Rights body to probe Irian violations

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights promised yesterday to investigate reports of killings and vandalism in a number of Irian Jaya villages allegedly committed by an Armed Forces unit.

Commission members B.N. Marbun and Clementino dos Reis Amaral received a delegation of Irian Jaya students yesterday. The students presented a report which claimed that between December 1996 and October 1997, a number of innocent civilians were killed when a military unit was operating in the Mimika area.

The report, compiled by three church groups in Irian Jaya, said the incidents occurred in the villages of Bela, Alama, Jila and Mapenduma.

Prior to meeting with commission members, the students also tried to meet with Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto at the Armed Forces headquarters.

However, Wiranto was unavailable so they presented the report to Col. F.X. Bachtiar, a member of staff in the secretary general's office in the ministry.

According to one of the students, Yafet Kambai, Bachtiar said the Armed Forces would look into the matter.

The report claimed that during the military operations, in which the troops were assigned to crush the Irian Jaya separatist movement, many rights violations were committed, including the destruction of several houses.

The report also accused soldiers of damaging two community health centers and a radio communication facility owned by a local church.

The Irian Jaya students urged commission members to immediately establish a fact finding team to thoroughly investigate the case.

"We want an independent team to investigate the rights violations in Irian Jaya," student Yafet Kambai said.

Yafet also said military operations in the area should be stopped because they only spread fear among the local community.

Separately in Jayapura, 300 students came to the provincial legislature to protest against the treatment they received from security forces in the inland areas of the vast province.

The students demanded the Armed Forces adopt a more humane approach and end repressive measures. (byg/swe)