The Star Online [Malaysia], Thursday, April 01, 2004
Indonesia to try policemen over torture in Papua province
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Prosecutors have indicted two senior police officers on
charges of allowing their men to torture hundreds of people in the eastern province of
Papua, officials said Thursday.
Proceedings against the commander of a paramilitary police unit, Brig. Gen. Johny
Wainal, and police chief Lt. Col. Daud Sihombing of the provincial capital of Jayapura
will be the first rights trials held in eastern Indonesia, government prosecutor Mailan
Syarief said.
Both officers are charged with "not preventing or stopping the violence'' perpetrated by
men under their command and with not handing them over to authorities for
prosecution.
If convicted, they could face a maximum punishment of 25 years in prison.
The case centers on an incident on Dec. 7, 2000, when dozens of Papuans set
ablaze a police station in the provincial capital of Jayapura.
After the mob killed a policeman and wounded three others, police arrested and
abused hundreds of villagers suspected of involvement in the violence.
Three teenagers died in police custody after allegedly being tortured by the officers.
Human rights groups have slammed the Indonesian government for delaying
prosecution of those responsible for the deaths.
"We will be ready to try this case after judges from Jakarta arrive because they are
more qualified for human rights cases,'' said Andi Haedar, head of the court in the city
of Makassar on Sulawesi island, where the trial will be held.
He said he received the indictments on Wednesday and that a date for the trial had
not been set. Dozens of witnesses will be brought from Jayapura to Makassar to
testify at the trial, said Adnan Buyung Azis from the Makassar legal aid body.
The 250,000-strong Indonesian police force is notorious for being corrupt and poorly
disciplined. - AP
Copyright © 1995-2004 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
|
