Komnas HAM confirms serious rights abuses in Wasior, Wamena

Komnas HAM confirms serious rights abuses in Wasior, Wamena

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
Jakarta

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has
completed the report on its investigation into bloody incidents
in the Papua towns of Wamena and Wasior, saying soldiers and
police committed gross abuses in both cases.

After six months of investigation in the province, the
commission's fact-finding team found that both Indonesian
Military (TNI) soldiers and police officers were involved in
serious rights violations in Wasior regency in 2001 and Wamena
regency in 2003.

"The conclusion of the probes is that gross violations of
human rights occurred as defined by Law No. 26/2000 on human
rights," Sa'afroedin Bahar, who chaired the Komnas HAM team, told
The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He said the report would be discussed during a plenary session
of the commission scheduled for Aug. 11 and 12. A week later, the
findings would be submitted to the Attorney General's Office for
follow-up.

"I cannot give details of the findings before the plenary
meeting. But based on data and information gathered on the
ground, human rights abuses were committed by military and police
personnel," Sa'afroedin stressed.

Komnas HAM launched the investigations into the Wasior and
Wamena incidents last November to verify its preliminary findings
that blamed extra-judicial killings and torture on military and
police officers in both cases.

The probes started after the commission received permission
from President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

In raids on Wamena villagers between April and June 2003 by
Army troops, at least seven people were killed, 48 tortured, and
some 7,000 others were forced to flee.

The sweeps were launched after suspected Free Papua Movement
(OPM) members stole 29 rifles from the military armory in Wamena
on April 4, 2003.

In Wasior, at least three people were killed, 16 others
tortured and dozens of houses were set ablaze when police raided
a village in Wasior in 2001 following the killings of six police
Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers by alleged rebels.

The six paramilitary force officers were found dead on June
13, 2001, and the subsequent police raids and operations lasted
for more than two months.

Sa'afroedin said the findings by his team confirmed its
initial report on torture and extrajudicial killings in Wasior
and Wamena.

However, he refused to name the military and police suspects
implicated in the two human rights incidents. Nor did he disclose
their number and ranks.

The team led by Komnas HAM member Anshari Thayib questioned
dozens of both civilian victims and security officers over the
last six months.

"The investigations ran smoothly because we received good
cooperation from the relevant agencies," Anshari told the Post.

He said the team is currently finalizing its report before
presenting it to the Commission's plenary session next week.

"Should everything be complete, we will submit the findings to
the Attorney General's Office for it to follow up on it," Anshari
said.

Under the prevailing law on human rights tribunals, the Komnas
HAM findings can be admitted as evidence in cases being heard by
an ad hoc human rights court.