1) INDONESIA:
Officer responsible for torturing 20 prisoners in Abepura is removed
2) Press Release by KINGMI Church and
Papuan Alliance of Baptist Churches
4) POLICE Paniai sweeping folk songs
PAPUA
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http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAU-003-2013
Urgent Appeal Update
1) INDONESIA: Officer responsible for torturing 20 prisoners in Abepura is removed from office but criminal proceedings are yet to take placeMarch 6, 2013
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal Update: AHRC-UAU-003-2013
6 March 2013
[RE: AHRC-UAC-025-2013: INDONESIA: Guards torture 20 prisoners at the Abepura Correctional Facility, Papua]
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INDONESIA: Officer responsible for torturing 20 prisoners in Abepura is removed from office but criminal proceedings are yet to take place
ISSUES: Impunity; inhuman and degrading treatment; torture
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case on torture of 20 prisoners at Abepura Correctional Facility, Papua. After intervention from various human rights groups on the case, the Head of the correctional facility who was responsible for the torture was removed from his office earlier this month. However, as of today, no information has been received regarding criminal proceedings against him.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
The AHRC has received updated information from a local activist that Nuridin, the Head of Abepura Correctional Facility, has been replaced by Nico Elias. The newly appointed officer officially took over on 2 March 2013. Media coverage reveals that Nuridin will be relocated to the East Java province where he will be the head of a correctional facility located in Madiun.
The reason for Nuridin’s relocation is still unclear at the time of writing. To the media, the Head of Ministry of Law and Human Rights’s local office in Papua, Demianus Rumbiak, mentioned that “there is no particular reason on why the head of the prison is replaced’. According to him, Madiun Correctional Facility needs to be rejuvenated and it is hoped that Nuridin along with his experience will be able to improve the situation there. However, local activists believe that the relocation is related to the torture case recently had taken place in Abepura Correctional Facility. As the AHRC previously reported inAHRC-UAC-025-2013, on 21 January 2013 three prison guards tortured 20 prisoners with the acquiescence of Nuridin as the head of the correctional facility as well as that of Juwaini, the facility’s head of security unit.
Nuridin himself became the head of Abepura Correctional Facility only last year. He replaced Liberti Sitinjak, who was removed from his office after human rights groups exposed a case of the torture of 42 detainees and prisoners at the similar facility in April 2012 (see AHRC-UAC-099-2012).
The AHRC is concerned that Nuridin has only been transferred to another correctional facility and there has been no criminal investigation conducted against him or other prison authorities responsible for the aforementioned torture case. In accordance with international human rights standards, those who are responsible for torture should be held criminally responsible. Administrative sanction and office relocation are not proportionate punishments for torture as they do not reflect the seriousness of the abuse.
Please continue to urge the relevant authorities in Indonesia to ensure an effective and independent criminal investigation on this matter. The police have to put Nuridin under investigation regardless his new position in Madiun Correctional Facility and the other officers engaged in the torture should also be prosecuted and proportionately punished.
The AHRC has prepared a template which can be used for writing letters to the authorities and is available here.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeal Update: AHRC-UAU-003-2013
6 March 2013
[RE: AHRC-UAC-025-2013: INDONESIA: Guards torture 20 prisoners at the Abepura Correctional Facility, Papua]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
INDONESIA: Officer responsible for torturing 20 prisoners in Abepura is removed from office but criminal proceedings are yet to take place
ISSUES: Impunity; inhuman and degrading treatment; torture
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case on torture of 20 prisoners at Abepura Correctional Facility, Papua. After intervention from various human rights groups on the case, the Head of the correctional facility who was responsible for the torture was removed from his office earlier this month. However, as of today, no information has been received regarding criminal proceedings against him.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
The AHRC has received updated information from a local activist that Nuridin, the Head of Abepura Correctional Facility, has been replaced by Nico Elias. The newly appointed officer officially took over on 2 March 2013. Media coverage reveals that Nuridin will be relocated to the East Java province where he will be the head of a correctional facility located in Madiun.
