The Jakarta Post, January 21, 2006
Security officers kill a protester in Papua
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Unidentified security officers opened fire on a group of protesters outside a police
station in Paniai regency in restive Papua province on Friday, killing one person and
injuring two others, a police spokesman said.
Paniai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Anton Diance said that the clash occurred after
three people arrived at the station to complain about an earlier refusal by the local
Wagete Police chief to sign their request to allow them to ask for money from passing
motorists, he said.
In their request they asked the police chief to sign a circular, obliging truck drivers to
pay Rp 100,000 (US$10.5) each time they passed by a section of damaged road that
the protesters claimed had been repaired by local residents, Anton said.
Other rates for lighter vehicles were set at Rp 75,000, public vans and buses at Rp
50,000 and motorcycle taxis at Rp 20,000, he said.
Anton said that soon after the refusal, around 100 other people gathered at the
station, located near the city's military post.
"The civilians got angry and started beating Second Insp. Ronald Tumana, one of the
police officers," Anton said. "Then the shooting occurred."
Resentment runs high against Indonesian troops in Papua province, where human
rights groups estimate some 100,000 people have been killed in years of resistance to
Jakarta's rule there.
Police and soldiers have been repeatedly accused of abuses by local and
international rights groups in the oil and gas rich region in the country's far east.
Anton identified the deceased as Mozes Douw, 15, while Yolice Kotokil, 18, and
Petrus Pekey, 19, were injured.
Anton said that Mozes died in the hospital after being shot in the chest, Yuli was shot
in her right thigh and Petrus was shot in the chest.
Mozes' body was laid out at the Wagete military district headquarters, while the
wounded victims were admitted to a Nabire hospital for medical treatment.
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