Tag: Paniai Regency

Troop deployment to Paniai must stop

JUBI, 3 January 2012
Responding to reports from the community in Paniai that additional troops are still arriving in Paniai, the deputy chair of the Majelis Rakyat Papua said that this must stop

Venetina Koyoga said that according to the most recent information from Paniai, additional troops continue to arrive there while local people are reported to be evacuating from the area.

‘According to information we have received from the people there, the inhabitants of two kampungs have already evacuated. We are checking these reports but if they are indeed true, I would like to stress that no more troops should be sent there,. This must stop so as to ensure that the people there can live in peace, instead of what is happening now. Let us all sit down together, the Governor, the MRP and the DPRP, and agree to a good solution.’

If there is any increase in the number of troops, there should be coordination between representatives of the people in the province, such as the governor, the DPRP and the MRP. If there is no such coordination, the people there will continue to feel threatened,’ she said.

‘I very much regret the fact that there have been acts of violence against people living in Nabire, Puncak Jaya, Ttimika and other places in Papua. We should all sit down together and find the best solution to the problems there. The deployment of troops should end and those troops already there should be withdrawn.’

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Sound of gunfire greets Christmas in Paniai

JUBI, 23 December 2011
[Slightly abridged in translation from Indonesian]Illustration: Group of Paniai residents who left their homes because they were afraid of the shooting

There’s no sound of church bells or people singing Christmas carols. Just the sound of gunfire has been heard in Eduda every evening. The sound of gunfire in the dark of night spreads fear among the people, including those living in Enarotali which is 8 kms away

‘For the past week, we have been hearing gunfire from the direction of Eduda. Is this the sound of open warfare between the TPN/OPM and the Indonesian police? It should stop when people want to celebrate Christmas,’ said Yafeth Kayame, the head of the Mee people in Enarotali.

It is now just two days to Christmas, a time when people are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. ‘We should be singing sacred songs. But this is not what we are hearing, just the sound of gunfire as Christmas approaches. Please, help us to stop the fighting between the TPN/OPM and the Indonesian army. People want to celebrate Christmas,’ he said.

Hearing the sound of shooting around Eduda only spreads fear among the people. Some people who wanted to return to their kampungs even though things are not yet tranquil have decided not to return.

The gunfire was heard one day after an operation against Eduda, the headquarters of the TPN/OPM, by the police command in Paniai. ‘On Tuesday evening at around 6pm till late at night, gunfire could be heard, lasting for about two hours until one or two in the morning. Then it stopped but began again at 5 in the morning,’ he said.

During the day, a helicopter flew here from Madi and landed in Eduda.They said they were bringing logistics for the Matoa special unit, now operating from the former TPN/OPM base. The helicopter also encircled the area above Mount Wegeuto, possibly making observations from the air about the presence of John Magai and Yogi who have both fled into the forests.

‘The sound of gunfire made the people even more panic-stricken and they fled their homes,’ said Yafeth Kayame.

A Papuan human rights activist, Yosias Yeimo, has called on both sides to stop the fighting ahead of Christmas. ‘Among the people of God Almighty, there should be no more fighting so that people can celebrate Christmas in peace,’ he said.

The people living in Eduda and several nearby kampungs cannot celebrate Christman in their homes like they were able to do last year. The Protestant and Catholic communities have been disrupted by military operations that have been going on for the past month.

The local police chief also spoke about the security situation because of the military operations.’ It isn’t true. The situation is conducive. The situation in Paniai is calm. Stop spreading issues that only create panic,’ Jannus Siregar told journalists two days ago.

‘ I call on the people to return to their daily activities because the situation here is quite normal and people can celebrate Christmas. We are not hunting for civilians, still less are we shooting anyone dead. We are just doing our duty which is to chase the OPM, and this has led to the capture of John and Salmon,’ he said.

Translated by TAPOL

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Human Rights Commission urges police chief to withdraw his troops from Paniai

JUBI, 17 December 2011The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has urged the chief of police  to immediately withdraw his Brimob troops  from the district of Paniai and not to send any more troops there.

This request is made in a letter signed by the deputy head of Komnas HAM, M. Ridha Saleh, which is a follow-up of the complaint made by   the chairman f the Regional Traditional Council (DAD)  in Paniai several days ago. He said that the complaint  was made  because of two recent incidents involving members of the police force. One was shooting in the vicinity of the copper-and-gold mine in Degheuwo which led to the death of a civilian and the other relates to the situation following the dispatch of 150 additional Brimob troops who arrived in Enarotali  on 11-14 November 2011

In the second place, the Brimob post which was set up in the midst of several kampungs. should be removed.

