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Police should undertake speedily and thoroughgoing investigation into Wamena shooting
Joint Statement - August 14, 2008
Statement by ELSHAM-Papua, Yahamak (Institute of Basic Human Rights and Anti-Violence) and AMPTPI (Alliance of Students of the Central Highlands of Papua)
Already five days have passed without the Papuan Police Force revealing who was responsible for the shooting that resulted in the death of 49-year old Otinus Tabuni, a civlian from Pyramid District, Wamena, Jayawijaya on Saturday 9 August 2008. An autopsy carried out by a medical team has revealed that a bullet fired from a long-barrelled firearm like the firearms used by troops was lodged in the dead man's body.
Therefore ELSHAM, YAHAMAK and AMPTPI declared in their press release on 13 August that the police should be transparent and should speedily undertake a thoroughgoing investigation into who fired the shot that led to the death of Otinus Tabuni. An official of the Police Force has stated that they have already questioned 31 members of the Police Force (Cenderawasih Pos, 14 August).
Yosepha Alomang, Director of Yahamak, who was a witness, is deeply troubled by the attitude of the police. Without pursuing proper procedures, they opened fire. The Chief of Police of Papua should be held responsible, she said.
Markus Haluk, secretary-general of AMPTPI, who was also a witness, said that the incident that led to the shooting of Otinus Tabuni occurred when thousands of Papuans were commemmorating World Indigenous People's Day on Sinapuk Square, Wamena on 9 August 2008.. As Forkorus Yoboisembut was ending his words of welcome, a group of people attending the rally spontaneously and peacefully unfurled an SOS banner, the flag of the UN, the red-and-white national flag and finally the Morning Star flag. This attracted the attention of the crowd who became very excited and started yelling.
But at the very same moment, security forces from the Wamena police force began firing their weapons into the air and also towards the crowd of people. This went on for five to ten minutes but fortunately, the crowd of people were not provoked by these rounds of fire even though the tens of thousands of people were carrying traditional weapons and could have started to resist. At that moment, the Dewan Adat Papua and the Baliem Valley Wamena Dewan Adat who had organised the rally managed to calm down the crowd of people. Otherwise, the town of Wamena would have become very bloody.
Markus Haluk also said that the World Indigenous Day celebration in Wamena was nothing to do with separatism; on this day indigenous people everywhere in the world have the right to have their own celebration and to proclaim their existence and their cultural identity. Moreover, the unfurling of the Morning Star was very appropriate, bearing in mind that the Special Autonomy Law still identifies the Morning Star flag as a cultural symbol and this has not yet been repealed.
The Dewan Adat Papua had already submitted a notification in writing to the police chief of Papua at the beginning of August. 'There were no grounds for describing the event as illegal. If it had been illegal, why was it not disbanded right from the start or the organisers summoned and told the halt the event. It was only after thousands of people had gathered and the police saw a Morning Star waving that they opened fire on the crowd, accusing them of separatism. Indeed, it has become a habit of the security forces in Papua to legitimise the use of the word separatism in order to silence and murder Papuans, because the word separatism is used as a highly effective and untouchable shield.'
Synod of the 14 KPKC, the Evangelical Church of Indonesia, 14 August 2008
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