The reason for Nuridin’s relocation is still unclear at the time of writing. To the media, the Head of Ministry of Law and Human Rights’s local office in Papua, Demianus Rumbiak, mentioned that “there is no particular reason on why the head of the prison is replaced’. According to him, Madiun Correctional Facility needs to be rejuvenated and it is hoped that Nuridin along with his experience will be able to improve the situation there. However, local activists believe that the relocation is related to the torture case recently had taken place in Abepura Correctional Facility. As the AHRC previously reported inAHRC-UAC-025-2013, on 21 January 2013 three prison guards tortured 20 prisoners with the acquiescence of Nuridin as the head of the correctional facility as well as that of Juwaini, the facility’s head of security unit.
Nuridin himself became the head of Abepura Correctional Facility only last year. He replaced Liberti Sitinjak, who was removed from his office after human rights groups exposed a case of the torture of 42 detainees and prisoners at the similar facility in April 2012 (see AHRC-UAC-099-2012).
The AHRC is concerned that Nuridin has only been transferred to another correctional facility and there has been no criminal investigation conducted against him or other prison authorities responsible for the aforementioned torture case. In accordance with international human rights standards, those who are responsible for torture should be held criminally responsible. Administrative sanction and office relocation are not proportionate punishments for torture as they do not reflect the seriousness of the abuse.
Please continue to urge the relevant authorities in Indonesia to ensure an effective and independent criminal investigation on this matter. The police have to put Nuridin under investigation regardless his new position in Madiun Correctional Facility and the other officers engaged in the torture should also be prosecuted and proportionately punished.
The AHRC has prepared a template which can be used for writing letters to the authorities and is available here.
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
AHRC-UAU-003-2013
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via Tapol
2) Press Release by KINGMI Church and Papuan Alliance of Baptist Churches
PRESS RELEASE
LEADERSHIP WORKING FORUM OF PAPUAN CHURCHES
STATE VIOLENCE WHICH PARALYSES COMMUNITIES IS INTENSIFYING IN THE LAND OF PAPUA
As leaders of churches in the Land of Papua, we are deeply concerned about the state violence which is occurring in our sacred motherland. This is clear proof of the fact that the government and the security forces have failed to provide protection for the indigenous Papua people. These concerns of ours have already been conveyed by our communities in the following statements:
(a) (a) The eleven recommendations made by the Consultation of the Papuan People’s Council (MRP) and the Indigenous Papuan Communities on 9-10 June 2010;
(b) (B) The Joint Communique of Church Leaders on 10 January 2011;
(c) (c) The Theological Declaration of Church Leaders on 26 January 2011, and
(d) (d) The Prophetic Message by Papuan Church Leaders to the President of Indonesia on 16 December 2011, in Cikeas, Jakarta.
Similar concerns have been expressed by member countries of the United Nations (the USA, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Norway, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia Spain and Italy) on the occasion of the 23 May 2012 session of the Human Rights Council (UPR) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Based on the above facts, we believe that the Indonesian Government and the security forces are part of the problem of violence which has been created by the State, preserved by the state and allowed to continue in order to legitimise yet more acts of violence in the Land of Papua and to take advantage thereof in order to strengthen the security forces.
We regard these developments as a reflection of [Generative Politics] which was described in an article by Nugroho published by The Jakarta Post on 10 July, 2012. According to Nugroho, generative politics are political views and considerations which have paralysed and worsened the situation of Papuan communities and which have been pursued in accordance with the policies of the Indonesian Government for the past fifty years.
Herewith is a list of several incidents of violence that have systematically and structurally been perpetrated as a reflection of the generative politics mentioned above:
1. 1. On 2 March 2013, a priest named Yunus Gobay (male, 55 years old) was tortured and mal-treated and after being released, he paid ransom money to the police forces in the Police Command Post in the town of Enarotali, Paniai.
