Category: syndication

Indonesian police threaten Bintang Papua journalists in Yapen for reporting on demos

Threats against Bintang Papua journalists reported by JUBI

JUBI, 2 June 2012Jayapura: According to several journalists working in Serui, Yapen district in Papua, including a journalist from Bintang Papua,  they had been warned against publishing information about a demonstration that took place there on 29 May. Bintang Papua has  expressed its regrets about this information regarding what the police had done. Journalists have the right to report what happened regarding incidents like this.

The chief editor of the newspaper, Daud Sony  said in response to a query from JUBI: ‘I have just received information from Seo, our contributor in Serui. He said that the terror and threats made by the police were highly regrettable .This is now the era of reform and space should be given to anyone to exercise the right of response, including journalists.’

The Bintang Papua journalist who was in Serui had rung JUBI to tell them about intimidation and terror by the local police after they had sent a report  about a demonstration by Wadapi inhabitants to the Yapen Legislative assembly, DPRD regarding the arrest of John Nuntian. ‘We were accused of inciting discord by circulating this report, but we had already sought and received confirmation from the police.

In addition to Seo, another journalist, Ulis Makabori reported that he had been intimidated by the police for reporting information about the demonstration. Ulis wrote  a detailed report about happened during the demonstration.

Article 4 para (1) of Press Law 4/1999 states:  ‘The freedom of the press is guaranteed as a basic right of all citizens, The press shall be free of any attempt to prevent , prohibit or use other means  to prevent the population from receiving information.

[Abridged in translation b TAPOL]

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MRP calls on police to thoroughly investigate recent shootings

Bintang Papua, 3 June 2012The chairman of the MRP  (Majelis Rakyat Papua), Timotius Murib, has urged the police in Papua to investigate who it was who shot a German citizen. In many of such cases, he said, the explanation given is that something like this is the work of an unidentified person (OTK). The police have been unable to reveal the identity of people responsible for shootings in Timika, in Puncak Jaya and even in the city of Jayapura.

Murib said that it was very regrettable that such cases in three different places in Papua have not be solved. The police are the ones who are in the best position to investigate these shooting incidents, but the fact is that despite the police being in possession of all the necessary equipment, those responsible have not been found.

It is not enough to get witnesses  who say that the person responsible for these incident had fuzzy hair. ‘Getting statements like this from witnesses is far from adequate for the police to solve these cases.’

He said that it was essential for the police to investigate this latest shooting as quickly as possible, especially because the newly-elected governor of the province is soon to be installed and this should not happen while Papuan people are burdened by a sense of fear and uncertainty.

A similar view was expressed by Yusman Conoras of the ALDP, the Alliance for Democracy in Papua. ‘The police are the ones who know better than anyone what needs to be done  to investigate this case.

One of the main duties of the police is to ensure that people feel safe, but at present, people in Jayapura feel very fearful when shooting incidents like this occur and even try to find their own solution.’This could be by deciding not to leave their homes for fear of something happening.or not going out in the evening.’

It is for the police to investigate this shooting incident and to do everything to ensure the people feel safe.

[Translated by TAPOL]

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Civilian groups being armed by Indon Govt in Papua, says human rights activist

JUBI,
1 June 2012

West Papuan human rights activist, Sebby Sambom has declared that the Indonesian government has armed  a group of civilian personnel in Papua which have been armed armed in order to  carry out actions like the shooting of a foreign visitor, in order to damage the reputation of Papuan people in the outside world.’

He said that the shooting of the German, Dietmar Pieper, was part of a political conspiracy  of the Indonesian government  to undermine international opinion regarding the  People people, claiming that the perpetrator of the shooting was by someone from the OPM or  its armed wing, Tentara Pembebasan Papua.

‘The government has decided upon this conspiracy, now that the international community is paying greater attention to Papua, as was the case at a UN session on 23 May this year. The shooting was clearly the work of a Papuan who is now in the pay of the Indonesian government,’ said Sambom, who has spent time in prison as a political prisoner.

This can be proven, he said, by the fact that the Indonesians have armed some indigenous Papuans who have now decided to ally themselves with the Indonesians. He also drew attention to the emergence of other pro-NKRI groups in Papua such as the Barisan Merah Putih – the Red-and-White Brigade –  which is trying to stir up conflict in Papua.

‘I have proof of the fact that some Papuans have been armed by the government. I have in my possession the licences of some Papuan people who own guns and I am willing to show this evidence to someone from media or to the general public,’ he said.

This is all part of attempts being made to  discredit the struggle of the Papuan people in the eyes of the international community.

Sambom said that it was very important to exert presure pressure on the Gernan govermnet to adopt a firm stand with regard the shooting of one of its citizens here on Indonesian territory. ‘The German government should press for an independent team to be set up to investigate who was responsible for this shooting,’ said Sambom.

