Author: westpapuamedia

Independent Journalism from West Papua to the World

Kontras Challenges Indonesian Military, Spy Roles in Wake of Papuan Killings

http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2012/06/kontras-challenges-indonesian-military-intelligence-roles-in-wake-of-papuan-killings/Pacific Scoop
June 11, 2012 Report – By Jubi and the PMC news desk

In the wake of many shootings that have occurred this month in the
West Papuan region capital of Jayapura and its environs, the human
rights group Kontras has challenged the role of the Indonesian
military and police and questioned the work of the state intelligence
agency.

The coordinator of Kontras (Commission for the Disappeared and Victims
of Violence), Olga Helena Hamadi, said the police should investigate
all the shooting incidents and reveal who was who behind them.

She said the TNI (Indonesian military), police and intelligence should
work harder on this issue.

“It is strange that all these shootings  are occurring in the heart of
the city, yet not one of the perpetrators has yet been arrested,” she
said.

“The police should investigate these incidents. It is the duty of the
police to safeguard the security  of our citizens. It is not enough
for the police to issue statements saying that these incidents are the
work of  OTK – Orang Tak Kenal or Unidentified People.”

If the army and the police were finding it difficult to  discover who
was who are behind these shootings, civil society groups  should work
in collaboration with each other to work out a solution, she said.

The chairman of BUK (United for Justice), Peneas Lokbere, said the
police must have the confidence of the community.

“If they fail to reveal any of the forces that are behind these
incidents, they will lose the the confidence of the community,” he
said.

Albertus, a representative of the Franciscans  Secretariat in
Jayapura, also said the police must reveal the people who were behind
these activities.

“The police are entrusted with the task of  providing security and
tranquillity for the community,” he said.

Albertus added that the shootings had created fear  and anxiety among
the people in general which makes it difficult for the community to
feel sure about their safety.

Source: Jubi – abridged translation by by the Indonesian human rights group TAPOL

Related articles
0

Imparsial: SBY must take action to stop the terror in Papua

JUBI, 11 June 2012

Imparsial, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor, has expressed concern about the many acts of terrorism such as shootings by OTK – Orang Tak Dikenal  – in Papua. The executive director of Imparsial, Poengky  Indarti,called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to get involved in solving the problem and accept responsibility  for a situation that threatens the lives of civil society..

‘These mysterious killings  are a threat to innocent people and must be stopped without delay,’ she said. ‘The President must summon all the authorities, the chief of police, the military commander, the chief of BIN – the intelligence agency, and the Minister of the Interior and acting governors .He must take responsibility for safeguarding the lives of the people.

‘There are indications that  neither of the governors are conducting an oversight of the activities of the troops in Papua who seem to be out of control.’

‘This situation must not be allowed to continue,’ she said, adding that the  President ‘must immediately start making preparations for a Jakarta-Papua dialogue so as discuss what the problems are  in Papua.’

She also said that according to Imparsial one of the problems is the process of electing the governors. Her organisation sees the shootings as preparatory to the forthcoming elections of the governors. This is what happened some time ago in Aceh when the same kind of thing happened. There are vested interests in Jakarta who want to benefit from disturbances in the regions as the year 2014 approaches [the next round of presidential, parliamentary and gubernatorial elections.]

[Behind the speaker is a poster with the words: WHO IS THE MASTERMIND?]

[Translated by TAPOL]

Related articles
0

District chief criticises brutal actions by soldiers

JUBI, 6 June 2012

The bupati  (head) of the district of Jayawijaya, Jhon Wempi Wetipo, has expressed his deepest regret  at brutal actions taken by members of the 736 Wamena battalion  who went on the rampage, damaging a number of government facilities, following the death of a soldier who had been set upon by local people.

He said that the correct way to respond to the attack of one of their colleagues  was to hand the case over to the police for the matter to be handled in accordance with the law.

‘I very much regret what happened in Honai Lama, seeing it spread to the city. Facilities that have been built by the government should be guarded by forces of the state, not destroyed,’ he said.

‘What is the purpose of such actions? It means just destroying things that have been built with money from the people’.

He said that the various government authorities  in the district  will hold a meeting to discuss what needs to be done in this matter. The facilities that were destroyed included some offices and a shopping mall that had only just been built.

He said that the attacks on members of the security forces  had occurred after local people were infuriated because two men on a motorbike knocked down  a young child.

One of the soldiers who was attacked has since died  after a stab pierced his heart. The other soldier is in a critical condition afer been stabbed in the chest.

Following the atack on the soldiers,  dozens of their colleagues went on the rampage in the town of Wamena and the situation became uncontrollable. ‘Even the police were unable to do anything.’

[Translated by TAPOL]

Related articles
1

DPRP member warns: Continued detention of Tabuni could strengthen pro-independence ideas

Bintang Papua, 8 June, 2012
Weynand Watory, a member of Commission A of the DPRP, said that the arrest of Buchtar Tabuni and his two colleagues  would do nothing to help resolve the conflict in Papua. On the contrary, it would only intensify the conflict. He also said that the ideology of Tabuni would not end.  He pointed out that this was the second time that Tabuni had been arrested and that this would only encourage his supporters to continue with their activities.

He said that the best way forward would be for the  government to hold dialogue  with the Papuan people on the broadest possible basis to reduce  the spread of his ideas. He said that Tabuni had been able to establish a network of supporters not only in Jayapura  but also across the whole of Papua.

‘We can well imagine that more Buchtars will emerge everywhere,’ he warned.

‘Just see how their ideas are spreading everywhere. We need to make an evaluation of the system currently being used because it is clearly not the right way forward. It is up to the government to make a careful evaluation of  the way it is handling the problems in Papua. If we are honest, we will see that the problems are only getting worse and the approaches being made to minimalise the problems have only strengthened the pro-independence movement,’ he said.

Translated  by TAPOL

Related articles
0

Chairman of KNPB arrested – many calls for his release

Bintang Papua, 7 June 2012The Chairman of the KNPB – National Committee for West Papua – Buchtar Tabuni  has been arrested. He was taken into custody while travelling by bus  in Abepura. Two others were arrested with him.

Deputy police chief, Brig-Gen Waterpauw  said that Tabuni had been arrested in connection with a number of recent incidents in Jayapura including the stabbing to death of a student. The police officer said: ‘A number of demonstrations have taken place which had called on others in the community to take part. These vents were anarchic and were in violation of the law.’ [Since when has it been against the law to demonstrate anywhere in Indonesia?]

Asked whether Tabuni’s arrest was connected with a number of unexplained shootings, the police officer said ‘These shootings are under investigation and we are trying to find out who it is who is behind them.’

He said there had been no addition to the number of troops in the area. The officer said that the  police were already aware of the features of the persons responsible  and added that they believe that four persons are involved in the shootings.

The chairman of Commision  A of the DPRP, the provincial legislative assembly, Ruban Magay, along with other members of the commission had been to the police headquarters to call for the unconditional release of Tabuni. A similar demand has been made by politicians from the  Partai Demokrat who said that Tabuni had visited the Commission at their invitation. The chairman said: ‘The continued detention of Bochtar Tabuni would only intensify the current problems in Papua which appear to be never-ending.

Just prior to his arrest, Tabuni had been seen chatting with members of the DPRP and with journalists.

Abridged in translation by TAPOL

Related articles
0

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com

Up ↑