2. 2. The shooting incident in Sinak, District of Paniai, Tinginambut, Puncak Jaya on 21 February 2013 and the shooting incident in Udaugi on the border of the District of Delyai on 31 January 2013 when a number of civilians and members of the security forces were killed, which in our opinion happened because of the neglect of the unlawful sale of weapons.
3. 3. On 15 February 2013, Dago Ronald Gobay (male, 30 years old) was arrested in Depepre, district of Jayapura by the police and while being interrogated was tortured in the office of police intelligence in Jayapura.
4. 4. The attempt by the government and the security forces to forcibly disband a religious ceremony which was being held on the 4th anniversary of National Committee of West Papua (KNPB) on 19 November, 2012 in the STAKIN ASSEMBLY HALL, Sentani, on which occasion the security forces were under the command of the Police Chief of Jayapura, AKBP Roycke Harry Langgie and the deputy of the District Head (Bupati) of the District of Jayapura, Robert Djoenso D, SH.
5. 5. The unlawful murder of Mako Musa Tabuni, first chairman of the NKPB on 14 July 2012 in Perumnas, Jayapura.
6. 6. The murder of TPN/OPM General Kelly Kwalik by police from Densus 88 and a member of the Indonesian army (TNI) on 16 December 2009 in the town of Timika, and on the same day and month in 2012 another Papuan Hubertus Mabel was murdered by police of Densus 88 in Kuruku, the town of Wamena.
7. 7. Ferdinand Pakage was tortured in Abepura Prison by Herbert Toam, a warder at Abepura Prison, on 22 September 2008, as a result of which he was permanently blinded in the right eye.
8. 8. The torture and murder of Yawan Wayeni on 13 August 2009 by the police chief in Serui, AKBP Imam Setiawan.
9. 9. Two incidents of gross violations of human rights in Wasior in 2001 and in Wamena on 4 April 2003, the latter of which is related to the assault on an ammunitions dump; this incident has been investigated by Komnas HAM (National Commission of Human Rights), but the results of which have not been forwarded by the Attorney General to the Human Rights Court for a verdict.
These are just a few of the cases which are evidence of crimes which have been perpetrated by the Indonesian state and the security forces in a systematic, well-structured, widely-based and prolonged way and which are reflective of the generative politics (paralysis, destructive, eliminating) which, according to Nugroho in his Jakarta Post article of 10 July 2012, have been perpetrated by the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia in the Land of Papua for the past fifty years, since 1961.
Bearing in mind all the very disturbing facts given above and the living experiences of the indigenous Papuan people, we church leaders in the Land of Papua, make the following recommendations:
Firstly, the Indonesian Government and the security forces should return to the original aspirations of this country by investigating and putting an end to the unlawful sale of weapons and ammunition which is happening in the Land of Papua.
Secondly, the Indonesian Government should speedily take cognisance of the prophetic messages from the Church, the eleven recommendations of the MRP on 9-10 June 2010 and the Appeal by members of the UN Human Rights Commission at its session 23 May 2012.
Thirdly, we believe that the Indonesian Government is responding in a very discriminatory way to the aspirations of the Papuan people for peaceful dialogue. We therefore press the Indonesian Government to enter unconditionally into a dialogue based on the principle of equality between Indonesia and West Papua, with mediation by a neutral party, which is what happened in the dialogue between GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka – the Aceh Liberation Movement) in Aceh.
Fourthly, the Indonesian Government should unconditionally release all political prisoners in Papua and should allow a visit to Papua by the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations, as well as by foreign journalists and human rights defenders. And it should forthwith end all its efforts to criminalise the political struggle of the Papuan people for self-determination.
Fifthly, the shooting to death of members of the TNI as well as civilians which occurred in the district of Sinak, Puncak Jaya and in the district of Tingginambut, Puncak Jaya on 21 February 2013 should be regarded as a separate incident. It was in no way connected to the election of the bupati (district chief) of the district of Puncak. This violent incident is part and parcel of state policy to build the necessary infrastructure for the TNI and Polri (the police) in the mountainous interior in order to establish the Puncak Jaya 1714 military command, to increase the budget for the security forces and to criminalise the peaceful struggle of the Papuan people at the international level.
