Sixteen killed in Irian Jaya, report confirms

JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights established yesterday that 16 civilians were killed and four others went missing during various military operations in Irian Jaya over the past year.

Announcing the findings of its investigation into allegations of human rights violations, the commission counted six incidents in the Timika district of the Fak Fak regency and Hoea village in the Paniai regency of Irian Jaya.

The commission, "based on testimony from 40 witnesses and 14 sources, concludes that between October 1994 and June 1995, there have been violations of human rights in those areas", it said in a press statement.

It listed six forms of human rights violations: indiscriminate killings, torture and inhuman/degrading treatment, unlawful arrest and arbitrary detention, disappearances, excessive surveillance, and destruction of property.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo declined to comment on the commission's report yesterday, saying he needed to study it first.

Commission Deputy Chairman Marzuki Darusman, who headed the investigation team, announced that women and children were among the 16 people killed. He did not give a precise breakdown of the dead.

The incidents occurred during military operations connected with ABRI's effort to deal with security disturbances from the Free Papua Movement, an armed separatist group. And in safeguarding the mining operation of PT Freeport Indonesia, which the government considers a vital project, according to the statement.

Marzuki said 11 people were found dead outside the mining project of Freeport. The remaining five were found inside the project area.

Freeport is an American company which runs a huge, and highly profitable, copper mining operation in Timika.

Allegations of human rights violations in Timika were first brought to the commission's attention by a number of non- governmental organizations and church leaders last month.

The Army has also launched its own investigation and ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung told a hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday that his troops had violated procedures and regulations when handling the Timika affair. Feisal said he has also ordered Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono to take stern measures against the soldiers involved.

Marzuki's explanations yesterday often went beyond the prepared text that was distributed to journalist at the start of the press conference.

"The security apparatus and the military personnel indiscriminately shot the 16 people and tortured them in order to extract confessions," he told the conference.

Commission secretary general Baharuddin Lopa and six other commission members were present at the conference held at the end of a three-hour review session.

Some 30 Irianese living in Jakarta, who had waited patiently for the announcement, were also present.

Commission Chairman Ali Said was not present. He is reportedly in Singapore undergoing medical treatment.

Marzuki said soldiers arbitrarily and unlawfully detained the locals and put them under intense surveillance.

They also ruined traditional Irianese houses during the operation, he added.

"The National Commission on Human Rights expresses its deepest regret and apprehension at these violations of human rights conducted by the security apparatus even though they occurred in the line of duty," the statement read.

It also urged the government and the military to investigate the whereabouts of the four missing persons and to compensate the villagers, or their relatives, whose rights they violated.

Irianese protesters questioned last week the extent of Freeport's involvement in the incidents. The company's representatives in Jakarta have denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the killings.

Marzuki said yesterday that a Freeport bus was used by the military at the latter's request, but a container, used by the military to detain the people, no longer belonged to the American company when the rights violations occurred.

NGOs have alleged that the Freeport bus was used to transport the victims.

The commission statement also criticized the Irian Jaya Provincial Administration for its neglect in detecting the killings earlier, which would have allowed the commission to take measures to prevent other human rights violations.

The commission "feels that it is high time to review the government's policy in containing security problems which has so stigmatize part of the population that it has affected the cohesion of society."

It urged the use of an effective "political, social and cultural approach". (imn/rms)

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