Thirdly, to immediately conduct an investigation into what caused the death of Mateus Tenouye. Fourthly, to restore a conducive situation so as to enable the people in the district of Paniai to go about their daily activities.

And fifthly, to speedily hold dialogue with all parties involved in conflicts and to help the community to resolve problems that have occurred in the district of Paniai.

‘This request is in accordance with the authority rested in Komnas HAM according to Article 89, para (3) of Law on Human Rights 39/1999,’ the letter said. Copies of the letter have been sent to the chairman of Komnas HAM, the chief of police in Papua based in Jayapura and to the Paniai chief of police in Madi.

Komnas HAM very much hopes that the situation of the people in Paniai will be more conducive, bearing in mind that all people have the right to live in peace and tranquillity and to be protected against threats of fear, in accordance with article 15, para (30) of Law 39/1999.

Komnas HAM also calls upon all people to do everything possible to safeguard a conducive situation for people living in Paniai.

‘The chief of police needs to re-evaluate  the policy of sending additional  Brimob troops to Papua, particularly to Paniai. His troops must be withdrawn  because the people there are very upset, especially because of the attack on Eduda several days ago which has only intensified these fears and are having a significant impact   because people are unable to organise activities  in preparation for Christmas Day which is fast approaching.’

At the present time, there are hundreds of Brimob troops and police in Eduda, which is the headquarters of TPN/OPM, after managing to occupy the area.

Calls for the withdrawal of these troops  have also be made by others, especially since, in the past couple of days, operations in the area have intensified  in an attempt to hunt down the group of John Magai Yogi, who recently moved into the forest.

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SBS: Indonesia attacking Papuans: claim

19 Dec 2011
By Stefan Armbruster
Download Episode Duration00:03:09 Download2MB
POLRI GEGANA anti-terrorism troops attacking peaceful flagraisers, Taokou Village, East Paniai , December 1 (West Papua Media)

A Papuan human rights group says Indonesian helicopters have been strafing villages, killing more than a dozen people and displacing up to 25,000 others, in their latest operation against the Free Papua Movement, or OPM.

Indonesian media has reported clashed between OPM fighters and the police and military – known as TNI – in the past week in the troubled province.

West Papuans have been seeking independence since Indonesia invaded in 1962, at the end of 130 years of Dutch colonial rule.

Stefan Armbruster spoke with the director of the Institute of Human Rights Study and Advocacy in the Papuan city of Jayapura, Ferry Marisan.

Download Episode Duration00:03:09 Download2MB

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ELSHAM Update from Paniai + Urgent Correction

Elsham reports the following:

  • 3 people died from diarreah and exposure – a two year old baby on the 9/11 and a 47 woman and 4 year old child on the 14/11.
  • Six villages were burnt: Toko, Badawo, Dagouto, Obayoweta, Dey and Wamanik.
  • 1,715 have fled their homes.
  • (Independent West Papua Media sources have reported that the 1715 are ONLY those people who are housed in a police supervised secure “Care Centre” at Uwatawogi Hall in Enaratoli – many thousands more have abandoned their villages and are currently unaccounted for).

The report covers events in Paniai up until the TNI/POLRI raid on Eduda. The report (in Indonesian) is attached.

For more information and interviews in English or Indonesian please contact West Papua Media for a direct Elsham contact

West Papua Media

URGENT CORRECTION:

The Report yesterday “Shootings, village burnings and helicopter attacks continue across Paniai” provided a list of names of 15 people allegedly shot by Indonesian security forces during the raid on Markas Eduda.  West Papua Media conducted extensive cross checking with sources last night to ensure the veracity of this list, and was assured by over FIVE independent sources that the information and names were correct.

However, new information has come to hand that claims that these names were victims from a previous military operation.  Until we can prove or disprove this new information unequivocally, we will treat these names as Unconfirmed Deaths.  Witnesses have described deaths however, and the confirmed live fire, village burnings, occupations, grenade throwing, and helicopter strafing will produce significant casualties.  We will update as we have more confirmed information.

The situation in Paniai is highly fluid, constantly changing and thoroughly closed to outside journalists, which makes real time verification extremely difficult.  Our network of citizen sources is also subject to poor communications, and is subject to a massive live fire military offensive, with civilians being targeted and communications heavily disrupted.  West Papua Media has been reporting on events in real time and the nature of real time reporting is that facts can change on the ground as fast as a situation, and our reporting will reflect those changes.

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