Sixthly, the Chief of Police in Papua, Inspector-General (pol) Drs M Tito Karnavian, MA, has failed to investigate who it was who perpetrated acts of violence in the Land of Papua and has created the impression that he is allowing the illegal sale of weapons to go ahead. We urge the chief of police in Papua to implement the statement made by the chief of police, Inspector-General Bekto Suprapto in December 2010 that those who are responsible for the entry into West Papua of illegal weapons will be investigated.
Seventhly. we call on all Papuan communities and all components in society to study the laws in force regarding the TNI and Polri, in order to be able to control criminal actions as well as the policy of the Indonesian government and security forces in the Land of Papua.
Port Numbay (Jayapura), 6 March 2013
Chairman of the Synod of KINGMI Church, Papua:
The Rev. Dr Benny Giay.
Chairman of the Executive Board of the Alliances of Baptist Churches in Papua:
Socratez Sofyan Yoman
End of translation by TAPOL
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by West Papua Media
March 6, 2013
Local residents in Paniai regency are bracing for more repression in sweep operations by Indonesian security forces after two separate incidents across the Paniai have intensified ongoing crackdowns on West Papuan independence sentiment, torturing a local priest and even banning the possession of traditional music.
The latest crackdown, imposed in Paniai after guerrillas from Paniai commander Jhon Yogi's Paniai unit of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB) were involved in armed engagements with the Indonesian army (TNI) and Police throughout February .
Reliable human rights sources in Paniai have reported to West Papua Media that an influx of joint TNI and police have "arrived with total war equipment" to bolster sweeps and raids across Paniai against civilians accused of holding pro-independence sentiments.
"In order to confront the TPN PB and on orders from President SBY, a brigade of TNI / Police have arrived with total war equipment. There were drops of TNI/POLRI in Paniai on 3 March 2013. The brigade arrived by 7 'Inova' vehicles via the coast road," the source told West Papua Media.
Helicopters belonging to illegal gold miners in Degouwo were again being used by Indonesian troops to support the operation, similar to the massive offensive against Paniai people during 2011 and early 2012, according to both human rights and church sources.
"A yellow and white helicopter owned by an illegal business in Degouwo at 13.00 WPB (west Papua time) made two drops of personnel and logistical war equipment. The first drop was to the Enarotali airport in Paniai district, and the second helicopter drop of the brigade forces together with war equipment was at Obano also, in the west of Paniai district," the human rights source told West Papua Media.
Independent sources are also reporting that Indonesian colonial occupation forces are putting massive pressure on local civilians, with routine violations of civilian's dignity, and arbitrary strip searches, that have created opportunities for brutality and torture on local people.
The notorious battalion 753 from Nabire has erected scores of "state of emergency tents" every 5-10 kilometres along the main road between Nabire and Paniai, according to witnesses. "TNI are carrying out very strict checking of everything. The TNI from unit 753 are undoing the clothes of every passenger in the area to check them including females. Advocacy and monitoring is requested," said the human rights worker.
Military Destruction of traditional culture amounting to cultural genocide
Papuan independent media outlet Tabloid Jubi has reported remarkable accounts of the extraordinary measures Indonesian police commandos from Paniai police headquarters are taking to destroy traditional Papuan culture by banning music.
Father Saul Wanimbo, the Director of the Commission for Justice and Peace (SKP) in Timika diocese, told Tabloid Jubi that during police sweeps, local people are being forced to hand over their mobile phones. They analyse the memory cards on the mobile phones to find songs in Papuan language, and if the memory card is found to contain either one or many Papuan folk songs, police will smash the memory card with stones, according to Fr Wanimbo.
"The police are sweeping HP (Handphone) memory cards of Enaro society (people) for the last two months," Wanimbo told Jubi, citing his own experiences and stories directly from Enaro residents from 1-20 Febrruary 2013. Wanimbo said that Paniai people have been so demoralised that they just accept the oppressive actions of the occupation forces.
