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.