The Jakarta Post, 8/4/2004 2:17:51 PM
Rights groups accuse U.S. of covering up over Papua killings
JAKARTA (AFP): Rights groups in Indonesia's Papua province Wednesday accused
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft of a cover up over the killing of two U.S. teachers
and an Indonesian near Papua's giant Freeport gold mine in 2002.
In a joint statement, the Amungme Tribal Institute, the Institute for Human Rights
Studies and Advocacy, and the Women and Children Human Rights Foundation, aired
concerns over comments by Ashcroft on the killings.
"Ashcroft is apparently suppressing evidence in the Justice Department's possession,
evidence that would be of great interest to the U.S. Congress and the Freeport victims'
families," the rights groups said.
Last month, Ashcroft said a man acting for the separatist Free Papua Movement had
carried out the murders in Timika, Papua, with his group. His comments sparked
outrage from the rebel group.
Ashcroft's statement cleared the Indonesian military of any role in the attack, fuelling
hopes in Jakarta that military ties with Washington could be resumed after they were
cut over Indonesia's support of militias in East Timor.
In their statement, the rights groups expressed their "grave concern over the actions"
of Ashcroft and called on the U.S. congress "to facilitate a full, impartial investigation,"
into the shooting incident.
Ashcroft's comments had sent signals to the Indonesian military that it could go after
Papuan dissidents, they added.
The statement claimed that the three rights organisations, which had assisted in an
FBI probe of the deaths, have already been subjected to intimidation by the military.
They accused Ashcroft of failing to say that the man blamed for the deaths had
business ties with Indonesian army special forces rather than rebels and that a probe
by Indonesian police had concluded the military was involved. The rights groups said
the military had carried out the attacks to reinforce fears of rebels to ensure that the
Freeport mine operators would continue making large cash payments for security
arrangements in and around the mine. The Free Papua Organisation has been fighting
a sporadic and low-level guerrilla war since 1963 when Indonesia took over the huge
mountainous and undeveloped territory from Dutch colonisers. (*)
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