Jayapura:  Five people who were  involved in a Morning Star flag-raising incident in Minika are due to go on trial, while the police say they are interrogating another five people to be called as witnesses, according to the public relations chief at a press conference in Jayapura on Friday.

The five were named as: Larius Dolame, Norbertus Timang, Marel Magai, Eli Maiseni and Marinus Pigai. The five are being interrogated by the police in Mimika, and the following items of evidence have been seized: one wooden pole,  two Morning Star flags and a knife.

The day before, at around 11am, hundreds of people gathered on Timika Field to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Papuan Independence. According to the police, they did not have a permit to do so, or to hold prayers in celebration of the the anniversary.

As the crowd assembled, they unfurled one flag on the pole, and used another two flags  in a dance  and to run round the field. According to the police, there were no casualties during the security operations there.

{ Note: West Papua Media has a list of names of people who have sustained gunshot wounds – they are: Fero (Veronika) Anggaibaik; Viktor Wamang; Alpinus Uawang;  Jemago Elas; and Hilary Piligame}

{in A separate incident} Police identified three persons as suspects for torturing  a member of the police force in the district of Nimbokrang, Jayapura. The police chief told journalists on Friday that 15 people had been traken into custody, of whom three have been declared suspects and will go on trial before a court. They will face charges under Article 214, para 2 of the Criminal Code for resisting state officials while on duty, facing a possible five-year sentence. The three were identified by their initials, TT, YT and JKT. and are currently in police custody.

The director of the Bhayangkari Hospital  told journalists that police officer Napitupulu was in a stable conditions. ‘His condition has improved. Yesterday an arrow that had pierced  his thigh was removed and injuries on his face had been cleaned.’

The police chief said that the security situation in Papua after 1 December was conducive, especially as the month of December is when the Christian community will  be celebrating Christmas.

According to Markus Haluk, chairman of the Association of Highland Students , AMPTI, six people were injured by gunshots and were being treated at Timika Caritas Hospital . However this was denied by the public affairs spokesman of the police of Papua. ‘No one was shot,’ he said. ‘On the contrary, five of our members were wounded,’ he claimed.

BY:SEAN PARNELL

 From:The Australian 

December 02, 2011

(fair dealing – non-profit)

Retiring Labor veteran and Amnesty International advocate Judy Spence used the last sitting of Parliament overnight to call on Indonesia to act on allegations of human rights abuse at the Third Papuan Peoples’ Congress in October.

Amid reports of further clashes between Indonesian police and West Papuan independence activists, Ms Spence told Parliament she despaired at “the direction that human rights is going in many countries of the world today”.

“I do not think we are seeking improvements,” Ms Spence said.

“In fact, I think we are taking backward steps in many countries. So it behoves us all to be very vigilant about the human rights standards in our own country and our own state but also to fight for causes internationally at every opportunity.”

Liberal National Party MP Bruce Flegg backed the motion, saying “there is sufficient evidence of serious human rights abuses on our doorstep to cause us deep concern”.

Dr Flegg called on Indonesia to acknowledge it has committed human rights abuses, decrease its military presence in West Papua and allow access by United Nations observers and journalists.

“This is a nation (Indonesia) that is very close to us,” he said.

“In many ways, they are a friend of Australia and I think it is right and proper that the Queensland parliament and Australia as a whole should be urging them to improve their human rights record in this area. It is a black spot for them.”