Category: News alert

Tito Karnavian: “Mastermind” Behind the Prohibition of Democracy in Papua.

March 14, 2013

by OKTOVIANUS POGAU at SuaraPapua.com

with additional reporting from West Papua Media

https://i0.wp.com/suarapapua.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kapolda-papua.jpeg
Inspector-General Tito Karnavian, current Kapolda Papua

PAPUAN, Jayapura — Dorus Wakum, a human right activist in Papua has examined that the Head of Papua Regional Police (Kapolda Papua), General Inspector (Pol), Tito Karnavian is the authorised “mastermind” behind widespread acts of arrests, killings and plunder of activists in Papua.

“Since Tito Karnavian was appointed on September 3, 2012, democratic space in Papua has been closed for meetings. Many Papuan activists were arrested, killed, and even imprisoned for no apparent reason,” said Wakum, when contacted by suarapapua.com, Tuesday, (14/05/2013) afternoon.

Prior to his Papua appointment in 2012, Karnavian was the feted head of the controversial elite anti-terror unit Detachment 88, funded, armed and trained by Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.  Under his command, the unit became known for its extrajudicial killings of suspects, and was embroiled in documented case of torture and and excessive force in Maluku and Papua, most notably with its involvement in the brutal crackdown on the Third Papuan People’s Congress in October 2011.

Karnavian’s first major engagement in Papua was commanding the openly boasted extrajudicial assassination of at-the-time-unarmed legendary West Papuan guerrilla fighter and Commander of the National Liberation Army, Kelly Kwalik, in Timika on December 16, 2009.

Wakum assessed that Tito Karnavian is not worthy to serve as Kapolda (Chief of Police) Papua, because the activities of the people of Papua are not based on terrorism, as he was assigned prior to serving as Kapolda Papua.

“Since Tito came to power, we already heard about the discovery of bombs in Sorong, Wamena and Biak, and this is a big conspiracy.  The objective of Tito Karnavian is that this is acceptable in Papua, and hopes to gain support from the international community and non-Papuans. There are no terrorists in Papua, we the people of Papua fought for our political rights peacefully,” said Wakum.

Wakum also evaluated that if Tito Karnavian continues to be stationed in Papua, the escalation of violence will increase because all peaceful mass demonstrations would be faced with gun and muzzle of rifle.

“Try observe all the previous Kapolda, although they utilised full force, but not as bad as the current Kapolda. People can still demonstrate, (were still) permitted to hold fellowship at Theys Cemetry Oval, but now not at all, as an example that occurred on May 1, and May 13, yesterday, this is the action of Tito Karnavian,” said Wakum.

Thobias Bagubau, a human right activist in Jayapura agreed with Wakum’s assessment. He emphasised that Tito Karnavian is not appropriate to be position in Papua because the situation will intensify and the number of Papuan political prisoners will increase.

“Currently, we are not able to demonstrate, if sleeping at night, certainly mindful of (tomorrow) we’ll be arrested, tortured and beaten while staging the action and lucky enough if not shot dead. This is now the policy and command from Kapolda Papua,” said Bagubau.

Bagubau also observe on one hand that Tito Karnavia’s socio-cultural approach to partially soften the people of Papua, especially the central highlanders, but on the other hand, continues to undermine the  democracy with murder, arrest and imprisonment of Papuan activists.

“The soft approaches actually obstruct his actual image. Kapolda should be someone who understand the demands, desires and expectations of the society. The total number of political prisoners recently stated by Papuan Behind Bars are 40 people and now there is addition of 7 people in Sorong, 4 people in Jayapura and 7 people in Timika, which totalled to 58 people. The total is extraordinary,” added Bagubau.

Both Wakum and Bagubau agreed that Kapolda Papua Tito Karnavian, has shut down democratic space in Papua to fulfil his personal ambition as a police career, that is, to become Head of Republic Police (Kapolri) in the future.

“This is for the sake of Kapolri position in the near future, Papua will be a springboard for his career advancement, we’ll see,” concluded Wakum.

A glance of Tito Karnavian’s life:

Born in Palembang, South Sumatera, Indonesia, on October 26, 1964. He was an officer of the Indonesian National Police, who managed to dismantle the terrorist leader’s Noordin Moch Top networks.   At that time, Commissioner Tito Karnavian was promoted to Brigadier General and was promoted as the Head of Detachment 88 anti-terror unit at Polri headquarters. Tito Karnavian replaced Brigadier General (Pol) Saut Usman Nasution, who served as the first Director of Security and Transnational Criminal Investigation Polri Headquarters.

