Senior cop axed over Papua rights violation

Senior cop axed over Papua rights violation

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

A senior Papuan police officer has been replaced and four other
are being questioned for alleged human rights violations
following a violent clash between separatist supporters and
police personnel on Tuesday in Jayapura, a police spokesman said
on Wednesday. "After a quick evaluation, one officer was found
guilty and four others are being questioned after the incident,"
said Papua Provincial Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Sitompul.

For the time being, chief of Jayapura Police Adj. Sr. Comr.
Son Ani has replaced chief of the antiriot squad at Jayapura
Police Adj. Comr. Novly Pitooy with Adj. Comr. Dominggus
Rumaropen. Novly will assume his new post soon at Papua
Provincial Police headquarters.

Meanwhile, police internal affairs are currently questioning
four other police officers who are suspected of violating police
procedures in the incident that injured dozens of people,
including 10 police officers.

Sitompul would not go into details, but merely said that the
police would investigate the case thoroughly.

According to Sitompul, 11 out of the dozens of local
separatist supporters injured in the incident had been released
from hospital after receiving treatment.

The separatist supporters were victims of a clash in front of
Jayapura District Court that broke out on Tuesday. They went on a
rampage after Philep Karma, a respected Papuan separatist leader
who just left the courtroom, was not allowed to speak before the
crowd, unlike in past court hearings.

Karma is being prosecuted for his alleged role in subversive
activities. He was nabbed last year for leading a ceremony to
hoist the outlawed Papuan separatist flag.

During the court hearing on Tuesday, the prosecutor
recommended that Karma and his accomplice Yusak Pakage receive a
five-year prison term for subversive activities.

Meanwhile, an activist said that the Papuan representative
office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)
has received a report on alleged violations of human rights in
Tuesday's clash.

Albert Rumbekwan, an activist at Papua's Komnas HAM, said that
the report was filed by Cosmos Iwal, who represented the victims.
Rumbekwan said that the report revealed four alleged violations
committed by police personnel.

The report said that police officers had beaten the
protesters, some police officers dragged off a woman and took off
all her clothes, a judge assaulted a Papuan separatist supporter
attending the court session and a police officer jabbed a
protester with a syringe before he was dispatched to a police
post for questioning. "The report is still one sided and we have
to confirm it with Jayapura and Papuan Police Headquarters," said
Rumbekwan.

According to Rumbekwan, his office will immediately send the
report to Jakarta for follow up. The office recommended that
Komnas HAM established a team to investigate the alleged
violations of human rights in the incident.