Irianese living in fear, says rights commission
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Members of the National Commission on Human Rights concluded from their visit here the Irianese lived in fear.
Albert Hasibuan and Clementino Dos Reis Amaral said during a meeting with community leaders, non-governmental organizations and religious leaders on Thursday that fear of arrest and intimidation caused Irianese to remain silent about the violence they had suffered.
The official rights body announced last week an independent team would be formed to look into alleged human rights abuses in Irian Jaya, including the military shooting last year in Biak.
The incident occurred when security personnel opened fire on a group of people who raised a proindependence West Papua Morning Star flag.
Hasibuan said there were a number of witnesses to the shooting, "but security personnel intimidated them" from speaking out.
One witness, as quoted by a report from the Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy, was cited as saying he was intimidated into lying about the incident.
"I was told to say a body was a victim of an earthquake in Aitape, New Guinea. If I (told people) the body was a victim of the attack, I was told I would be killed," he said.
Hasibuan appealed for an end to all intimidation in an effort to overcome political problems in Irian Jaya.
Scholars and community leaders here have pointed to abuses committed against Irianese as the reason behind the rising calls for the province's separation from Indonesia.
Local scholar Agus Alua told the rights commission the Irianese feared for their future. "Powerful people who are mostly non-Papuans have grabbed people's ancestral lands" for mining and forest concessions, he said, using the local term for Irianese.
"Papuans also fear being wiped out," Agus said, referring to accounts of people being slaughtered "like animals".
A local priest, Hutapea, told the commission the slaughters led him to conclude that Irianese were "cheaper than chickens".
Meanwhile, local military commander Maj. Gen. Amir Sembiring said locals still respected and needed security personnel.
Hasibuan said in the meeting the best way to settle problems in the province was to hold a dialog in which all parties "had the chance to express their opinions, aspirations and restlessness".
Separately in Sorong, the Malamoi tribe protested plans to construct a palm plantation on what they said was their ancestral land in Warsumsum valley.
Community leader Matias Asrima told The Jakarta Post the company planning to build the plantation conducted a land survey without the tribe's permission. (34)