In accordance with TR Kapolri dated, September 3, 2012, Tito was appointed as Kapolda Papua as a replacement of Inspector General (Irjen Pol) Bigman Lumban Tobing, who had been criticised in Jakarta for allowing a spiral of “unknown persons” (OTK) shootings to occur without investigation, shootings which were widely believed by credible Papuan obsevers to be carried out by members of Indonesia’s notorious special forces, Kopasssus, and allegedly even members of Detachment 88.

Some positions that Tito Karnavian held were:

  • Head of Intelligence Unit (Kasatserse)
  • General Director of Regional Intelligence Unit (Umum Ditserse);
  • Jakarta Provincial Police (Polda Metro Jaya);
  • Head of Densus 88/anti-terrorism unit (Kadensus 88/Anti Teror),
  • Head of District Police in Serang,
  • Head of sub-division Densus & Police Intel Detachment 88/Anti Terrorism Unit (Kasubden Intel 88/Anti Terror Intel Densus);
  • Republic Criminal Investigative Unit (Bareskrim Polri);
  • and Head of Densus 88/Anti-Terrorism Unit (Kadensus 88/Anti Terror) from 2009 til 2010.
  • He’s also the head of the education section and capacity building (Pembinaan Kemampuan BNPT) from 2010-2012, and after that he was “entrusted as the best person to maintain Papua”.

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YCW: Police officers in Sorong are human rights criminals in Papua

Statement by Yan Christian Warinussy, Executive Director of LP3BH-Manokwari issued on 11 May 2013Intensive investigations have been conducted by volunteers and investigators of   LP3BH-Manokwari into the shooting incident  on 30 April in Aimas, Sorong which is believed to have been committed by members of the police force in Sorong and members of the TNI (Indonesian Army). Two civilians, Abner Malagwak, 22 years old, and Thomas Blesya, 22 years old, were killed during the incident.

During these investigations, the LP3BH found strong evidence suggesting that the police and the TNI had acted in violation of the law when they opened fire without warning on Papuan civilians. The shooting should be classified as a gross violation of human rights as stipulated in Article  7, Law 26/2000 on human rights courts, that is to say, as a crime against humanity.

We found concrete evidence to show that the police chief of Sorong and the Deputy Police chief of Sorong should be called to account  as the two officers who led  the operation which had been described by as an operation for dialogue but during which they used firearms.

The two police officers should be classified as Human Rights Criminals whose actions resulted in the death of two civilians while another civilian, Mrs Salomina Klaiban, later died of her wounds after being taken to hospital.

These two senior  police officers in Sorong  should be regarded as Human Rights Criminals who must be called to account in a court of law. It is therefore highly appropriate for the two police officers to be dismissed so to ensure that they can be called to account under the law as stipulated in Indonesia’s Human Rights Law and the Human Rights Courts

In connection with the commencement of investigations into the treason case in the name of Isak Klaiban and his colleagues at police headquarters in  Sorong, the Manokwari LP3BH, as a legal advocacy organisation, urges the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) of the Republic of Indonesia to conduct  pro justitia  investigations of the two police officers mentioned above  as well as the troops who were involved in the action, including the military commander (DANDIM) who led the TNI operation during this highly regrettable incident.

 

Translated by Tapol.org

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After 15 years of reformasi, repression in Papua is putting more people behind bars

Press Statement  from NAPAS

May 13, 2013

SPP-HAM  – Solidarity for Upholding Human Rights – organised an action today in Jayapura Town in order to call upon the State to accept responsibility  for the death of three civilians in Aimas, Sorong district and for the arbitrary arrest of three civilians in Sorong, Biak, Mimika and Jayapura.on 30 April and 1 May this year.The action began at 8.30am outside the Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) in Waena and the UNCEN Campus  in Abepura as well as outside the Cultural Expo  in Waena district of Heram, Jayapura Town.The action was forcibly disbanded by units of the Police  (Brimob Dalmas Polresta and Polda Papua) and four people who were taking tpart n the action were arrested..They also tortured a student from UNCEN. The arrests and torture occurred in front of the UNCEN bus station.

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The four people who were arrested and tortured were:

1) Victor Yeimo, 30 years old (Responsible for the action)
2) Marthen Manggaprouw, 30 years old (Responsible for the action)
3.) Yongky Ulimpa 23 years old, a participant in the action.
4)  Elly Kobak 17 years old, a participant in the action.
5) Markus Giban, a student at UNCEN, 19 years old who was beaten with a rifle butt which broke his right hand and who is now being treated in the Abepura General Hospital.

