Rights bodies blame govt for Wamena riot

Rights bodies blame govt for Wamena riot

JAKARTA (JP): A tense calm prevailed in Wamena on Monday as
residents of the small Irian Jaya town slowly came to grips with
the bloody riot that rights groups said was fueled by the
government's inconsistent policies.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and
several human rights watchdogs here blasted on Monday the
government's policies in handling unrest in Irian Jaya.

In a statement, Komnas HAM said the government's approach to
the Irian Jaya problem only presented legal uncertainties.

"The government should put aside the repressive approach and
replace it with a democratic measure which prioritizes dialog
with the people," said the statement signed by Komnas HAM's
chairman Djoko Soegianto and secretary general Asmara Nababan.

Komnas HAM also urged the government to be prudent in handling
potential conflicts with Irianese.

"The government should be wise and protect the people's rights
in it's policy implementations," it said, adding that the
government should take fair legal actions against all parties
involved in the Wamena incident.

The bloody riot erupted on Friday when police took down
several separatist flags in Wamena, located about 290 kilometers
southwest of the provincial capital of Jayapura.

Police claim that pro-independence forces from the Papua
Task Force ran amok, venting their rage by attacking mostly
migrant civilians.

A statement from the provincial administration on Sunday said
that 22 migrants and six indigenous Irianese were killed in the
attacks.

Independence calls in Indonesia's easternmost province has
been growing. The government has tried to placate some demands by
allowing the separatist flag to be flown below the Indonesian
red-and-white national flag.

Separately on Monday, four rights bodies asserted that
President Abdurrahman Wahid and the House of Representatives
should immediately summon National Police chief Gen. Surojo
Bimantoro to explain the decision to lower the separatist Bintang
Kejora flag, sparking the riot.

"We need to understand why Bimantoro gave an order outside his
authorization while the President has allowed Irianese to hoist
the flag," Munir of the Indonesian Institute for Legal Aid
Foundation (YLBHI) told a joint media conference together with
the Commission on Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras), the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM)
and the Institute for Human Rights Research and Advocacy
(ELSHAM).

"I presume there was a secret order, contrary to the
President's statement," he added.

Munir argued that Bimantoro has entered a political area which
is outside police authority.

ELSHAM's supervisor, John Rumbiak, alleged that Bimantoro gave
the order to haul down the separatists flags to the Irian Jaya
Police chief during a meeting in Jakarta on Sept. 27.

Refugees

Meanwhile Wamena was mostly calm despite the fact that
thousands of migrants were still seeking refuge at local military
and police facilities.

Security and order in Wamena seemed to be restored but the
town looked almost like a ghost town with no activity. Schools
were closed and workers, mostly civil servants, stayed home.

Some migrants were queuing to flee the town, despite the lack
of air transportation.

Five of six domestic air services have halted flights to
Wamena since Saturday, leaving thousands of refugees, mostly
women and children, stranded at the Wesaput Airport.

The only airline operating was PT Airfast, while Merpati
Nusantara Airline, Trigana Air Service (TAS), Manunggal Air
Service (MAS) and MAF have stopped operations in Wamena.

On Saturday, the only aircraft that landed at the airport was
a Hercules belonging to the Indonesian Air Force, which brought a
company of the police's Mobile Brigade.

Several people were transported by the Hercules out of Wamena,
the capital of the Jayawijaya, for Merauke.

Reliable sources in Merauke told Antara that 203 civilians had
been transported to Merauke on the Hercules by Saturday.

The Jayawijaya regency secretary, Yason Mubuay said he was
disappointed that the request from his office (to the governor)
for the Air Force to help transport the refugees had not been
acknowledged.

Wamena regent, Davi Augustien, and the speaker of the regency
legislative council, Budiman Kogoya, were out of town on official
business.

Commander of Jayawijaya 17902 Military district Lt. Col. Agus
Sularso, speaking through local electronic media on Monday,
called Papuans hailing from Jayawijaya to stop their anarchy.
(sur/bby)