Tag: Dewan Adat Papua

DAP leader rejects police moves to question him

Bintang Papua, 11 January 2011

Forkorus Yaboisembut, the chairman of the Papuan Indigenous Council, DAP
has reported that two members of the police force came to visit him at
2pm the previous day, saying that they wanted to take him to Jayapura
police headquarters to question him about a case of bribery in
connection with attempts to kill him some time ago.

Speaking by phone to Bintang Papua, Forkorus said that he was confused
by the police officers’ visit because, according to him, the case they
wished to discuss had been resolved in a collegial fashion within the
kampung. He said that there had been some misunderstandings between
himself and some of his grandchildren but the matter had been resolved
peacefully in November 2010. If the police now intend to investigate the
matter, this would be quite wrong because the matter had already been
resolved within the family.

‘There is no need for the police to investigate the matter,’ said
Forkorus, ‘because I have already told the media that the matter has
been resolved.’ He said that the money involved had already been
returned to its rightful owners within the family. The incident had
occurred when one of his grandchildren, under the influence of drink,
had made threatening remarks against him.

The local chief of police has denied that they had made any attempt to
take Forkorus in for questioning.

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Forkorus and friends receive heroes' welcome

Forkorus and friends receive heroes’ welcome

(Bintang Papua)The chairman of DAP, the Papuan Traditional Assembly, Forkorus Yaboisembut, and five others who recently attended the public hearing at the US Congress arrived back on Papuan soil yesterday at Sentani Airport to a heroes’ welcome as if returning from the battle-field. On their
arrival, Forkorus and his group were welcomed  by the Boy Eluay, the son
of Theys Eluay.

Troops from the Petapa  security forces maintained a tight guard along
the way taken by Forkorus and the others. As they entered the airport
arrivals area, they were invited to step on a large china plate and
nokens [string bags] were draped round their necks [a ceremonial welcome
for special people] while the woman in the group had her head half
covered with a jilbab. The Petapa guard was closely maintained from the
arrivals area to the cars waiting outside. A group of musicians was also
there to welcome Forkorus and his colleagues. They then drove for 45
minutes to a specially constructed pendopo .

After prayers were said, Forkorus said that they had visited the US at
the invitation of the US Congress to attend a public hearing at the
Congress. He said that this was evidence that the US regards the Papuan
with respect and wants to build a new friendly relationship in order to
help the  Papuan people.

Responding to negative remarks  made by the US ambassador  who said that
Papua is  part of  NKRI, he said that this was just a political
statement whereas all the arrangements for the group’s departure to the
US had been handled by the US embassy in Jakarta.

Herman Awom who also particiated in the visit to the US said that during
their  presence at the congressional hearing,  two other Papuans were
deliberately  included by Indonesia,  Franzalbert Yoku and Nikko Messet,
whose words describing Papuans as stupid and lazy were described as
regrettable by Eni Faleomavaega. a member of the US Congress.

Eni Faleomavaega said it was regrettable that Nikko Messet had said of
his own people that they were lazy and stupid.

It was also reported that Forkorus and his colleagues will repeat their
testimonies on the following day at the graveside of Theys Eluay.

INDONESIAN ARMY ON STREETS IN TENSE WAMENA AS LOCAL CRISIS TALKS GO NOWHERE

INDONESIAN ARMY ON STREETS IN TENSE WAMENA AS LOCAL CRISIS TALKS GO NOWHERE

Nick Chesterfield, westpapuamedia.info

Photo Report: Warning Graphic Photos

(Wednesday, October 6, 2010). West Papuan people in Wamena are expressing fear after the shooting of community security guards by police on Monday.  In a show of force, Indonesian security forces have deployed hundreds of fully armed combat troops on the streets to prevent local people from gathering in protest against the police shootings of members of Petapa.
(Fully armed combat troops patrolling Wamena streets, Wednesday October 6, 2010.  Photos taken by witness in hiding)

A high level reconciliation team made up of has met briefly to try and avert any conflict but it has ended its meeting without any clear result.  Local activists fear that the Indonesian state is outraged by the threat of a community security guard providing protection to West Papuan people seeking to engage in acts of free expression.

