Irianese urge police to stop violence
Irianese urge police to stop violence
JAKARTA (JP): A group of Irianese held a protest in front of
the National Police Headquarters on Thursday, demanding an end to
violence by security personnel in their home province.
They also demanded that National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi
replace Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. Hotma Siagian, who
they accused of being responsible for abuses of police power
leading to rights violations.
Representatives of the Organization of West Papua People in
Greater Jakarta were received by National Police spokesman Brig.
Gen. Togar M. Sianipar.
Wearing white headbands and white T-shirts reading "West Papua
never dies", the group earlier went to the House of
Representatives to convey their protests.
West Papua refers to Irian Jaya, the official name for the
province that is not recognized by Irianese striving for a
separate country.
The protesters referred to an incident in Sorong, Irian Jaya,
on July 5, in which a motorcycle taxi driver, Bani, was killed. A
student was also severely injured, according to the group.
Four student activists and another 44 people -- all members of
the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) -- were arrested and are
still in police detention, they said.
The group proposed that Col. Ayub Sawaki, a police officer
said to be the best native recruit, replace Hotma.
"I know many Irianese who have entered the police academy but
none of them have managed to be high-rank officers, not even a
general. Give us the chance, bapak (father), to have our brother
as a leader in our own home," group representative Henky Yokhu
told Togar, the police spokesman.
"Police used to be respected in Irian but lately they have
acted like the military. Shooting Irianese to settle everything,
as if bullets are cheap. Don't they know that bullets are also
bought with our money?"
Togar said that the police force had been separated from the
military but that it was still on its way to independence.
It is not easy to change the military culture and code of
conduct among the police, who all had military training, he said.
Togar said he would contact Brig. Gen. Hotma for confirmation
of the allegations, and promised to convey their demands to the
National Police chief.(emf)