2) 'Committed to human rights': Indonesia says West Papua torture incident 'deeply regrettable’
The Australia West Papua Association has condemned the brutal torture of a West Papuan man by Indonesian troops in Yahukimo, in Papua’s highlands.
A video of the man’s torture was circulated on social media, showing soldiers in Indonesian national military (TNI) uniforms beating him and slashing him with a bayonet, as he stands in a barrel of water.
AWPA spokesperson Joe Collins said on March 22: "One can only imagine the fear and terror the Papuan man must feel at this brutal torture being inflicted on him".
Gustaf R Kawer, chair of the Human Rights Lawyers Association, PAHAM Papua, said the organisation suspects that so-called “Non-Organic Troops” from Kodam III/Siliwangi, Yonif Raider Unit 300/Brajawijaya were responsible.
PAHAM Papua called on Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission (and the TNI Commander) to immediately carry out a thorough investigation and take the perpetrators to court.
Benny Wenda, Chair of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), also condemned the torture saying he was “horrified” by the video. “More than anything, the sadistic brutality on display shows how urgently West Papua needs a UN Human Rights [Commission] visit".
The video, which contains graphic content, is on the ULMWP’s website.
In an article published by Asia-Pacific Report, Australian-based West Papuan activist Ronny Kareni wrote: “We must confront this grim truth — what we witness is not an isolated incident but a glaring demonstation of the deep-seated racism and systematic persecution ravaging West Papuans every single day.
“These videos are just the latest chapter in a long history of atrocities inflicted upon Papuans in the name of suppressing their cries for freedom.
“Regencies like Nduga, Pegunungan Bintang, Intan Jaya, the Maybrat and Yahukimo have become notorious hotspots for state-sanctioned operations, where Indonesian security forces operate with impunity, crushing any form of dissent through arbitrary arrests.
“They often target peaceful demonstrators and activists advocating for Papuan rights in major towns along the coast.
“These arrests are often accompanied by extrajudicial killings, further instilling intimidation and silence among indigenous Papuans.
“In light of the ongoing failure of Indonesian authorities to address the racism and structural discrimination in West Papua, the prospect of Prabowo’s presidential leadership casts a shadow of uncertainty over the future of human rights and justice in the region.
“Given his controversial track record, there is legitimate concern that his leadership may further entrench the culture of impunity. We must closely monitor his administration’s response to the cries for justice from West Papua.”
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2) 'Committed to human rights': Indonesia says West Papua torture incident 'deeply regrettable’
5:12 pm today
The Indonesian government has confirmed they are investigating a viral video showing security forces in Papua torturing a civilian.
The video - which has been viewed by RNZ Pacific - shows an indigenous Papuan man with his hands tied behind his back in an open fuel drum filled with water being kicked, punched and sliced with a knife by a group of men, some of whom are wearing Indonesian military uniforms.
In an email response, the Indonesian Embassy in New Zealand said: "The incident is deeply regrettable."
"The Government of Indonesia is committed to its long-standing policy of respecting and promoting human rights as well as its strict policy of zero impunity for misconducts (sic) by security forces," it said.
"The investigation to the matter is currently taking place."
The embassy said "since this is an ongoing investigation" it will not be able to comment further.
'Speak up' - campaigners
Meanwhile, West Papua solidarity groups in Aotearoa are calling on the New Zealand government to register its concerns with Indonesia after the torture video surfaced online.
West Papua Action Aotearoa spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said New Zealand must speak out against ongoing human rights abuses in Papua.
"Well we are calling on the New Zealand government to speak up about this," she said.
"The very least they can do is to challenge Indonesia about this incident and its context which is the ongoing state military violence against civilians."
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua president Benny Wenda is calling on for a UN human rights visit to West Papua.
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Video emerges of brutal killing in Papua By Bill Birtles Broadcast
9h ago
Audio
Indonesia's military says it's investigating after video emerged of what appears to be soldiers brutally torturing a man in the restive region of Papua. There's been more violence there in recent days, with armed pro-independence rebels killing at least three soldiers. And activists say the recent election of a new Indonesian President won't help ease the bloodshed - just to Australia's north.
Credits
Bill Birtles, Reporter
Broadcast 9h ago
Nick Grimm: Indonesia's military says it's investigating after video emerged of what appears to be soldiers brutally torturing a man in Papua. There's been more violence in the restive region in recent days with armed pro-independence rebels killing at least three soldiers. Here's Indonesia correspondent Bill Birtles.
Bill Birtles: It's hard to watch in one clip a man who appears to be Papuan is in a steel drum full of water as at least five men brutally punch and kick his head. They taunt him with racist slurs as one man urges the others to be patient because they'll all get a turn. In another video the same man is shivering as one of his torturers uses a machete to make cuts on his back. The water he's sitting in has turned a deep red. The video only circulated online in recent days, but human rights group Amnesty believes it was filmed in early February in a central part of Papua and that the man in the steel Drum was one of three men tortured by Indonesian soldiers at the time with one of the victims later dying. Usman Hamid is Amnesty spokesman in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
Usman Hamid: I have seen This kind of torture many times in Papua receiving a lot of videos, you know. Torture with snakes torture, you know by using snakes or using electricity and so on. This has been going on in Papua for many many years.
Bill Birtles: Papua is Indonesia's most eastern region and has a decades-long conflict with armed rebels seeking independence from what they see as Indonesian colonial rule. Indonesia has long deployed its military to the region and the violence cuts both ways. In recent days three Indonesian soldiers were killed in two separate attacks. A rebel faction also released a video of one of its fighters shooting a group of soldiers but the brutality of the torture video prompted rare public reactions from Jakarta. A spokesman for the president's office said.
Archive: Indonesia is a rule of law country that upholds human rights. We hope our soldiers weren't involved in this barbaric act, but if it's proven true the individuals must be dealt with firmly.
Bill Birtles: The head of Indonesia's Military Information Center major-general Nugraha Gumila confirmed that at least one of the men in the video is a soldier and that the military is investigating. He also said the Papuan man who was tortured is a pro-independence armed fighter. Amnesty's Usman Hamid.
Usman Hamid: Even if he is a member of you know, a rebel you can't torture even in war time. For example, you can't torture anyone.
Bill Birtles: This is Bill Birtles in Jakarta reporting for AM.
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