On Monday, a detachment of community security guards attempted to seek an explanation with Airport police for the heavy handed seizure of uniforms.  Police at the Wamena North airport police station refused to provide an explanation , instead emerging firing live ammunition into the crowd after a missile was thrown breaking a single tooth of the Jayawijaya police chief I Gede Sumerta.  As retribution for the broken tooth, police pursued the crowd for over a kilometre, shooting dead Ismail Lokobal in the chest. Police then arrested another ten people.  Amos Wetipo and Frans Lokobal were shot in the head and wrist respectively after they refused to get out of the police truck when it returned to the station.  Shooting of unarmed and bound detainees is deemed by international law as an extrajudicial execution.

However, according to a local human rights team, Indonesian police are consistently refusing to take responsibility for the attack and pursuit on unarmed members of the Community Security Force Pentapa, nor are they accepting any responsibility for unprovoked shooting of detainees inside a police truck.  Instead they are blaming Pentapa for attacking the police post.  Indonesian police have told AFP that they will have to wait until an autopsy is conducted to determine the cause of death for the shot man.

(Note: westpapuamedia.info is publishing clear and obvious photos showing the gunshot wounds in Mr Lokobal’s chest.)

No Need for Autopsy

The crisis meeting was attended by Disaster Coordinator Wetipo Amos, Chairman of ELSHAM (Institute for the Study and Advocacy of Human Rights) Theo Hesegem, and other representatives of NGOs, church leaders and DAP, together with the Vice Regent of Jayawijaya, and members of Parliament.

Local West Papuan activists, who have asked not to be identified, have called on the Indonesian government to immediately send the military in Wamena back to their barracks and for police officers to take responsibility for their action.

westpapuamedia.info

Photos of DAP Commnity Security Guards

Related Stories:

WAMENA KILLING WAS EXTRAJUDICIAL MURDER: WITNESSES

BREAKING NEWS: INDONESIA SHOOTS 3, 1 DEAD IN WAMENA

Mobilising a Papuan peace force in Sabron by DAP!

WAMENA KILLING WAS EXTRAJUDICIAL MURDER: WITNESSES

WAMENA KILLING WAS EXTRAJUDICIAL MURDER: WITNESSES

Nick Chesterfield, westpapuamedia.info

Tuesday, October 5, 2010: Evidence is continuing to emerge from Wamena, in West Papua’s Highlands, that a shooting of unarmed community security guards by Indonesian police on Monday was a extrajudicial murder by Indonesian Police.

According to witnesses interviewed by a local human rights investigation team, Ismael Lokobal, the coordinator of the Balim Petapa (unarmed community security security guards formed by Dewan Adat Papua), was shot whilst trying to seek shelter from indiscriminate police shooting at the DAP Balim Lapago office about 1 km from the police station.

Amos Wetipo and Frans Lokobal were shot when police opened fire after they refused to get down from a police truck outside the Wamena North K3 Police station.  Wetipo was shot in the head by police standing at the back of the truck, bullets also striking Frans Lokobal in the wrist.  Both men suffered from heavy blood loss according to witnesses, and Amos Wetipo is reportedly in a coma.

The shootings occurred after unarmed Petapa members went to the police station to seek and explanation for the unauthorised seizure of a box of berets for Petapa uniforms, and Rp40 million in cash. No Petapa paraphernalia that was seized contained any banned items or symbols so there was no reason for its seizure.  Human rights sources reported to westpapuamedia.info that Petapa members felt the seizure was heavy handed and repressive, and refused to leave the police station without an explanation, when police emerged firing assault rifles directly at the gathered crowd without any verbal warnings or warning shots.   Indonesian media have incorrectly reported that the Petapa members had attacked the police station causing an officer to be injured, but this is untrue.

