Jayapura, Jubi – Two children were reportedly shot during a crossfire between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Sugapa, Intan Jaya. The victims are Nopelinus Sondegau, a 2-year-old toddler
and Yoakim Mazau, 6 years old. Sondegau died from the gunshot wound.
A resident reported that the gunfight that injured and killed the children occurred in Mamba Village on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 at 9 p.m. local time. Sondegau and Mazau were in their home when they got shot.
Both victims were taken to the Sugapa Health Center for medical treatment but because there was no health worker at the health center, the children were taken home by their families.
Lawmaker of Intan Jaya Regional People’s Representative Council Marthinus Maisini confirmed the shooting that killed one of two Sugapa children. “Yesterday, gunfire lasted until the afternoon. Two children fell victims, Nopelinus Sondegau and
Yoakim Mazau. Nopelius died this morning,” Maisini said, as quoted by suarapapua.com on Wednesday.
The Intan Jaya Police Chief has yet to answer Jubi’s request for comment
Meanwhile, a soldier named Sergeant Asep was also reportedly injured in the crossfire between the TNI and TPNPB on Tuesday.
“It is true, there was an injured soldier in a crossfire in Mamba village,” said 173/PVB Military Resort commander Brig. Gen. Taufan Gestoro, as quoted by Antara.
Gestoro said Asep was currently receiving treatment and in a stable condition. Taufan, however, did not explain the chronology of the shooting incident. (*)
Reporter: Victor Mambor
Two small babies were shot by the Indonesian military in Intan Jaya two days ago, claims the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP).
One of them has died, and the other is in critical condition. Thousands more West Papuans have been displaced in Intan Jaya and Maybrat as Indonesia bombs villages.
Hundreds of internal refugees are fleeing into PNG.
- READ MORE: West Papuans flee from ‘liberation’ conflict into remote PNG region
- Other West Papua reports
One two-year-old, Nopelinus Sondegau, was killed by the Indonesian forces, ULMWP interim president Benny Wenda said in a statement.
A five-year old, Yoakim Majau, was also shot. The bullet was still in the baby’s shoulder.
“These killings are happening under the eye of the world while the Indonesian President [Joko Widodo] and ministers pretend that nothing is happening during talks with Pacific and Melanesian leaders,” said Wenda.
“These killings are happening as Indonesia tries to turn West Papua’s killing fields into a tourist destination.”
Wenda called for urgent United Nations intervention.
“Indonesia cannot use coronavirus as an excuse to delay the visit of the UN High Commissioner, recently called for by the Basque Parliament, any longer,” he said.
“Indonesia has hosted national games in West Papua during coronavirus, Indonesia has sent thousands of troops to West Papua during coronavirus, now Indonesia is killing small children during coronavirus.
“There can be no more excuses. Amnesty International, Red Cross, all international journalists, must be allowed in to monitor this urgent situation.
“My people are screaming for help. Where is the world?”
Jayapura, Jubi – The Pegunungan Bintang (Pegubin) Administration is preparing to send hundreds of displaced people of Kiwirok District, who fled after the attack on the Kiwirok’s health center on Sept. 18, 2021, back to their villages.
More than 300 Kiwirok residents currently take shelter at 17 points in Oksibil City, the capital of Pegunungan Bintang.
Pegunungan Bintang regent Spey Yan Bidana, deputy regent Piter Kalakmabi, and secretary of the Governor’s Office Aloysius Giyai on Tuesday, Oct. 26, visited the evacuation posts to take people’s aspirations regarding the plan to send them home.
Deputy regent Kalakmabi said that his party would send residents back to Kiwirok before December 2021.
“We have spoken with the Kiwirok residents and delivered logistics. We will discuss with all stakeholders to make sure these people can go back to their hometown in Kiwirok before December,” he said in a written statement obtained by Jubi on Tuesday.
According to Kalamakbi, the displaced people really wanted to go home. “They want to go home as soon as possible. They say it doesn’t matter even if they live in a tent, so long as they are in their hometown. Therefore, the administration will facilitate them. The situation [in Bintang Mountains] is generally more conducive now,” he said.
Meanwhile, the administration will use the 2022 regional budget to recover a number of public facilities and government assets that were damaged and burned in the attack last month, such as the community health center, the Papua Bank Office, the Kiwirok District Office, as well as some schools.
“We will also rebuild public housing. We will ask for assistance from the Papua Provincial Government, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. With a limited budget, we at Pegubin cannot build it ourselves,” Kalakmabi said.
Kalakmabi also asked the health workers who had previously left Kiwirok and several other districts to return to their normal duties in the future. “For Kiwirok, we are aware that they need time to recover from their psychological trauma. But for those outsides of Kiwirok, we asked them to return to their places of duty. We guarantee that Pegubin is a safe area,” he said.
Regent Bidana asked the people not to spread hoaxes about Pegunungan Bintang being an unsafe area. Pegunungan Bintang, Bidana said, had always been known as a safe and comfortable area for anyone who comes to serve the community.
“I ask the village heads, district heads, church leaders, and traditional leaders to make sure the public get the right information instead of fearmongering hoaxes,” said Bidana. (*)
Reporter: Abeth You
Editor: Kristianto Galuwo
Lodi Aprianto – A protest action by Papuan students in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar ended in chaos after members of an ormas (social or mass organisations) forcibly broke up the demonstration. Rappocini deputy sectoral police chief Deputy Police Commissioner Widodo was injured by a rock during the incident.
Initially, the demonstration which took place in the neighbourhood of Jalan Ap Pettarani in Makassar on the afternoon of Tuesday October 26 proceeded in an orderly manner. The arrival of the ormas however caused the situation to heat up with each side attacking each other by throwing rocks on the main road.
Rappocini sectoral police chief Police Commander Syamsir Syamsuddin said that the brawl did not last long and after the police moved in and separated the two groups they immediately disbanded.
"There was a social group (ormas) which arrived. We went there to separate them. Praise be Allah it has been secured", said Syamsuddin on Tuesday.
The incident began when the Makassar City Papua Student Forum held a demonstration in front of the Makassar Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). All of a sudden members of the Indonesian Muslim Brigade (BMI) arrived and began forcibly breaking up the Papuan student demonstration.
The Papuan students resisted and a scuffle was unavoidable, with both sides pushing and shoving each other, which then escalated into stone throwing. It was during this chaos that Deputy Police Commissioner Widodo was hit in the face by a rock and had to be rushed to hospital.
"My face was bleeding after being hit by a stone, it was thrown", he explained.
Speaking separately, South Sulawesi BMI Chairperson Muh Zulkifli claimed that their spirit of nationalism was disturbed by the protest action by the Papuan students. According to Zulkifli, they appeared to be supporting Papuan independence and West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson and jailed Papuan activist Victor Yeimo.
"They disturbed our spirit of nationalism", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Demo Mahasiswa Papua di Makassar Dibubarkan Ormas, Polisi Jadi Sasaran".]
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