Komnas HAM confirms torture video – nothing to do with manipulation
Jayapura: Although the military commander of the Cenderawasih military command will be conducting an investigation into the use of violence against Papuans by members of the TNI – Indonesian armed forces – as seen on a video that is widely circulating on the internet, the National Human Rights Commission Papuan branch has confirmed that members of the TNI did indeed torture a citizen. The reports have nothing to do with manipulation.
Mathius Murib SH, deputy chairman of Komnas HAM Papua , who is himself from Puncak Jaya, told journalists on Thursday that the events shown on the video occurred on 17 March, 2010 at 3pm in Kelome, district of Tingginambut, and the victim was Rev. Kindeman Gira who was shot dead by a member of the TNI.
‘The victim was a God-fearing man and a member of the congregation of the GIDI Church in Turagi, Tingginambut. Although other sources have said that the incident occurred in April 2010, Komnas HAM sticks by its findings based on an investigation at the location of the crime.
One of the victims of the violence which lasted for six minutes and which was photographed was able to escape with his life, but his physical condition was very bad and he is badly traumatised, making it impossible for him to give an account of what happened.
Military operations should stop
Komnas HAM has meanwhile called on the military commander of Cenderawaih military command and the chief of police in Papua to halt all operations in the area and not to increase the number of troops there which can only lead to yet more trauma and more victims among the civilian population in Puncak Jaya.
The circulation of the video showing the violence has led to strong condemnation from a variety of sources. Murib said that acts of violence have been occurring in Puncak Jaya for a long time, ever since 2004 and up until 2010, but such an approach has not resulting in ending the conflict and has only made things worse.
The security forces and those in charge of law enforcement were urged to behave in a more professional way and act in accordance with Human Rights Principles and Standards in everything that they do in Puncak Jaya and everywhere else in Papua.
Those civilian groups who bear arms in any parts of Papua should immediately halt their actions and engage in consolidation to restore the situation in Puncak Jaya to normal.
Murib said that from 17 August 2004 until 2010, 50 deaths of civilians and members of the security forces have been reported.
Komnas HAM has also asked the governor of the province to make it possible for the church to enter into negotiations with their followers in the region to behave in a spirit of love and friendship and eschew all methods of violence.
The chairman of Front Pepera, Selpius Bobii said that a number of bloody incidents had occurred right across Papua and West Papua, giving clear evidence that the Indonesian state is committing acts of violence as is revealed in the two videos lasting one minute and ten minutes. He said that the army and the police should stop denying the use of violence against the civilian population in the central highlands. ‘There is authentic evidence and it cannot be denied by the security forces, saying that the situation is under control. The commander should also admit that this is being perpetrated by his subordinates and should not try to deny things.’
He said the military commander and chief of police must take responsibility* *for all the human rights violations occurring in Papua and West Papua and stop telling lies about the s ituation in Papua being normal. He also called upon the Indonesian people to open themselves to talks with the Papuan people to find a solution to all the problems occurring i the Land of Papua.
The number of victims since 2004:
2004: seven people died and four were seriously wounded.
2005 five people were seriously wounded.
2006 two people died.
2007 one person died.
2009 five people died and eight were wounded.
2010 four people were taken hostage, five people were wounded and four people died.
In 2004, five hartop vehicles were destroyed by fire and one police patrol vehicle was shot at.
In 2007. a rifle was seized.
In 2009 six weapons were seized, as well as 29 bullets, two ammunition magazines taken, one S-Trada Troton was shot at, two TNI command posts were destroyed as well as a steel bridge, while two primary school buildings and one lower secondary school – SMP – were burned down.
In 2010, a sircraft was shot at and there was an attack on a TNI command post.
WHETHER MANIPULATED OR NOT, IT MUST BE INVESTIGATED
Jayapura: The video showing members of the Indonesian army (TNI) using violence against Papuans is still being hotly discussed here.
Many people doubt whether the incident occurred while quite a few people are convinced that it did. The military commander of the Cenderawaih military command, Major-General Hotma Marbun, has promised to investigate the video, a decision that has been welcomed by DPRP member Deer Tabuni who formerly fought alongside the TPN-OMP in Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya. He urged the military commander to keep his promise and investigate the video. .He said: ‘If what is shown on the video is indeed true, then the security forces and all groups in society should get involved in cross-checking at the grassroots, to confirm the authenticity of the video. If it is indeed true, then whoever produced the video must be summoned as a witness and take responsibility for circulating the video. If it proves not to be true, then the person was trying to create a situation that is not conducive must be called to account. so as to prevent the local people from being victimised, chased and tortured..’
