Author: westpapuamedia

Independent Journalism from West Papua to the World

Indonesian Air Force Members Torture Amsal Marandof and Ida Marandof at the Arafat Village, Samofa District, Biak

Urgent Action / Verified Field Report

by JPIC, GKI-TP Synod*

November 23, 2015

On June 5th, 2015, 14:20hours, a member of the Air Force heavily maltreated Amsal Marandof (22 Years old), leading to an injury above his right eyebrow.  As Amsal’s elder sister named Ida Marandof (Around 26) wanted to intervene in the beating to help her brother she was severely beaten on the chest by one Air Force member causing the victim to loose consciousness.

Biodata of Victims:
Name : Amsal Marandof
Age : 22 Years
Date/Place of Birth : Biak, 4 April 1994
Occupation : private sector
Gender : Male
Status : Single

Name : Ida Marandof
Age : +/- 26 years
Date/Place of Birth : –
Occupation : private sector
Gender : Female
Status : Married

Case Narrative

 

On Wednesday June 5, 2015, around 14:20 pm, local Biak man Amsal Marandof went to his brother’s grave on the left side of the “Papan Kuning” road.  Amsal was bringing a machete with him to cut the grass around the grave. When Amsal arrived there he saw 2 Army Air Force soldiers approximately 200 meters ahead of him, following activities on a piece of land that had previously led to a conflict between Amsal’s family and the Army Air Force. For that reason Amsal walked
over to them and intended to asked what they were doing at the location.
As The Victim approached 2 air force members, one security force member panicked and stepped backwards and fell down. Thereupon the Air Force member became angry and kicked Amsal into the face. The kick caused a bleeding injury above the victim’s right eyebrow.

The air force member’s aggressive behaviour made Amsal angry, so he fought back using the machete with the intention strike the Air Force member’s head and hit his helmet. Subsequently,  Amsal panicked and retreated.  After several minutes,  many Air Force members came running out of their headquarters to chase after Amsal.  One air force member ran towards him and pointed his gun at the Amsal.  Other Air Force members threw wooden sticks and rocks at him shouting “You are an OPM member” (Papua Freedom Movement).

Thereupon the victim sought rescue at Arafat work shop. Around 50 Air Force members caught him in front of the workshop, where they kicked and punched Amsal.

When the victims’ elder sister named Ida Marandof (26) received information about the incident she directly went to the location to help her brother, by stopping the security forces (from beating him).  As Ida Marandof intervened in the beating one of the Army Air Force hit her on the chest, causing the victim to lose consciousness, so Ida was immediately brought to the Air Force Base Hospital at Singamangaraja Street, Biak City.  Amsal Marandof victim was brought to Biak
District Police Office where he was taken into custody.
Ida received medical treatment and was supplied with oxygen. As she became conscious, a member of the Army Air Force questioned Ida, but she refused to answer.

After that the Air Force member gave Ida Marandof IDR100.000 (less than US$10) as transport cost and said “This problem ends here ya”. Subsequently Ida left the hospital, still feeling pain in her stomach.

Around 15.15 local Papuan time, local residents became angry and blocked the “Papan Kuning” road in front of the grave of Amsal and Ida Marandof’s brother.  The demonstrators cut the trees and broke some bottles in the middle of the road which caused a traffic jam.  Around 17:00 the road block was reopened by the community members and police.
Pictures of Amsal and Ida Marandof revealing injuries caused by members of the Indonesian Airforce (JPIC/WPM)

Wound above Amsal Marandof's right eye
Wound above Amsal Marandof’s right eye
Amsal's body is covered with bruises caused by Airforce military members
Amsal’s body is covered with bruises caused by Airforce military members
Ida Marandof during the interview
Ida Marandof during the interview

 

*Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Desk of the
Gereja Kristen Injili di Tanah Papua (GKI – Evangelical Christian Church in Papua)

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The Release of Filep Karma Upholds the Principle of Human Rights in Papua, yet others remain behind bars

Statement by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of the LP3BH

20 November 2015

On behalf of the Institute of Research, Analysis and Development of Legal Aid – Manokwari [LP3BH], I welcome the release of one of the pro-Papua Merdeka political prisoners, Filep Karma on 19 November 2015.

Bapak [Father] Filep Karma is now a former political prisoner. He was arrested on 1 December 2004 and was sentenced to fifteen years at his trial at the District Court of Jayapura on 26 May, 2005.  Karma was charged for an action under Article 106 and Article 110 of the Criminal Code [KUHP].

He has spent more than ten years in prison for activities that he was involved in in accordance with the principles of the freedom of
expression and the freedom of assembly.  On that occasion, he made a speech and raised the Morning Star Flag on 1 December 2004.  He refrained from any actions of violence nor was he armed with any weapons.

Despite all that, he was one of a number of people who were arrested, imprisoned and charged in a Court of Law by a State that simply ignored his basic rights as a free citizen, entitled to protection under Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia.

During his imprisonment, he was treated in ways that are in violation of humanitarianism and basic human rights that are universally recognised.

The only thing he was doing was to give expression to his opinions that are in conflict with the views of the State.  His actions on that
occasion did not in any way destabilise anything politically or disrupt law and order.

