The task force personnel who had arrived in Kiwirok would probe the recent attack of members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group on innocent civilians, including healthcare workers, Fakhiri said.
The reinforcement is aimed at restoring peace and security in Kiwirok, he told ANTARA in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Saturday.
To this end, the Nemangkawi Task Force personnel would be stationed there until the law and order, and peace in Kiwirok, about 230 kilometers away from Jayapura city, could have been restored, he said.
On the morning of September 13, 2021, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group had reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists also got into a gun fight with Indonesian security personnel during which one army personnel sustained minor injuries on his right arm after a bullet ricocheted struck him.
The wounded army personnel has been identified as 1st Private Ansar from the 403/WP Infantry Battalion.
The Papuan terrorists also reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. As a result, a health worker died while four others sustained serious injuries.
The fallen healthcare worker was identified as Gabriela Meilan. She died after being tortured by the terrorists, said officials.
On September 17, 2021, the wounded soldier and nine healthcare workers who survived the terrorists' brutality were evacuated from Kiwirok Sub-district in Pegunungan Bintang District to Jayapura City.
The health workers have been identified as Lukas Luji, Marthinus Deni Setya, Siti Khotijah, Dr.Restu Pamanggi, Marselinus Ola Atanila, Patra, Emanuel Abi, Katrianti Tandila, and Kristina Sampe Tonapa.
The evacuees were transported on a Caracal transport military helicopter to the capital of Papua Province to Marthen Indey Hospital for medical treatment.
Related news: Kiwirok attack: Missing health worker found, escorted to Sentani
Related news: 17 civilians evacuated from Papua's Kiwirok: police
Related news: Some 11 other residents of Kiwirok evacuated to Oksibil
The safety of all medical personnel who are on the front line of public health services in Papua must be a priority for the state, IDI-Papua Chapter Chairperson Donald Aronggear said in a statement here Sunday.
"The attack on the Kiwirok Public Health Center has not only made the health workers fall victim but it has also disrupted local residents' rights to receive medical services," he said.
On the morning of September 13, 2021, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group had reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists also got into a gun fight with Indonesian security personnel during which one army personnel sustained minor injuries on his right arm after a bullet ricocheted and struck him.
The wounded army personnel has been identified as 1st Private Ansar from the 403/WP Infantry Battalion.
The Papuan terrorists also reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. As a result, a health worker died while four others sustained serious injuries.
The fallen healthcare worker was identified as Gabriela Meilan. She died after being tortured by the terrorists, said officials.
According to Donald Aronggear, IDI-Papua chapter is, indeed, well aware of its members' life-threatening risks of COVID-19 and security disturbances but they are highly committed to their professional works.
To this end, he reiterated his call for the state to guarantee the security and safety of all medical personnel in Papua to make them feel secure and comfortable in serving those in need of health services.
He also appreciated the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police for assisting the evacuation of Meilan's body, and expressed his condolences over the death of a soldier involving in the evacuation mission.
Meanwhile, Papua Police Chief Insp.Gen.Mathius Fakhiri affirmed that extra personnel of Nemangkawi Task Force, sent to Kiwirok Sub-district, would continue crackdown on armed Papuan terrorists.
The task force personnel who had arrived in Kiwirok would probe the recent attack of members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group on innocent civilians, including healthcare workers, Fakhiri said.
The reinforcement is aimed at restoring peace and security in Kiwirok. Therefor, the Nemangkawi Task Force personnel would be stationed there until the law and order, and peace in Kiwirok, about 230 kilometers away from Jayapura city, could have been restored, he said.
Related news: Nemangkawi task force continues crackdown on terrorists in Kiwirok
Related news: Kiwirok attack: Missing health worker found, escorted to Sentani
Related news: 17 civilians evacuated from Papua's Kiwirok: police
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk
Papua human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman has called for an independent inquiry into the attack on health workers in the Kiwirok district, Star Highlands, Papua, saying there are two versions of how the tragedy happened.
A healthcare worker, 22-year-old Gabriella Maelani, was killed during the attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) resistance movement.
“There is one version which is clearly being shared a lot in the media. And there is a second version circulating among the Papuan people,” Koman told CNN Indonesia.
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Koman said that the chronology of events which was being broadcast by most news media depicted the alleged brutality of the TPNPB-OPM during the attack.
In the second version alleged the attack was triggered when a person wearing a doctor’s uniform shot at the TPNPB, causing a shootout inside the healthcare building, Koman said.
She said that in Papua many TNI (Indonesian military) personnel held dual posts as teachers and doctors. She believed this caused a great deal of suspicion in Papua.
Nevertheless, she was saddened by the news that a healthcare worker died, although she said that the truth about the chronology of events must still be investigated.
Death of healthcare worker
Based on information she had received, the death of the healthcare worker was not because they were tortured by the TPNPB as alleged.
“The Papuan people’s version is that it’s not true that there was torture. Gabriella jumped [into a ravine] while escaping, she wasn’t thrown into the ravine by the OPM,” she said.
Koman called for an independent investigation. According to Koman, finding out which chronology was correct would influence several factors, particularly racism against the Papuan people.
“If for example the alleged barbaric actions are not true, it will influence the stigma and racism against the Papuan people. And that is very barbaric,” she said.
“Looking for examples of human rights issues, we can separate it. The ones adversely affected should be the OPM, not the ordinary Papuan people.
“In general with minority groups, including the Chinese, when one person does wrong, everyone is adversely affected. LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] for example, if a gay person does something, the whole community is adversely affected. So it’s important to straighten it out.”
Koman also said care was needed to be taken with the witness testimonies.
Information under duress
She questioned whether or not the witnesses provided information under duress.
“There would have been many soldiers around them … So they could have been pressured,” she said.
Earlier, the TPNPB-OPM admitted responsibility for attacking public facilities such as a community healthcare centre and school building in the Kiwirok district on September 13 and 14.
They claimed that the attack was a form of resistance demanding Papuan independence from Indonesia.
The Presidential Staff Office said that “armed criminal groups” (KKB) — as officials generally describe Papuan armed independence fighters — violated human rights law after the healthcare worker died during the attack on September 13.
Presidential Staff Deputy V Jaleswari Pramodhawardani said that the armed group had violated several laws such as the healthcare law, the nurses law, the hospital law and the healthcare quarantine law.
Translated by James Balowski for IndoLeft News. The original title of the article was “Veronica Koman Klaim Ada 2 Versi Penembakan Nakes di Papua”.
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