Petapa was formed by the DAP in July after a series of violent incidents carried out by security forces and transmigrant militia members, and had been providing a visible peacekeeping security presence for mobilisations on peaceful demonstrations, which though allowed under Indonesian law are almost always dispersed with force by security forces.  Whilst they have been trained in physical self defence, a significant part of Petapa’s training has been on non-violent conflict resolution.  Petapa are not mandated by DAP to be anything but a defensive security guard.

The Baptist Church of Papua is deeply disturbed by the continued violence meted out by Indonesian security forces in the highlands, and had called for the police to take responsibility for their actions.   “The barbaric behavior of this state apparatus is not human. Security forces should not shoot and kill civilians for any reason and or ideology,”said  Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman,  President  of the Baptist Church of Papua.

“Violence and the killing of God’s people is not the way the settlement but creates new more difficult problems.  The unity of the Indonesian state (NKRI) can not be managed and maintained in with violence and spilling people’s blood,” Yoman said.    “The shooting shows that the people of Papua are not safe in the land of their ancestors.  The security forces should be responsible and do not quibble with blaming civilians,” explain Reverend Yoman.

Local human rights sources are calling for an immediate, open investigation by Komnas HAM (National Human Rights Commission), with international monitoring, and the the police officers guilty of shootings to be charged with murder and sentenced appropriately.

The situation in Wamena is extremely tense on latest information, and demonstrations are likely.  Local human rights sources are calling for the Indonesian security forces to exercise restraint and professionalism.

westpapuamedia.info

A Preliminary report in Bahasa Indonesia contains photos of the dead, injured and arrested men (not of their deaths and arrests) and a full chronology.  is available for download here: KRONOLOGIS PENEMBAKAN ANGGOTA PETAPA DI WAMENA

More photos and reports to come.

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Mobilising a Papuan peace force in Sabron by DAP!

Mobilisation of P3 force by DAP!

Bintang Papua, 3 September 2010

Mobilising a Papuan peace force in Sabron

Without making a lot of noise, the Dewan Papua Adat (Papuan Customary Council) has now mobilised its own force in response to the rising political tension in Papua.

They have mobilised more than 500 people for a Papuan Peace Force (P3) and yesterday they took part in a rally in the forecourt of the home of the chairman of DAP, Forkorus Yaboisembut.

This mobilisation of forces has also taken place in other places such as Manokwari, Biak and Sorong.

Forkorus said that this mobilisation is in response to the intensifying political situation in Papua, which means that a force is needed to protect the authority of DAP, its personnel, its land and its natural resources.

He said that orders had been given to each Korda (district coordinator) to send forces to Jayapura but because of time pressures, on this occasion, it occurred in each respective region.

‘Normally this would take place at Kemtuk Gresik but on this occasion, we held it at the DAP office although some mobilisation also took place in Biak, while in Manokwari, joint prayers were held.

‘We are aware that the political situation in Papua has intensified. Therefore in order to safeguard a peaceful atmosphere, this is being done in order to avoid anything happening here like what happened in East Timor, should an independent Papua emerge.’ [This is clearly a reference to the situation that arose in East Timor following the referendum held in 1999 which voted overwhelming in favour of Timorese independence. On that occasion, an estimated one thousand people died and tens of thousands were forced from their homes by the Indonesian military.]

He want to say: ‘We must respect each other.’

He said that should the UN agree to a referendum being held, the P3 forces would stand ready to safeguard everyone thus reducing the possibility of acts of revenge by those unsatisfied with the agreement by the UN (for a referendum).

He also said that as a follow-up to today’s event, the DAP will visit all parts of Papua for the creation of P3 forces throughout the territory. He also said that ‘the force has already been set up. It now remains for us to identify its function and equipment, so as to ensure that it plays the role of keeping the situation peaceful, on both sides of the political divide’.

Members of P3 have been mobilised in a number of places such as Dapabre, Genyem, Kentut Gresik, Sentani, and Abepura, including Polimak Jayapura, amounting to altogether 500 people.

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