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.