Translated by TAPOL

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ALDP urges the police to investigate the recent shooting of the German in Papua

Bintang Papua,
31 May 2012

Jayapura:  The steps being taken at present by the police  to set up a special  team  to investigate the shooting of the German, Dietmar Pieper, 56 years old, means that nowhere is safe in Papua, either in the towns or in the interior, said the director of ALDP, the Alliance for Democracy for Papua, Latifa Anum Siregar.

She said that when shootings or acts of violence occur in Papua, the police get busy setting up special teams to deal with the incident. But what is needed is that the police should set themselves a time limit of one week for the investigation. ‘If they fail to reach a conclusion within two weeks, they should be open about it and tell the public that they are unable to solve the problem.

The fact is that not a single case  of shooting or violence  has ever been solved in Jayapura, Waena, the destruction by fire of an Avanza vehicle  at the Waena cemetery  and other cases such as those in Buper, Skyland or Nafri.

She said that when the police fail to solve incidents in mountainous areas such as Puncak Jaya , they always complain about difficulties at the site, the lack of witnesses or of evidence. These complaints have even been made about incidents that occurred in daylight hours, in the town centre, where there is no problem of access.

There have been many cases in the towns but not one of the them has been solved, nor has the motive ever been revealed, she said.

She also said that when the recent shooting incident occurred, there were several witnesses who could have been asked to make statements, and it is not difficult to identify people by such characteristics as whether they have straight or curly hair.

‘If we go back ten years to the time when Theys E;uay was murdered, there were plenty of witnesses.’

In a case like the present one involving a foreigner who was visiting Indonesia, it is clearly the responsibility of the state, in this case the police, to handle the case.

Some people have been saying that a ballistics expert should be brought from Germany to check on the provenance of the projectile that is still embedded in the victim’s body but Indonesia has all the necessary specialist equipment to do this. The police have it and Densus 88 also have it, as was clear at the time of the shooting of Opinus Tabuni on 9 August, 2009

‘The  problem is not whether they have the necessary equipment but whether they are willing to undertake the investigation and discover who it was who did the shooting.So, all the talk that is going on at present should stop because it only benefits the police and those who were responsible are only too happy when all this chatter goes on. ‘There are intel agents everywhere so it would be very strange if they were not able to solve this case.’

Some people are urging the police to solve this case to avoid any  international speculation about Papua being a place where terrorists are active. The police claim that the only place where disturbances occur is in Puncak Jaya and not in Jayapura City.But the fact is that such shooting incidents are happening frequently  all over Papua, she said.

‘If these incidents are localised in Puncak Jaya but can also occur at any time in cities, this means that nowhere in Papua is safe, either in the interior or in the towns.’

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Civil Society Coalition raises questions about the Shooting of five Degeuwo citizens

JUBI, 29 May 2012
The Civil Society Coalition – KMS – for the Degeuwo case  has once again raised questions about the shooting of five citizens in the illegal mining complex in Degeuwe, Nabire District on 15 May this year.. It has urged the police in Papua to investigate this incident. It added that three members of Brimob had clearly been the ones who had carried out the shooting.

Natalia Magia, a relative of one of the victims, said that the police must investigate the shooting as well as clarify statements published  in various media outlets which said  that  the five people were shot because they had offered armed resistance. Magai said: ‘They had not seized any weapons  which is why we call on the police to clarify what happened.’

The coalition provided a chronology of the events. The five men, Melianus Kegepe, Amos Abaa, Selpius Kegepe, Yulianus Kegepe and Lukas Abaa had gone to a billiard hall  but no one there was playing billiards, so they asked if they could play. However they were told that this was not permitted by someone called Yona because, he said, the lighting was not working properly and it was rather dark. Then  one of the five wnent into the house to get hold of a billiard cue because he regarded Yona as close relative but suddenly Yoga called the Brimob (an elite unit of the police). They arrived very quickly and immediately  started accusing the five men. Harsh words were exchanged and very soon after, some of the Brimob started shooting the five men.One of the five men, Melianus Kegepe was shot dead while Amos Abaa was shot in both legs. and the other three were also hit.

Amos Abaa, Yulianus Kegepe and the other two are now being treated in hospital.

The chairman of BUK – United for Justice – Peneas Lokbere said that this shooting in Degeuwe is nothing new as similar incidents have occurred but nothing has ever been done. His conclusion was that the police are simply not capable  of dealing with those people who are behind these incidents. ‘The only way that the police win the confidence of the people is by having the courage to investigate these incidents.

Yusman Conoras, deputy director of the ALDP in Abepura said what needs our attention is not the shooting of the five men but to find out who it is who is behind these incidents.

The KMS has also called on the Majelis Rakyat Papua and the Papuan Provincial Legislative Assembly to draft a proposal  about the rights of the Degeuwe people who are close to their land which includes land where mining is taking place.The government was also urged to cancel the licences that have already been issued in connection with the mining areas in Degeuwe.

[Abridged translation by TAPOL]

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