Papuans want rights abusers jailed

Papuans want rights abusers jailed

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Some 800 students from the United West Papua Democratic Students
Front demanded on Monday that two police officers charged for
their roles in human rights abuses four years ago in Abepura,
Papua be imprisoned.

The demand, which was delivered in a protest at Papua's
legislative council, against the two officers, Brig. Gen. Pol.
Johni Wainal Usman and Adj. Sr. Comr. Daud Sihombing, was in
response to the fact that the two officers were still free and
still active policemen.

The protest's spokesperson, Emilia Wayar, explained that the
two officers were already named suspects and on trial at a
Makassar court, but they were still active on the police force.

"This is not fair to Papuans. They should be put behind bars,"
Emilia said.

The human rights abuses took place on Dec. 7, 2000 in Abepura,
approximately 20 kilometers south of the Papua provincial capital
Jayapura, after 30 residents armed with sharp weapons attacked
and set fire to the Abepura Police station at about 1:30 a.m.

Sgt. Petrus Eppa was killed and three other policemen were
wounded in the melee. In a separate attack on the Irian Jaya
Autonomy office in Abepura, a security officer, Markus Padama,
was killed.

About an hour later, at 2:30 a.m., the Abepura police,
assisted by the Jayapura Mobile Brigade (Brimob) paramilitary
unit, began a hunt for the perpetrators by scouring nearby
residential areas and hostels, including a student dormitory.

During the searches, police arrested, assaulted and tortured
at least 99 people, who they claimed were suspects in the police
station attack. Three people were killed in the retaliatory
raids. Elkuis Suhunaib, 18, died during the search, while two
others, Johny Karunggu, 18, and Orry Doronggi, 17, died after
being tortured.

At the time of the incident, Johni Wainal Usman was serving as
the Jayapura Brimob unit chief and Sihombing as the local police
chief.

Although the case has already been categorized as a human
rights violation, Papuans are not satisfied since the defendants
are still free and no compensation, restitution or rehabilitation
has been included as part of the case.

"These things (compensation, restitution and rehabilitation)
are demanded by the victims' families and Papuan people. If the
government accommodates the demand, then there's fairness," said
Harry Maturbongs and Gustav Kawer, members of the Papua non-
governmental organization coalition for Civil Society in Abepura.

Harry said the trial had been going on since May 17, 2004, but
no verdict was in sight, adding that the court proceedings were
halted before the testimonies of expert witnesses from the police
and the prosecutors was complete.

He also expressed fear that the witnesses would clear the
defendants of any wrongdoing.

"If the two of them are freed, people will no longer have
faith in the rule of law or the Indonesian government, in
general, because the victims existed, but those responsible for
the crimes will not have been punished," he said.

At the Makassar court last year, prosecutors charged the two
police officers with violations of Article 39 and 42 of Law No.
26/2000 on human rights. If proven guilty, they could face a
sentence of up to life in prison.