In response to the attack, Munarman said the police had abused
local residents.

He said the police chief had ordered some officers to raid
several students' dormitories, such as Nimmin dormitory in
Jayawijaya, IMI dormitory in Puncak Jaya, Yapen dormitory in
Waropen. The police also searched residents' homes.

Munarman said during the raid, police shot dead Elkius
Suhuniab, 18, a senior high school student of the Yali tribe in
Jayawijaya. His body was identified at the hospital morgue on
Dec. 8 by a relative.

He said the police had also detained 101 local residents at
Abepura Police station and Irian Jaya Police Headquarters for no
clear reasons.

"Ninety-six of the 101 arrested residents were severely
tortured. Two teenagers who lived in the Jayawijaya Nimmin
dormitory, Johny K, 18, a college student, and Orry Doronggi, 17,
a student at the Jayapura state vocational high school, were
killed," he said.

He said police had issued discriminative and racial statements
accusing Wamena residents of vandalizing the police station and
killing two police officers.

During the raid, Munarman said, the police also illegally
confiscated Rp 10 million (US$1,052) of locals' money and several
valuable items, such as a bank savings book, a radio, a pair of
shoes and 24 arrows.

Meanwhile, Jakarta-based Elsham activist Amiruddin regretted
the police's actions against Bonay.

"As a human rights watchdog, Elsam has the responsibility of
issuing various statements according to the facts and data
available. If the police were professional, they would not
investigate Bonay, but follow up on Elsham's reports," he said.

Amiruddin said the police's actions were considered to be
harrassment of humanitarian workers.

"The Irian Jaya Police have denied their actions and even
accused Elsam of telling lies in an effort to hide from the
mistakes they made," he said. (01)