The participants were forcibly dispersed for  not having permission from the police. On the previous day, 8 May, the committee of SPP-HAM had sent a request to the  police stating that the action would be peaceful  (00/SP/PAN-SPHAM-UTSN/V/2013) but the request was turned down on the grounds that the Solidarity Movement has no statutes of association (AD/ART) and has been registered at the Kesbangpol Agency of the Province of Papua.

We regard this reason as being groundless because the SPP-HAM is not a permanent organisation but simply a humanitarian solidarity group which was set up by human rights activists in response to the 1 May Tragedy when three civilians were killed, so there was no need to  register with the Police (Kesbangpol). Furthermore, the police action was a restriction of people’s rights of assembly and expression which are guaranteed in the 1945 Constitution Article 28, para E sub 3 and sub 8, and which are also regulated in Law 9/1998 on the freedom of expression to state one’s opinion in public, in particular Articles 1 and 2.

The forcible dispersal of the action on that day and the arrest of 4  human rights activists is but a small portrayal of the clamp down on democracy by the repressive and oppressive government. This is not the first time that such a thing has happened; it has become a regular feature of police behaviour. This proves that there is no space for democracy  in Papua.

The reality of democracy  represents a setback in the fifteen years of reformasi in Indonesia. Reformasi in Indonesia cannot progress if the space for democracy in Papua is closed. Out of respect for basic human rights and the advancement of democracy in Papua and in Indonesia, we members of NAPAS (National Papuan Solidarity) call upon and urge the government:

1:    To end the forcible dispersal and arbitrary arrest of human rights activists and students.

2:    To release the four civilians who were arrested today.

3.     To open up the space for democracy for the Papuan people to grant permission for a special rapporteur from the United Nations  to carry out investigations in Papua  as well as giving access to national and foreign journalists.

NAPAS also strongly condemns the abysmal commitment of the government and State to the principles of Basic Human Rights , especially to the Papuan people. Papua is today  the face of democracy in Indonesia , as well as the face of the Indonesian Government  towards the Papuan peope.

Jakarta, 1 May 2013

National Papua Solidarity (NAPA)

Zely Ariane. Co-ordinator

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KNPB Member Tortured until Arm Broken

by OKTOVIANUS POGAU at SuaraPapua.com

http://suarapapua.com/2013/05/satu-anggota-knpb-disiksa-hingga-patah-tangan/

Photo: Markus Giban (19), one of the members of the KNPB who was arrested by police and had his arm broken. (Photo: KNPB / SuaraPapua.com)
Photo: Markus Giban (19), one of the members of the KNPB who was arrested by police and had his arm broken. (Photo: KNPB / SuaraPapua.com)

Papua, Jayapura – A member of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Mark Giban (19), student at Cenderwasih University (Uncen) reportedly suffered a broken arm after being arrested and tortured by Jayapura City Police, at National Housing Authority 3, Abepura, Jayapura, Monday (13/5/2013) afternoon.

“There has been massive persecution against KNBP activists. This is extremely excessive, some others are still detained at Papua Police Regional Command, and Giban has suffered a broken arm and must be treated at Abepura Regional District Hospital (RSUD)”, said the Chairman of the National Parliament of West Papua (PNWP), Bucthar Tabuni when contacted by suarapapua.com, this afternoon.

As well as the arrest and torture of Giban, several KNBP activists, including the Head of the KNPB, Victor F Yeimo, suffered the same fate. They are currently being detained at Papua Police Regional Command and are being interrogated by police.

Bucthar added, the full report of the torture, arrest and beatings suffered by the KNPB activists, as well as several other mass actions on May 13, 2013, will be published in full.

“Friends are currently compiling the full report, we will later publish for the media, just wait”, said Tabuni from Jayapura, Papua.

Papua Police Public Relations, Adjunct Senionr Commissioner 1 Gede Sumerta, S. lk when contacted reported that confimed reports from the field had not yet been received.

“Wait, I need to check first”, wrote the Commisioner of Public Relations briefly via mobile phone to the media.

Previously, as reported by this media (read: Jayapura, four Papuan Activists back in Police detention), police again arrested four Papuan activists outside the taxi rank at National Housing Commission 3, not far from the Cenderwasih University Campus, Papua.

The four people arrested are: student Yongky Ulimpa (23), student Ely Kobak (17), Manggaprouw Marten (30) activist of the West Papuan National Authority (WPNA) and Victor F Yeimo (30), Chariman of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB).

