Just to our North … a horror story unfolds

June 8, 2012
West Papua Media

Credible and trusted West Papua Media sources have provided video clips (below) that show the extent of destruction caused by the rampage of soldiers from the Indonesian Army (TNI) Battalion 756 in Wamena on June 6.

The soldiers, who ran amok in retaliation for the fatal beating by Wamena residents of two soldiers that killed a small Papuan boy in a motor incident, left a trail of destruction and violence across Wamena after a night of brutal and indiscriminate shootings, beatings and arson that has left at least 9 dead, 19 seriously injured, thousands homeless, and caused thousands of residents to flee to the relative safety of surrounding mountains.

According to local independent human rights activist Roni Lokbere, soldiers were firing indiscriminately at any Papuan they saw. “Anyone in sight of police and soldiers who have the black and curly hair, it is not forgiving – just automatic firing action,” said Lokbere in a message with videos sent to West Papua Media.

“We make these reports based on true facts, the actions of the TNI and police officers who are arrogant and abusive, that ignore the principles of humanity and justice,” said Lokbere.

Human rights workers in Wamena have identified a number of victims so far, but they report there are still many victims to be identified, with military and police personnel blockading the hospital to prevent relatives access to those who sustained injuries. This policy is causing great concern from local people that Indonesian security forces are committing further human rights abuses at the hospital in Wamena on survivors of the rampage.

According to fresh but separate unconfirmed reports received by West Papua Media, medical staff are being threatened by heavily armed military officers at the hospital, and soldiers and police including Australian-funded Detachment 88 counter-terror officers are directly interfering in the provision of treatment.

This information was provided at great risk by paramedics to Papuan human rights activists, describing the scenes of terror and intimidation still occurring at the hospital in Wamena.

At time of writing only members of the local Nduga tribal clan had been formally identified as dead, with several other tribes including Susa people, represented amongst an unknown number of total casualties. Many of those injured received significant wounds, and with the deliberate interference to medical treatment of the wounded by security forces, the number of dead is expected to rise.

Those formally identified are:

1. Jairus Lokbere, Nduga tribe, an unarmed member of Battalion 34/ TPN (Tentara Pembebasan Nasional/ National Liberation Army) Komadan Inije Kodap;
2. Kisiurt Kurungga, 21, villager;
3. Metiuspus Telenggen, 26, villager;
4. Elianus Bugiangge, 45, villager;
5. Pianus Tabuni, Nduga tribe, Civil Servant
6. Enus Lokbere, Nduga tribe, Local legislator of DPRD;
7. 2 children aged 12 and 13 in local school “holiday village” (boarders staying in school “village” during holidays as their families cannot afford return to rural homes)
8. A man who died in the hospital who was not identified due to extent of facial injuries from beating with rifle butts.

More stories and videos, Wet Papua Video Alerts here

• DOCUMENT – INDONESIA: INVESTIGATE MILITARY ATTACKS ON VILLAGERS IN WAMENA, PAPUA

The Indonesian authorities must ensure a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into reports of unnecessary and excessive use of force including firearms by security forces in Wamena, Papua province.

In the afternoon of 6 June 2012, two soldiers on motorcycles reportedly ran over and injured a 3 year-old child playing by the side of the road in the village of Honelama in Wamena. Villagers who witnessed the incident chased the soldiers and stabbed one to death and injured the other.

In retaliation, two trucks of soldiers from army battalion Yonif 756/Wamena arrived at Honelama village not long after and reportedly opened fire arbitrarily on the village killing one person, Elinus Yoman. According to reliable local sources, soldiers also stabbed around a dozen people with their bayonets. In addition, soldiers reportedly burned down dozens of homes, buildings and vehicles during the attack. Many of the villagers have fled the area and are afraid to return to their homes.

Amnesty International acknowledges the difficulties faced by security forces in Indonesia, especially when confronted with violence. Persons suspected of committing violent crimes, including against members of security forces, must be brought to justice. However, suspects must be identified individually for arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law – there is no place for collective punishment and random, vindictive violence.

The power of law enforcement officials to use force is restricted by relevant international human rights law and standards, the basis of which is the need to respect and protect the right to life. This right is provided for in Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Indonesia is a state party, which also provides that this right must never be derogated from, including in times of emergency. The right to life is also provided for in the Indonesian Constitution.