Wanimbo said that the actions by Police were killing three values: "There is destruction of cultural values, murder of the people's creativity, and character assassination."
"The situation is conditioned in such a way so that people cannot resist. How can the people fight if the area has a variety of (security force) members lurking there," Fr Wanimbo told Jubi. The police acts were morally and legally wrong, police could not arbitrarily violate people's privacy for no apparent reason, and such actions must be done with a warrant, he said.
"Paniai Police must explain the meaning of this sweeps. Or the Papua Police chief must stop the actions of the Kapolresnya (local police command) men in Enaro. This is serious. We can say it's the beginning of the genocide, " he said.
Priest tortured by police who then demand bribe for his release
Meanwhile, again in the Paniai regional centre of Enarotoli, local human rights workers have documented a serious case of torture of a local priest. According to human rights workers attached to the Kingmi church, at 8.30 in the morning on March 2, Reverend Yunus Gobai (55 years) was arrested, threatened and tortured by local and Brimob commando police at the Enarotali (Kapolresnya) police compound in Paniai district.
According to the report received and confirmed by West Papua Media, as a result of beating Gobai's nose was bleeding, his upper and lower lips were split and bleeding, and he sustained abrasions on his hands, swelling on his forehead and cuts on his head, after which he he was put in a cell at the Police Sector command (Polsek) in Enarotali.
Family members went to request his release from the Police station, but the Paniai police demanded a bribe or ransom money to free him, according to the report. Family members reported they were forced to gather money in order to pay the police, and a Paniai member of the DPRD directly handed over to police one million rupiah (about US$103) at Polsek Paniai. Reverend Gobai was then released at 1030am local time, and taken straight home to his village by his family, according to the report.
Rev Gobai is the former pastor and head of the council of the community of KINGMI Maranatha Nabire. According to his family, after Rev Gobai became pastor of the community he suffered from (an undefined) mental disturbance together with epilepsy. Gobai's family reported that he would regularly be seen "shouting for no reason or running around shouting".
Reverend Gobai was arrested after exhibiting these symptoms outside the police station in Enarotoli, causing his arrest, but police did not treat the issue as an illness and used unwarranted torture and inhumane treatment on the pastor, according to the report.
(WPM Editor's Comment: Whilst the KINGMI report uses unclear terminology describing the pastor's behaviour as "mental illness", often random outbursts of unintelligible shouting and psychotic visions are perfectly normal and accepted behaviour of Christian pentecostal pastors, Muslim imans, Hindu holy people, and almost all other religious leaders and clerics across human history. To arrest and torture someone for this behaviour is to ignore the experience of humanity.)
Paniai is no stranger to unrestrained Indonesian security force violence and torture against local people, primarily made up of members of the Mee tribe. Previous offensives in the Paniai since December 2011 have displaced tens of thousands of civilians, and burnt down hundreds of villages. Paniai was the scene of widespread military operations between 1963-1969, 1977-1978, and again in 1981-1982. During this period U.S. supplied Bronco aircraft were used to bomb villages while helicopters strafed Papuans with machine gun fire.
West Papua Media
Related articles
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A google translate of article in Tabloid Jubi. Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic.
Original bahasa below article
4) POLICE Paniai sweeping folk songs PAPUA
Author: Benny Mawel | 08:25
Editor: Victor Mambor
| March 5, 2013 | 2
Fr. Saul Wanimbo (aged Dok. Timika SKP)
Sentani, 4/3 (Jubi)-Resort Paniai Police reportedly held sweeping memory cards mobile phones belonging to the songs language of Papua. If found to be a memory card containing the Papuan folk songs, either one or two, let alone a lot, took and destroyed the police with stones.
"The police are sweping memory cards HP society in the last two months Enaro," said Fr. Wanimbo Saul, Director of the Commission for Justice and Peace (SKP) Timika diocese, told tabloidjubi.com, Monday (4/3) in Sentani, Kab. Jayapura, Papua.