He also said that whether this is true or has been manipulated, it would appear that human rights were violated. He also said that members of the TPN/OPM in Tingginambut and friends of Goliath Tabuni have called on the provincial government, the I
West Papuan human rights workers have obtained a series of mobile phone videos of brutal acts of torture on two West Papuan priests. Indonesian security forces, most likely troops from the Kostrad battalion 754 based at Nabire, filmed the torture March 17 2010 at a road bridge near Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya, in the midst of a still ongoing military operation.
This disturbing video shows hooded members of an Indonesian security team, believed to be members of Kostrad battalion 753 from Nabire, kicking, punching, poking with bayonets, terrorising, and brutalising both detainees.
Perhaps the most brutal scenes are where the old man, believed to be a priest of the indigenous Kingmi Church, the Reverend Kindeman Gire, is repeatedly held down while soldiers deliberately burn his penis with a burning stick.
Westpapuamedia.info is working together with a joint team of media and international human rights workers to verify all the facts around this video. It had been released prematurely by external sources, so the facts are still being confirmed. Investigators are still conducting forensic analysis of the original source files to determine the full identity of the mobile phone that was used to film these abuses, and if it is connected to other videos recently received (to be published).
The two victims spoke in Bahasa Indonesia and Lani. It is believed that the main victim is Rev. Kindeman Gire who was killed in March 2010. The younger man is believed by local investigators to be Reverend Pltinius Kogoya
westpapuamedia.info is presenting the full UNEDITED video on the torture. Please click on the link below (opens in new window) WARNING: THIS FOOTAGE IS HIGHLY DISTURBING AND GRAPHIC.
The above link, is for a QuickTime version of the film, for play or download.
To play it, you may need to install the QuickTime Player, from: www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
This is the situation in Puncak Jaya so please could you add because this is very important message from elder in Tingginambut.
Indonesia Military Kill Rev Kindeman Gire.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE REPORT
Special Report on Piron Moribnak, Puncak Jaya
I. Rev . Kindeman Gire shot dead by Indonesia Soldier .
At 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, Wednesday, 17th March, 2010
Location: the Tingginambut district Kalome Puncak Jaya Regency
Chronology:
Rev. Gire Kindeman was shot dead by TNI. Kideman was a Servant of the Lord
as Church Pastor to the GIDI Toragi district in Tingginambut.
On Wednesday, 17th March, 2010.
A week ago[RP1] , the victim was [arranging] with the community to send money via Air Gire to Wamena in order to buy 15 litres of gasoline for the purpose of [accessing] timber to support building the church.
Air [Gire] sent news to the victim to watch the road because he would be sending this gasoline in transport which would pass by the area and he [did not want the driver to miss their meeting point and go too far], that’s why. The plan was that the victim would get the message to watch the road.
At the same time another reverend, named Pltinius Kogoya, was carrying an amount of money to a driver, Ekstrada, to buy cooking oil in Wamena [and requested] if he was returning to Puncak Jaya [also] to carry [his order] with the same expectation mentioned above [namely, that a person would meet him along the road] – so that he himself (Rev. Kogoya) would wait along the road to collect his order – which would be carried from Wamena by another driver with the [alias] Yakop, from Toraja, who was already well acquainted with Rev. Kogoya.
As this was happening, the victim Rev. Kindeman reached the road first to await his package. Just then TNI Yonif 756 arrived from the Ilu district and met with the victim and asked him intimidating questions like,
“Do you know Gorobak?” or “Have you seen Gorobak?
[He] didn’t know what was meant by “Gorobok” [but] then the victim answered him, “I know[RP2] ”
“Then, where do you live?”
“in Kalome,” the victim answered.
The next thing that happened was the military opened a ‘magazine’ and then pulled out a bullet and poked him with it and asked the victim,
“Do you know what this is? Are you storing any in your house? Do you have a stash in your house?
The victim smiled [?] mixed with fear because the bullet was poking at him. These questions became more repetitious . And this is how [we came to hear] the testimony about the victim, Rev. Kindeman, by the servant of the Lord, Rev. Kogoya. Earlier, while waiting for his package, it seems he too got caught by this military group, and they asked him:
“What are you looking for?”
Rev. Kogoya answered, “…ah… I gave a sum of money to a driver when he left to go to Wamena to buy cooking oil. So I have come to look out for his car [to return]; which is [supposed] to enter here from Wamena [direction].”
