Category: Video

Indon Commando Btn 755 brutalise Puncak Jaya villagers

by Nick Chesterfield at westpapuamedia.info

November 5, 2011

Indonesian army (TNI) commandos have  terrorised and severely beat villagers in Kurulu District in Puncak Jaya in another show of extreme  brutality against West Papuan civilians.

Soldiers from the Kostrad (Strategic Reserve) Battalion 755 stationed at the Kurulu army post stormed the village of Umpagalo, near Wamena, on the night of November 2, breaking up a meeting and severely beating 12 men, including 3 West Papua National Committee (KNPB) members.

This comes after a series of violent events across Papua in recent months, and just hours before a horrific attack on a student in nearby Wamena town, when Yusuf Hiluka (23) was set alight with glue by two officers from Satpol PP (Satuan Polisi Pamong Praja), the district civil security unit.

According to local activists from KNPB, in a chronology provided to West Papua Media, villagers were holding a peaceful gathering and discussions about local tribal and community issues, and the elections to be held for the Hubulu area Tribal Council (DAP or Dewan Adat Papua).

Local human rights sources claimed that the attack happened after a Kurulu villager, who reportedly drank and gambled with members of the pro-Jakarta militia Barisan Merah Putih, falsely reported to soldiers that a squad of TPN/OPM guerrillas were in the village.  From the Area Security post a platoon of Kostrad troops, an elite Commando unit from Jakarta, descended on the village in full battle gear and proceeded to terrorise villagers by opening fire with machine guns as they arrived.

From 11pm local time Kostrad soldiers rounded up and tied all the elders and young men, according human rights sources, and subjected them to a humiliating torture and beating in front of their wives and children.  Then men were beaten with rifle butts to the head, and whipped across their face and backs using rattan canes.  Soldiers then proceeded to “stampede” on the detained villagers, according to the chronology, telling the victims when holding bayonets to their throats “”watch out, your neck will Decide”.  Women in the village were also hit on their heads by the soldiers, according to the witnesses.

It is also alleged by local human rights sources that the soldiers opened fire at least four times, shooting into the air, and also stabbed four people with bayonets.  Furthermore, the sources allege that some victims were tortured by being hung by a hook for 2 hours, and then immersed in water for one hour.   After this torture, victims were allegedly taken to 755 Battalion branch Kurulu Wimanesili Wamena for 2 hours.  The exact identity of those particular victims have not yet been provided.

Melianus Wantik, Edo Doga, Mark Walilo from KNPB Wamena, and Pilipus Wantik, Kosy Wilem, Elius Dabi, Lamber Dabi, Othi Logo, Nilik Hiluka, Hukum Logo, Martinus Mabel and Saulus Logo, all from the Umpagalo village., all were injured by the TNI operation at the village.

Photographs supplied to West Papua Media and Tapol appear to show significant beating injuries, and several deep tissue injuries caused by Indonesian troops.

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As the soldiers left around 2am,  villagers dispersed to the police station in Kurulu and summoned help from the Indonesian police, who refused to assist.  Local human rights sources allege that the TNI performed the operation andconducted arrests without a formal letter of Command authorisation and was therefore illegal, and by torturing acted illegally and inhumanely.  Torture is an offence under Indonesian law, however it is rarely punished when carried out by security forces.

westpapuamedia.info

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West Papua – Question and Motion to the Australian Senate, Nov 1st 2011

From the Australian Greens office of Senator Richard Di Natale

Question and motion that Senator Richard Di Natale, Greens spokesperson for West Papua, put to the Australian Senate this week, on Tuesday 1 November.

Senator Richard Di Natale  put a question to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Joe Ludwig, regarding the Australian government’s support for the Indonesian military, in light of recent events in West Papua. Senator Di Natale also moved a Motion in the Senate to condemn the violent crackdown at the recent Papuan People’s Congress, to recognise the rights of West Papuans to freely assemble, and to call for the humane treatment and timely release of those arrested.

Richard is working to raise awareness of the situation in West Papua, and to seek the Australian government’s action to suspend their ties with the Indonesian military.

You can watch and share a video of Senator Di Natale’s Senate question and motion here: http://youtu.be/OEvswm5J9oE

[youtube http://youtu.be/OEvswm5J9oE]

You can also follow Richard’s work as Greens spokesperson for West Papua here: http://richard-di-natale.greensmps.org.au/portfolios/west-papua

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ABC LATELINE: West Papuans attacked by Indonesian army

(MEDIA NOTE: WEST PAPUA MEDIA was fixer for this story, and supplied this exclusive footage to Lateline, not “West Papua independence activists” as reported by Lateline.  Footage can be made available to other media outlets by contacting editor, @ westpapuamedia.info .  West Papua Media HAS independently verified the authenticity of this footage.)

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 27/10/2011 http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3350029.htm

Reporter: Hamish Fitzsimmons

Six people have died in shootings after the West Papuan Independent Movement declared independence, which Indonesia describes as an act of treason.

