JUBI, 16 April 2011Following a number of shootings of inhabitants in the district of Dogiyai in the past few weeks, the place is now like a ghost town. Many of the inhabitants along with their wives and children have left town.

‘All the offices are closed and nothing is happening here any more.because all the inhabitants have fled,’ Hanen Sendu, head of public relations of the district, told Bintang Papua over the phone.

He said that during sweepings by the police and the security forces, a number of houses were burnt to the ground.. ‘This is now regarded as a ‘red’  (ie highly dangerous) zone by the security forces,’ he said .

According to inhabitants from Dogiyai, a number of homes near the Moanemani building where agricultural training was taking place have been burnt down by security forces who were sent there by Brimob based in Enarotali. ‘They arrived from Enarotali and burnt down people’s homes,’ according to a source in the area.

Many young people from Dogiyai are not going to school any more because the security forces have spread fear among the local people.”The women and children have also left. ‘We were being shot at all the time and we were very afraid, so we have left Dogiyai,’ they said, according to a brief message received from the area.

A member of the local legislative assembly, Frits Agapa said that young people were also afraid and have fled into the forests and to kampungs in a nearby district.

‘This is not a war, but when the security behave like this, nobody would want to accept such treatment.’

A few young people who remained in Dogiyai say that they are afraid to leave their homes because they are afraid of being shot at just like their colleagues were shot at a few days ago.

‘The security forces are shooting people for no reason at all,’ said one person living in the area.

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JUBI, 17 April 2011

The association  of students from the Central Highlands has urged the police to take action quickly in response to the tragedy that happened last Wednesday.

‘Besides taking action against all those who have been shooting local inhabitants, the chief of  police should also  place Togel port  under special protection and put an end to the sweeping operations.’ said the chairman of the association, Andreas Gobai.

He also said that the police should put a stop to all the gambling and drinking in Dogiyai and other districts.

‘If he fails to do so, then he should resign for failing to act responsibly regarding the Moanemani case and other incidents that have occurred here in this region.’

Gobai said that his association is pressing for a comprehensive solution in this case.

Three days after the incident, the situation in Moanemani and the vicinity is still not conducive. Many local inhabitants are panic-stricken and have been forced to leave their homes, although everything had been very peaceful until now..

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JUBI, 16 April 2011

Following the shootings and sweepings by the police and members of the TNI, a few days ago in Dogoyai, some families were shocked by the discovery of the bodies of two young men, Kris Pigome from the Pouwouda kampung and Markus Goo, the son of the chief of Tuwaida kampung. Their bodies were found covered with terrible injuries, near the Nabire Trans highway, about 18 kms from Nabire district.

Their families have been informed of the tragedy.

‘It happened last night. We had advised them not to go to Dogiyai, but they were insistent on going because they wanted to return home to their kampungs, but they were murdered on the way,’ said Vincen Goo, one of the relatives who was contacted by JUBI.

How they died is still a mystery.

‘We have just come from the hospital and we dont know why they were killed. But it is clear that they were murdered,’ said Vincen. The bodies are due to be taken to the homes of the families in Nabire who are now in mourning.

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JUBI, 17 April 2011

Following the shooting dead of civilians in Dogiyai, the local people are shocked that the local government have not said anything about this incident.

‘People here are naturally very afraid  because since that incident, there has been no attempt to close off the area by the security forces, bearing in mind that members of the security forces have shot some local people dead.

‘If local government leaders had been at their posts and were concerned about the local people, this shooting might never have happened.’

As someone who comes from the area, Petrus Agapa  has also expressed his deep concern about the situation . ‘There are other ways to solve problems like this, not by shooting people,’ he said.

The local people have lost all confidence in the local government .

Until now, neither the acting bupati  nor other local officials  have taken any action to resolve the problem.

‘It seems as if officials in Dogiyai  are just hoping that officials from the provincial government will come along and solve the problem,’ said Agapa.