According to Fr. Saul, just sweeping police-language songs Papua region alone. This he learned from his experiences and stories directly from residents Enaro for himself in the past Enaro 1-20 February 2013.
Wasyarakat can not react to this situation. Society just menerimaan reality. "The situation is conditioned in such a way so that people can not resist. How does society want to fight if the area is a variety of members was lurking there. The situation is conditioned in such a way. "Said Fr. Saul.
According to Fr. Saul, the police very wrong with his actions. When it comes to the law, the police should not sweep the privacy of people for no apparent reason. The police can only seize without having to check the contents. Must go through the relevant permit. Indirectly, according Wanimbo police are killing three values. "There is destruction of cultural values, creativity murder the people and character assassination." He said.
Fr. Saul asked the police to explain the meaning of this sweeping action.
"Paniai Police must explain the meaning of this sweeping. Or Papua Police chief should stop acting Kapolresnya with men in Enaro. This is serious. We can say it's the beginning of the genocide, "he said.
Police Public Relations Head of Papua, I Gede Sumerta Jaya when confirmed this information yet provide an answer to this news broadcast. (Jubi / Mawel)
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POLISI PANIAI SWEEPING LAGU DAERAH PAPUA Penulis : Benny Mawel | 08:25
Editor : Victor Mambor
| March 5, 2013 | 2
Fr. Saul Wanimbo (Dok. SKP Timika)
Sentani,4/3 (Jubi)—Kepolisian Resort Paniai dilaporkan mengadakan sweeping kartu-kartu memori Handphone milik warga yang berisi lagu-lagu bahasa daerah Papua. Kalau kedapatan kartu memori yang berisi lagu daerah Papua, entah satu atau dua, apalagi banyak, polisi ambil dan dihancurkan dengan batu.
“Polisi ada sweping kartu-kartu memori HP masyarakat dua bulan terakhir ini di Enaro,” kata Fr. Saul Wanimbo, Direktur Komisi Keadilan dan Perdamaian (SKP) keuskupan Timika, kepada tabloidjubi.com, Senin (4/3) di Sentani, Kab. Jayapura, Papua.
Menurut Fr. Saul, polisi hanya sweeping-lagu-lagu bahasa daerah Papua saja. Ini ia ketahui dari pengalamannya dan cerita langsung dari warga Enaro selama dirinya berada di Enaro 1-20 Februari 2013 lalu.
Wasyarakat tidak bisa bereaksi atas situasi ini. Masyarakat hanya menerimaan kenyataan. “Situasi dikondisikan sedemikian rupa sehingga masyarakat tidak bisa melawan. Bagaimana masyarakat mau melawan kalau daerah ini macam-macam anggota ada berkeliaran di sana. Situasinya dikondisikan sedemikian rupa.” ujar Fr. Saul.
Menurut Fr. Saul, polisi sangat keliru dengan tindakannya. Kalau bicara hukum, polisi tidak boleh melakukan sweeping atas privasi orang tanpa alasan yang jelas. Polisi hanya boleh menyita tanpa harus memeriksa isinya. Harus melalui ijin yang bersangkutan. Secara tidak langsung, menurut Wanimbo, polisi sedang melakukan pembunuhan tiga nilai. “Ada pemusnahan nilai-nilai budaya masyarakat, pembunuhan kreatifitas masyarakat dan pembunuhan karakter masyarakat.” tegasnya.
Fr. Saul meminta polisi menjelaskan maksud tindakan sweeping ini.
“Kapolres Paniai harus menjelaskan maksud sweeping ini. Atau kapolda Papua harus menghentikan tindakan Kapolresnya bersama anak buah di Enaro. Ini serius. Kita bisa katakan ini awal dari pemusnahan bangsa,” katanya.
Kabid Humas Polda Papua, I Gede Sumerta Jaya ketika dikonfirmasi mengenai informasi ini belum memberikan jawaban hingga berita ini disiarkan. (Jubi/Mawel)
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