Sixteen killed in Irian Jaya, report confirms

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)

East Timor -- Page 2