The LP3BH calls on the Government of Indonesia and the Head of State, President Ir H. Joko Widodo to take the opportunity of release
of Filip Karma to launching a series of actions to release all the political prisoners, including those who have been tried (napol), who
are serving sentences in a number of prisons in towns and cities throughout the Land of West Papua.

Take for example the cases of three activists of the KNPB [National Committee of West Papua], Alexander Nekenem, Maikel Aso aka
Yoram Magai and Narko Murib aka Nopinus Humawak who were tried in the District Court in Manokwari.  They too, like Filep Karma, were accused of inciting other people to get involved in activities violating the law and charged under Article 160 of the KUHP, together with Article 55 of the Criminal Code.

At a subsequent hearing in their trial, on 19 November, the Prosecutor called for the three men to be sentenced to two years each, with deduction for the time already spent in prison.

These charges were extremely severe for the three accused who had refrained from perpetrating any acts of violence nor did they incite others to engage in any unlawful activities.  Nothing that they did resulted in anyone else being killed or injured or cause any material
damage on that day, 20 May, 2015 in Amban-Manokwari, Province of West Papua.

Peace!

[Translated by Carmel Budiardjo, Recipent of the Right Livelihod Award, 1995]

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Cartoon: End Access Restrictions to Papua

Source: End Access Restrictions to Papua

Merauke District Council and Indigenous People’s Association take issue with military working on one-million hectare rice estate

From Tabloid Jubi

Translated by awasMIFEE

 Published: November 13, 2015

ProyeklahanA Member of Merauke Regency District Legislative Council, Hendrikus Hengky Ndiken, has expressed his complaints about the 1.2 million hectare rice estate recently announced by the Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He was disappointed by how land conversion work seemed to have been taken over by the military.

He said that local entrepreneurs who have joined the Gapensi umbrella organisation should be involved and given the opportunity to convert land for agriculture, in order to prevent the emergence of social inequality.

“I have to say sincerely, that steps taken by the military in converting agricultural land have infringed regulations. Because the Presidential Degree had signalled that an organisation had been formed to carry out the instructions,” he told Jubi on 6th November 2011.

Hengky added that he would support the military taking over land conversion if it was categorised as an emergency. “However this is currently not the case and space and opportunities should be given to entrepreneurs to do the work”, he said.

Separately, the head of the Merauke Regency Indigenous People’s Association (LMA), Ignasius Ndiken, said he also had problems with the military doing the work. “If the military does the work, that’s a problem. It would be better to pass the work over to local entrepreneurs,” he said.

“How is it possible that they have their land, but other people are doing the work? Who’s setting out the rules? The community have a claim to the land as customary landowners, but in fact they are not being given proper opportunities,” he said.

He added that although he feels local people should fully support the central government’s programme, indigenous Papuans seem not to be getting any direct benefit.

Source: Tabloid Jubi http://tabloidjubi.com/2015/11/06/program-sejuta-hektar-di-merauke-dprd-dan-lma-keberatan-tni-yang-kerja/

Photo: Bintang Papua http://bintangpapua.com/index.php/lain-lain/papua/papua-selatan/item/20843-pemilik-ulayat-tolak-400-ha-lahannya-dijadikan-sawah

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Warinussy: Continued Brimob police Detention of Alexander Nekenem is Rights Violation

Statement by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of LP3BH

10 November 2015

Speaking on behalf of the LP3BH – Manokwari [Institute of Research,
Analysis and Development of Legal Aid] as well as the Co-ordinator of
the defence team of Alexander Nekenem and his colleagues, it is my
opinion that the Prosecutor, Syahrun SH from the Prosecutor’s Office
in Manokwari has violated the basic human rights of one of my clients.

A statement issued by the Court stated that the length of
detention of my clients should be prolonged for sixty days, from 30
September till 28 November 2015.

A copy of this decision was sent to the Director of the Prison in
Manokwari. But where should these extra days be spent, in which
prison?

Why is it that that Alexander Nekenem and his colleagues continue
to be held in custody at the Brimob Command Centre. Is this the prison
where Alexander Nekenem and his colleagues are to spend the rest of
their detention?

Furthermore, it is clear that the Prosecutor in this case has
violated the rights one of the colleagues of Alexander Nekemen. This
is all the more so in view of the fact that this colleague, Narko
Murib, was taken ill during a hearing in the case and should therefore
have been allowed to be absent from the Court and held in a custodial
cell at the State Prison in Manokwari.

The Chairman of the Panel of Judges instructed the Prosecutor to
take the afore-mentioned prisoner for examination and given whatever
medical treatment he required.

However, regrettably, the Prosecutor’s Office did not act to
ensure that Narko Murib was taken for a medical check-up. All that
happened was that his blood pressure was checked and he was given
some tablets to bring his temperature down.

As a result, Narko Murib was unable to attend the court hearing
on Tuesday, 10 November because he was still unwell.

Peace.

Yan Christian Warinussy is also the Recipient of the John Humphrey Freedom Award 2015 in Canada, Human Rights Defender in the Land of Papua, and
Member of the Steering Commission of Foker LSM for the Land of Papua.

Translated by Carmel Budiardjo, Recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, 1995.

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