Papua military exercise opposed

Papua military exercise opposed

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

Army soldiers began a four-day military exercise in Biak Numfor
regency, Papua, on Monday, but it immediately sparked protests
from students and a human rights group in Jayapura, the capital
of the troubled province.

Dozens of students from Biak Numfor staged a rally at the
Papua legislative council, urging the Indonesian Military (TNI)
to stop the training exercise, which were causing anxiety.

The demonstrators, grouped in the Association of Biak Students
(Himaba), argued that the military exercise, being held in the
hamlet of Yomdori in West Biak subdistrict, would frighten local
people.

"The presence of TNI troops in Yomdori will cause trauma among
local people because West Biak was once the target of a military
operation aimed at finding separatist rebels belonging to the
Free Papua Organization (OPM)," protest leader Adolof Baransano
said.

He said the military operation in West Biak, home to OPM
leader Matias Awom and his supporters, had often led to violent
abuse, such as extra-judicial killings and rapes.

"Eye witnesses of the violence in West Biak by security
personnel are still alive. Therefore, the presence of TNI troops
to conduct military drills will spark trauma for residents
there."

Adolof questioned the motives of the military to hold it in
such a location, which is home to civilians. "The military
training prevents local villagers from working on their farmland
too."

A similar protest was also lodged by the Institute for Human
Rights Study and Advocacy for West Papua (Els-Ham), a respected
Papuan-based non-governmental organization.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Els-Ham director
Alosyus Renwarin said the military exercise made people in Biak
Numfor quite apprehensive.

"If such anxiety grips local people, it means there is no
peace there, although all elements of Papuan communities have
agreed to declare Papua a peace zone," he said.

Yance Kayame, who chairs Commission A at the Papua legislative
council, said the protests were too late as the Army soldiers had
begun the exercise.

"The Army drills started today but you are just lodging a
protest today. It makes it difficult for the council (to respond
to)," he told the protesting students.

"If we ask them (TNI) to discontinue the exercise, it would be
not so easy for them to accept, because they have already brought
equipment and logistics to the field," Yance added.

Nevertheless, he said the council would convey their protest
to the Trikora military commander and monitor the military
exercise so as not to victimize civilians.

Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal, in charge
of military affairs in Papua, said the exercise was to improve
the troops' "stamina and skills" in battle.

"Such an event is normal for soldiers ... There are no other
motives behind it. Through the exercise, soldiers will be able to
get more comfortable with their roles when they are called upon
to defend the country from their enemies," Nurdin said.

He said he had spoken about the military exercise with Papua
Governor Jaap Salossa, who he said had responded positively.

The plan to hold the exercises had also been disseminated to
local people beforehand, Nurdin claimed.