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.