The questions that followed were:
“Do you know bullets? Do you know [of any] weapons? Where is OPM hiding? ”
H[e] pointed, “That place at the side of the hill, we usually hear them there. “
By that time it was already 3:30. Victim and testifier were parted 2 or 3 meters from one another then they interrogated/tortured both of them in two separate groups until 5 in the evening. The torture they experienced was severe to the point that their faces were swollen and bruised black. At the time of 5 in the evening, according to the testimony of Rev. Kogoya, he was forced by another military to stand alone on a high spot he then leaped off onto a lower step, tripping on a member who wasn’t standing straight (lying across the stair), making like a termite and crawling into the bush to escape while […[RP3] ].
After that the victim, named Rev. Kindeman was shot with a weapon 2 times.
From the day of the shooting until this report came to us, we have never found the body. The community largely suspects it is possible the TNI mutilated (cut into pieces) the victim’s body and put it in a bag and threw it into the Tinggin River or in the Yamo River, or even possibly in the Gurai Reiver – or maybe they [just] burnt it.
II. Action against Pembantain civilians continues
On the same date, i.e. Wednesday night, March 17th, 2010, The TNI that had held operations from the direction of Kalome earlier, continued to head for the capital district of Tingginambut, there is one lumbuk honai house (meeting house of elders?) in the area and a group of people were sleeping there and they were surrounded by the same
military personnel after they had shot Rev. Kideman at 5 in the evening the day before. In the morning at 5 am on Thursday 18th of March, 2010 they surrounded all residents that were present at that honai [meeting house]; in total 13 people. Not one of them escaped: all were captured and tortured. They suffered a severe torture; much worse, more than […[RP4] ] so that they waited for their time to die because they were kicked and stepped on, they were thrashed around with the ends of guns and bayonet knives.
The name of the victims names are as follows:
1. Garundinggen Morib, 45 years
2. Ijokone Tabuni, 35 years
3. Etiles Tabuni 24 years
4. Meiles Wonda, 30 years
5. Tabuni Jigunggup, 46 years
6. Nekiler Tabuni 25 Years
7. Blue Tabuni 51 Year Old Man, Position as It ill Severe Malaria
8. Tiraik Morib, 29 years
9. Yakiler Wonda, 34 years
10. Tekius Wonda, 20 years
11. Neriton Wonda, 19 years
12. Yuli Wonda, 23 Years
13. Stools Tabuni 42 Years
Until today the condition is very precarious. And until we received this report it has been difficult to get a picture because, of course, [moments where the] conditions are safe are hard to come by.
III. Enditi Tabuni has been shot
Chronology of the shooting.
Enditi Tabuni was the daughter-in-law of Rev. Yason Wonda, Vice Chairman of
Honor Victims GIDI. The victim was the wife of Rev. Yason’s first son.
At around 4 pm in the afternoon, on Monday 23rd March, 2010 a gun shots occurred from amongst the TNI
from Yonif 753 units in charge of the Puncak District Senjum Mulia Post,
capital of Puncak Jaya. Open fire broke out with members of TPN / OPM at
the cement [stream/canal] or around the Wulundan canals area. [And, lasting] until 7 pm, was the sound of
guns which made the residents of the Mulia capital panic – particularly the Wondenggobak church community and [those] in the area located around Puncak Senyum. People fled and slept in the forest.
From 7 pm till 8 pm a combing took place until the limits of the PT.Moderen WIDYA TEKNICAL area [were cornered-off].
At about 8 or 9 at night, as the operation continued to be carried out well into the night, the party apparatus took a detour to comb and shoot resident’s houses in Wondenggobak Village. Like
Blind Pigs], the above mentioned shot a sleeping mother in her home, then they released shots from outside her door and they blasted her knees. She was carried to Mulia Public hospital but she still needs her [now infected] knees to heal. It is possible her legs will heal, [but] if not her legs will have to be amputated (chopped off) and it is possible the poor victim will die. At the time this report was being sent, the victim was still being hospitalized in Jaya Pura. And that, you see, is the character and model of the NKRI Aparatus; which has the mentality of prawn crackers so that even a woman is shot. Or maybe they were slaughtered like Blind Pigs.
Your Honor, March 24, 2010
Accurate reporting
Puncak jaya Piron Moribnak
[RP1]It says a week before but in the context I think this makes more sense
[RP2]This does not make sense, he should have said “I don’t know” I wonder if the person made a mistake in the account here?