If the investigations find that the security forces committed unlawful killings or used force unnecessarily or excessively, then those responsible, including persons with command responsibility, must be prosecuted in civilian courts in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness. Victims must be provided with reparations.

Credible reports of human rights violations committed by the security forces continue to emerge in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, including torture and other ill-treatment, unnecessary and excessive use of force, including firearms, and unlawful killings.

Despite a public commitment made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in February 2012 that cases of human rights violations would be “legally processed and perpetrators penalized”, investigations into reports of abuses by security forces are rare and only a few perpetrators have been brought to justice.

The lack of accountability is exacerbated by the failure to revise the Law on Military Tribunals (Law No. 31/1997). Military personnel charged with human right offences are tried in military courts. Amnesty International has expressed concerned about the lack of independence and impartiality of these trials.

Amnesty International urges the Indonesian government to address the culture of impunity in Papua by taking the necessary steps to ensure that all security forces responsible for human rights violations are held accountable. The government must also immediately revise the Law on Military Tribunals so that military personnel suspected of offences involving human rights violations can be investigated and tried in an independent civilian judicial system and victims and witnesses provided with adequate protection.

HTTP://WWW.AMNESTY.ORG/EN/LIBRARY/ASSET/ASA21/020/2012/EN/1B64DAC4-87D7-46C8-8950-F838AFA35D87/ASA210202012EN.HTML

• Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088

Dear Senator Carr,

I am writing to you with great concern about the possibility of coming military operations in West Papua by the Indonesian security forces. We have already raised concerns about the attack by the military on the village of Honai Lama, a sub district of Wamena in the Baliem Valley (letter dated 8 June).

However, in the last few days there have been a number of statements from security force personal that indicate military operations might take place in and around Jayapura.

A police spokesman for the National Police, Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said “that his force would deploy members of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) special operations unit to Papua” and “we will send our best men to support the Jayapura Police as soon as possible because the shootings and stabbings need to stop”. In a report in the Jakarta Post on the 7 June, he also hinted that members from the elite police counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, could also be dispatched if “necessary”.

The head of Indonesia’s State Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman has also spoke “of the need for a sweep of Jayapura for armed civilians following heightened violence in the capital of Papua province”. We note the security forces have not yet identified the perpetrators of many of the attacks and simply refer to them as armed gangs.

The opposition legislator Tubagus Hasanuddin, a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission which oversees security affairs said “It’s just strange that the government can’t solve a single case even after nearly 30 people have died recently in the province,” and “It seems like the authorities are allowing [the violence] to happen.”

The House Speaker Marzuki Alie also alleged that some people were deliberately orchestrating the bloodshed in order to grab power and get access to the province’s abundant natural resources. “Some have used the chaotic condition there to benefit themselves,” he said. Marzuki, a member of Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, said that the shootings could indicate that people were fighting for control of natural resources and while he did not rule out the possibility that soldiers and local officials could be involved in the incidents, urged that the groups behind the incidents must be identified.

Also reported in the Jakarta Globe of the 10 June, Aleksius Jemadu, dean of Pelita Harapan University’s School of Social and Political Sciences, said he suspected that the authorities’ inability to solve any of the cases was due to the involvement of security officers in the incidents. “although the military as an institution can’t be involved, some of its members might be. These incidents show that Jakarta has failed to address the problems in the province. The shootings indicate that the local officers don’t listen to the central government,” he said.

The behavior of the Indonesian military during “sweeps” is of great concern as was seen by the recent attack by the military on the village of Honai Lama in Wamena.

The local paper Jubi on the 8 June reported that “the situation in Sentani, district of Jayapura, has become very tense causing a great deal of fear among the community, so much so that they are afraid to leave their homes following the death of a member of the KNPB, the National Committee of West Papua”.
Amnesty International in its statement dated 8 June said “Credible reports of human rights violations committed by the security forces continue to emerge in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, including torture and other ill-treatment, unnecessary and excessive use of force, including firearms, and unlawful killings”.

As Australia is involved in helping train the Indonesian military and in particular Detachment 88, which Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution has hinted could also be dispatched if “necessary” to West Papua. We again urge you to raise the behavior of the Indonesian security forces in West Papua with the Indonesian President and urging him to halt any proposed military sweeps in the territory.
The impact of these military operations are creating a traumatized population living in fear.

Yours sincerely
Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)
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AWPA letter to Bob Carr re attack on Honai Lama village at
http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/media-release-awpa-letter-to-bob-carr.html