 

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Breaking News: Beatings, Arrests as KNPB Rally forcibly broken up by police

West Papua Media

May 13, 2013

UPDATED WITH PHOTOS 8.15 wp time

Indonesian police in Jayapura have this morning violently dispersed a pro-independence rally being held by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), arresting its leader Victor Yeimo, media worker Marthen Manggaprouw and two KNPB activists, according to early reports.

The rally was being held to commemorate the shootings and violent crackdown by Indonesian security forces on peaceful demonstrations across Papua on May 1, which left four people dead and drew international condemnation up to the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay.

Reports from witnesses at the scene have confirmed that police conducted several rounds of baton charges against rally participants who arrived on motorbikes, and then joined by over 1000 other participants who continued to resist the police charges outside the gates of Cenderawasih University in Abepura.  Injuries have been reported by but no particulars are yet available.  More arrests are expected according to witnesses.

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Jayapura police chief Alfred Papare ordered the arrests of Yeimo, Manggaprouw, Yongky Ulimpa (23), Ely Kobak (17) after intense negotiations  from 9am local time between police and the activists to allow the rally failed.  In this time, thousand’s of frontline Papuan civilians and activists had gathered ready to march from Lingkaran Abepura (outside the Post office) near the National Housing Complex 3 (the site of late KNPB Chairman Mako Tabuni’s assassination by Australian-trained Detachment 88 officers) to the People’s Assembly Council (MRP) office.

At 1050am local time, the mass gathering was attacked and the activists were arrested, beaten by Police, and media activist Manggaprouw had his camera equipment seized by Police.  They were taken to Polda Papua headquarters in Jayapura, where grave concerns are held by human rights workers for their safety and freedom from torture.

At 5.30pm this date WPB Victor Yeimo following his earlier arrest was taken to LP Abepura by the Public Prosecutor led by an escort force of police “with full war apparel” using 2 Dalmas trucks, a police patrol vehicle and one vehicle with darkened windows.  Stingers for West Papua Media have reported that Police are working together with the Public Prosecutor regarding a previous case against Yeimo for which punishment was never finalised, hence the Prosecutor has detained him again.

At time of Update,  Marthen Manggaprow, Yongky Uliampa and Ely Kobak are still being interrogated at Polda Papua.

KNPB Spokesman Wim Medlama told suarapapua.com, “True, officers had arrested four people on Housing III, near the taxi round. Police officers came down with their trucks, crashing into and damaging several motorbikes as well, and then arrested them.  Currently they are being brought to the Papua Police. We beg for advocacy.”

“We want to MRP to hold accountable the government and security apparatus-related deaths in all the land of Papua, especially those occurring in Aimas, Sorong, at the time of Papua’s integration demo day on May 1, 2013 and now,” said Medlama.

The rally had been banned by notorious former Detachment 88 chief, now Papua Police chief, Tito Karnavian, in a move that had been widely criticised by Papuan civil society leaders, including Baptist Church leader Socretez Yoman and Kingmi Church leader Benny Giay.

KNPB Chairman Victor Yeimo yesterday told SuaraPapua.com that the ban would not deter Papuan people from peacefully voicing their aspirations. The Papua Police banning peaceful demonstrations is very unnatural, as well as it being illegal, because freedom of public expression is guaranteed by law in the country of Indonesia.

“The Police Chief’s ban is part of the continued suppression of expression was silenced in Papua. In principle, we will continue to go down, ” Yeimo told SuaraPapua.com.
The rally was organised with Papuan civil and political organizations – Solidaritas Peduli Pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia(SPP HAM), Komite Nasional Papua Barat (KNPB), Gerakan Rakyat Demokratik Papua (GARDA-P), Dewan Perwakilan Mahasiswa Fakultas (DPMF) FISIP Uncen & West Papua National Authority (WPNA) agreed to join forces in the protest in Jayapura, despite POLDA Papua banning the peaceful actions.
Journalists with SuaraPapua.com and stringers from West Papua Media reported that hundreds of fully armed police and military were at present “securing” Jayapura with 6 truckloads of police, 4  barracudas armoured cars and water cannons, and “police motorcycles continue to keep all the corners of the city of Jayapura to cancel the action plan undertaken by Papuan people.”.  Unconfirmed reports from witnesses have also claimed that Indonesian Army (TNI) soldiers have been mobilised.
The situation in Jayapura is currently highly tense, with more reaction expected from both Papuan civilians and security forces.

More to come – this is a developing story

@westpapuamedia

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