Related Materials:
Prosecuting Political Aspiration
Indonesia: Stop Prosecuting Peaceful Political Expression
Indonesia’s Not-So-Well-Kept Secret
Sadly, free speech in Indonesia is about as sturdy as the detained activists’ balloons. The Indonesian government publicly claims that it respects freedom of expression, so it should live up to its word and free these peaceful protesters immediately.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch
(New York) – The Indonesian authorities should immediately release the activists for Moluccan independence arrested in Ambon at the beginning of August 2010, Human Rights Watch said today. The activists were allegedly planning to float banned Moluccan independence flags attached to balloons to protest an August 3 visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Local sources reported that between 7 and 15 activists were arrested in connection with balloon launch plans to express political opposition to Indonesian rule in the Moluccas Islands. The police reportedly confiscated as evidence 133 posters that read “Free Alifuru and Papua Political Prisoners,” two copies of the June 2010 Human Rights Watch report “Prosecuting Political Aspiration,” 17 separatist Southern Moluccas Republic (Republik Maluku Selatan or RMS) flags, and one 12-pound gas cylinder to be used to fill the balloons. Yudhoyono was in Ambon to open the “Sail Banda” event, organized by the Tourism Ministry and the Moluccas Islands government to promote tourism in the Banda Sea.
“Sadly, free speech in Indonesia is about as sturdy as the detained activists’ balloons,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Indonesian government publicly claims that it respects freedom of expression, so it should live up to its word and free these peaceful protesters immediately.”
Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern that past torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners in Ambon puts the recently detained activists at serious risk. The detainees should have immediate access to family members and legal counsel, Human Rights Watch said.
Those arrested include Benny Sinay, Izak Sapulete, Andy Marunaya, Edwin Marunaya, Ongen Krikof, Marven Bremer, Steven Siahaya, and Ony Siahaya. Jacob Sinay, who lost his civil service job in December 2009 because of his political activism, is also being held. Most were arrested at their homes on August 2 and 3. Some were also arrested because they publicly unfurled the separatist RMS flag in some places in the archipelago, including on Ambon and Saparua islands.
Observers at the Sail Banda event in the Yos Sudarso seaport in Ambon described what they considered to be a very large deployment of police officers and military personnel. The security forces apparently sought to prevent a repeat of Yudhoyono’s June 29, 2007 visit, when 28 local Moluccan dancers were able to enter the Ambon stadium, dance the cakalele war dance, and unfurl the RMS flag.
More than 70 men were arrested after the 2007 dance. Many were tortured after being handed over to Anti-Terror Unit 88 forces based in Ambon. The Ambon district court convicted more than three dozen of them, including the dance leader Johan Teterisa, of treason and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 5 to 20 years. Teterisa was sentenced to 15 years and is in the Malang prison in eastern Java.
Human Rights Watch expressed concern that Ambon authorities confiscated the recent Human Rights Watch report, “Prosecuting Political Aspiration,” as possible evidence in a case against the activists. The report profiles the cases of 10 prominent Papuan and Moluccan activists currently behind bars for expressing their political views, and details ill-treatment they suffered in detention and violations of their due process rights.
In June, Human Rights Watch discussed the findings of the report in Jakarta with officials from the Law and Human Rights Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the National Commission on Human Rights. At least 100 Papuans and Moluccans are in prison in Indonesia for peacefully expressing their political views.
“By arresting the Ambon activists, the Indonesian authorities are repeating the very mistakes that raised doubts globally about Indonesia’s commitment to improving human rights,” Robertson said. “The government should release these peaceful protesters immediately and spare the country further international condemnation.”
Background
Human Rights Watch takes no position on claims to self-determination in Indonesia or in any other country. Consistent with international law, Human Rights Watch supports the right of all individuals, including independence supporters, to express their political views peacefully without fear of arrest or other forms of reprisal.
Most of the current political prisoners in Indonesia were convicted of makar (treason) under articles 106 and 110 of the Indonesian Criminal Code.
However, freedom of expression is protected both in Indonesia’s constitution and international human rights law. The constitution in article 28(e) states, “Every person shall have the right to the freedom of association and expression of opinion.” Article 28(f) provides, “Every person shall have the right to communicate and obtain information for the development of his/her personal life and his/her social environment, and shall have the right to seek, acquire, possess, keep, process, and convey information by using all available channels.”
In December 2007, the Indonesian government issued Government Regulation 77/2007, which regulates regional symbols. Article 6 of the regulation bans display of flags or logos that have the same features as “organizations, groups, institutions or separatist movements.” Both the Papuan Morning Star flag and the RMS flag are considered to fall under this ban.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia ratified in 2006, also protects the right to free expression. Under article 19, “[e]veryone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”
West Papua Media Alerts 
