The Jakarta Post, January 24, 2006
Enraged Papuans protest shooting
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Protesters stormed the Papua legislative council building Monday, demanding
Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers be withdrawn from the province.
The protest follows an incident in Wegete, Paniai, on Friday, in which security
personnel fired on a crowd of civilians, killing one.
The members of the Papua People's Anti-Militarism Front involved in Monday's action
also demanded the formation of an independent fact-finding team to investigate the
shooting.
Protesters carried banners demanding all soldiers be pulled out of the region, the
prosecution of those responsible for Friday's shooting and the dismissal of Trikora
Military Commander Maj. Gen. George Toisutta.
Toisutta is being blamed for failing to control his soldiers during the incident in
Wegete, in which troops opened fire on a crowd of people gathered outside a police
station.
Antara news agency reported two protesters were injured during the melee Monday,
before being met by councillor Yance Kayame to hear their demands.
In Friday's incident, Moses Douw, 15, was shot and killed, while two other people,
Yulice Kotoki, 18, and Petrus Pekey, 19, were injured. The two are still being treated
for gunshot wounds at Nabire General Hospital.
According to official accounts, the shooting on Friday began when three people arrived
at Paniai Police station to complain about the police chief's refusal to sign a letter
allowing them to collect fees from passing motorists. The crowd soon grew to about
100 and, according to officials, several people assaulted a police officer, which was
when security personnel opened fire.
The two young men injured in the shooting were showing signs of improvement
Monday.
"Their condition is improving. The one who was shot in the back is now able to sit up,
while the one who was shot in the leg is recuperating. They have both spoken to me,"
Nabire General Hospital director Dr. Phiter Poddala told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The body of Moses Douw is still being kept at the Enarotali district military command
office in Wagete. Relatives and residents have refused to bury Moses until Trikora
Military Commander Toisutta arrives to attend the funeral.
"I've not yet received reports whether the deceased has been buried," Papua Police
spokesman Sr. Comr. Kartono told the Post.
However, Benny Giay of Indonesian human rights group Elsham Papua disputed the
official version of the events that led to Moses' death. He told the Sydney Morning
Herald on Saturday that four people were ambushed on their way to school, AFP
reported. The newspaper said that Moses Douw was one of those killed.
However, police spokesman Kartono denied there had been an ambush and said
Moses Douw was killed when police and soldiers opened fire to quell the mob that
attacked the police station. "There were three people shot in that single incident. One
was killed and the two others were injured," he was quoted as saying by AFP.
Benny could not be reached for comment Monday.
The paper also reported that Moses was said by activists to be a close relative of one
of dozens of Papuan refugees who landed in northern Australia last Wednesday.
Australia asked Indonesia over the weekend for information about the Wegete
shooting.
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