Transcript

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: Last week six people were killed in the Indonesian province of West Papua after separatists declared independence from Indonesia at a people’s congress.

Lateline has obtained exclusive pictures of the aftermath of the shootings, which were alleged to have been carried out by Indonesian security forces, including anti-terrorist troops trained by Australia.

Indonesia says the declaration in the restive province is an act of treason and people have been charged according to the law.

West Papuan independence activists say the shootings were planned.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs says the Indonesian police response was disproportionate.

Hamish Fitzsimmons has this report.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: Thousands attended the third West Papuan People’s Congress on 19th October in Jayapura

It was organised by the West Papuan independence movement, which says it was forcibly included in the Indonesian republic almost 50 years ago.

And last week, the congress took the dramatic step of declaring independence from Jakarta and electing its own government.

EDISON WAROMI, PAPUAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS PRIME MINISTER: We will appoint a main leader who will unite the movement and ideologies. This is the time to make clear to God, to the international community, also to Indonesia and the people of Papua.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: After the declaration was made, security forces moved in to break up the meeting. The Indonesian government says police fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and made many arrests, six people have been charged with treason.

But six people are also reported to have been killed and many more injured. Those who witnessed the violence want the international community to intervene in West Papua.

JOHN BARANSANO, WEST PAPUAN YOUTH CHURCH: I call on the churches around the world to care about this. I’m calling for an intervention for us because today’s events show that we need a transitional government and this needs to happen to help the people of Papua. We are now in a dangerous situation and we’re calling for a UN intervention to help us.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: John Baransano is a Protestant minister in Jayapura who was at the peoples’ congress. He says he saw people being shot and beaten and others herded into trucks.

JOHN BARANSANO: I saw with my own eyes people who were bleeding. They had been hit. We saw how they were terribly harassed. They were forced into a truck and ordered to sit down so they wouldn’t be seen by others. But if we were up higher, we could see what had been done to them.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Anglican minister Peter Woods lived in Indonesia for many years and is dedicated to helping West Papuans achieve independence.

He was in Jayapura during the congress and filmed interviews with many of the independence movement’s leaders. He says the security forces waited until independence was declared at the meeting.

PETER WOODS, WEST PAPUAN INDEPENDENCE SUPPORTER: The Army, the special police, the Brimob, the Densus 88, which had been along the road for the last three days in various barracks and positioning areas, they all moved in and started firing.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: The Indonesian government says there were deaths, but not at the site of the congress and the victims’ wounds were not gunshot wounds, but from a sharp weapon.

This vision has been supplied by West Papuan independence activists and can’t be independently verified. It appears to show many bullet holes.

Reverend Woods believes the violence on 19th was premeditated.

PETER WOODS: It was very well-planned and they waited until the declaration had been made. The justification for that was that – well we’ve heard variously a coup d’etat was being planned, or a state within the state of Indonesia was being declared.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Amongst the troops were soldiers from the Densus 88 unit, Indonesia’s elite anti-terror squad, which is funded and trained by Australia and the United States.

The Australian Government says it funds training for the Indonesian armed forces that emphasises human rights awareness, accountability and respect for the rule of law, including in Papua, and that it doesn’t train Indonesia’s military to counter separatist groups.

The Greens want military training halted.

RICHARD DI NATALE, GREENS SENATOR: The Australian Government should immediately suspend all support for the Indonesian military. It should, as a matter of urgency, send a fact-finding mission to the region.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Elite police from Jakarta and Indonesia’s National Commission for Human Rights are investigating the shootings, but there are claims that some of the injured in the crackdown are too afraid to seek treatment, fearing they’ll be arrested.

One of those is Abraham Kereni, who was one a representatives at the congress.

ABRAHAM KERENI, WEST PAPUAN INDEPENDENCE REP.: Then those – the security forces, they immediately held pistols and opened the door of the car of the prime minister. It was there that shots were fired. They opened the door and pulled me out. As they were pulling me out, there were three crew that came and hit me.

HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: A spokesman for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs says it appears from reports that the police’s response, following calls for independence at the conclusion of the congress, was disproportionate.

Hamish Fitzsimmons, Lateline.

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RAW FOOTAGE OF THE ATTACK ON THE PAPUAN PEOPLE’S CONGRESS

by Numbay Media — via our partners EngageMedia.org

This is raw footage of Wednesday’s attack by the Indonesian military and police on the Third Papuan People’s Congress in Jayapura. The footage shows people dancing, soldiers closing in, and gun shots. The video was shot by several observers. The last sequence was shot while the camera person was hiding from gunfire. Police have now confirmed that five people were killed in the attack – human rights groups say it was more.

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Indon Police Hunt Papuan Congress leaders

Metro TV Indonesia footage of the situation at the Congress.

Metrotvnews.com, Abepura: The situation is still tense  in the location of the Papuan Congress-3 in Abepura, Jayapura, on Wednesday(19/10) afternoon.  Police are still hunting the organizers and participants of the congress. Previous clashes between troops and police with congress participants that on its last day, today, decided the establishment of the new nation of Papua with transitional governance structure.

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