The Jakarta Post, November 17, 2003
Activists rally behind Papua probe
Netty Dharma Somba and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura/Jakarta
Papuan human rights activists said they were prepared to support the planned
investigation by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) into
alleged atrocities in the province.
Activist Iwan K. Niode, who joined the preliminary probe conducted by the
commission, said that the Koalisi LSM -- which groups several non-governmental
organizations in Papua -- would help find witnesses and other data needed to support
the formal investigation.
"I have been asked by the commission to join the inquiry team, along with several
activists and we are ready to do our jobs," Iwan said on Saturday.
The commission decided to launch a legal probe into the possible gross rights abuses
by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police in Wasior in June 2001 and Wamena
regency in April 2003.
Aside from Iwan, local activists Demianus Wakman and Rika Korain of the Koalisi
LSM have been included in the investigation team.
Trikora Military Commander overseeing Papua Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal regretted the
planned inquiry, saying that the rights body had jumped to conclusions without
consulting the military.
"When they came here for the preliminary investigation they held talks with me, but
then after they completed the probe they never confronted me with their findings,"
Nurdin said.
He doubted the accuracy of the data collected by the commission, saying that
security officers had not detained as many people as reported by the rights body in
the Wamena incident.
"They said we detained 48 people, whereas we had never held that many people,"
Nurdin said.
He was convinced that the military did not violate standard operating procedures
during the Wamena case, in which TNI personnel reportedly tortured the detainees
and killed seven of them and forcibly evacuated some 7,000 residents, following raids
by the Army after alleged Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels broke into a TNI
armory.
Spokesman for the Papua Police Sr. Comr. David Sihombing also denied accusations
that operational procedures had been violated during the raid in Wasior, after six
Mobile Brigade police were killed by rebels. At least three people were killed and 16
others tortured during the raid.
In Jakarta, the House of Representatives said that the legislative body would wait until
the rights body completed its probe before disclosing its stance.
Chairman of the House Commission II on legal and home affairs Agustin Teras Narang
said that the rights body had the right to proceed with the investigation, according to
the law.
"They should continue with their investigation and remain independent," Teras said
over the weekend.
He said that both the House and government could not hamper the investigation as it
is part of the country's commitment to upholding human rights.
According to the 2000 human rights law the House decides whether alleged crimes
against humanity will be heard in the ad hoc human rights court.
So far the House has approved the rights trials of people implicated in gross human
rights violations in East Timor in 1999 and in the North Jakarta area of Tanjung Priok
in 1984.
The legislators, however, declared that no human rights violations had occurred in the
incidents at Trisakti University and the Semanggi clover-leaf, both in Jakarta, in 1998
and 1999 respectively.
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