Human rights commision reveals abuses in Papua

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) announced on Thursday that it had found initial evidence suggesting that security personnel had committed crimes against humanity in two separate incidents in Papua a few years ago.

The conclusion was based on an investigation conducted by the rights body between Dec. 17, 2003 and July 31 this year, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, the chairman of the rights body, announced at a news conference in Jakarta.

"Following the findings, the case files will be handed over to the Attorney General's Office on Friday for further investigation and prosecution," said Abdul Hakim, who was accompanied at the news conference by Enny Suprapto, a member of Komnas HAM.

Among the initial evidence was statements by hundreds of witnesses in Wasior and Wamena, where the alleged human rights abuses took place.

Enny said that the alleged crimes against humanity in the Wasior case occurred during a series of police raids on nine villages in Manokwari regency three years ago.

During the Wasior raids, four people died, six were tortured, one was raped and five other people disappeared. "Those responsible for the crimes are 14 members of the Papua Police. Four of their superiors from the Papua provincial police were also responsible for not preventing or halting the crimes by their subordinates or having them prosecuted," the commission said in its report.

The raids were conducted after alleged rebels shot dead five police officers from the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) who were guarding a logging site on June 13, 2001.

As for the Wamena incident, the commission found that nine people died during Army raids on Wamena villages. The raids were conducted after alleged Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels broke into a TNI arsenal in Wamena regency on April 4, 2003 and made away with 29 rifles and 3,500 rounds of ammunition.

The Army raids also displaced thousands of residents from 25 villages in Wamena, resulting in the deaths of 42 people in refugee camps. Thirty-eight people were tortured while 15 others were arbitrarily arrested during the raids.

"As many as 164 TNI members of Trikora Military Command overseeing Papua province and other additional forces were responsible for the crimes. While their four superiors from Trikora Military Command, who knew of the crimes but did not prevent or stop them or not bring the perpetrators to justice, were also responsible," the commission said in its report.