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Bloody Moanemani incident: Teenagers run-over and killed, police machine gun three relatives
Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights Media Relese - May 7, 2014
Paula Makabory from Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights in Australia, said today, "The series of incidents in Moanemani highlights how military-style policing perpetuates the endless cycle of violence in the 50 year Indonesian occupation of West Papua."
Ms Makabory also stated, "The Indonesia Police Commander Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian has misrepresented this bloody Moanemani event in the Indonesian press. The Police have escalated the incident by ignoring local custom and quickly resorting to shooting local people rather than any form of negotiation."
For further information contact:
Paula Makabory
+61 423451540 or
Matthew Jamieson
+61 418291998, matthew@hr.minihub.org
Please make inquiry for Indonesian language interviews with Yones Douw in Nabire Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights
West Papua: Bloody Moanemani incident
Report produced by Yones Douw and Paula Makabory, Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights 07 May 2014.
On 5th May 2014, the Christian youths from the indigenous Kingmi Church of Kamu District, Moanemani, Dogiyai, conducted a Praise and worship in Digikotu Kingmi Church till the early morning.
On 6th May 2014 at around 6am local time after the worship, a group of youths were on their way homes passing Epeida. Witnesses report that a truck travelling at high speed crossed to the wrong side of the road and crashed into the group. Two male youths were struck and killed at the scene as truck drove right over the top of them and sped away. It is reported that the victims stomachs burst out with their bellies went out on the road. The group of youths was reported to be walking on the left safe side of the road.
The non-Papuan driver went directly from the scene past the nearby local police station to the Brimob (Paramilitary Police) Post in Moanemani. Such roadside incidents are not an uncommon occurrence in this region. Reportedly drunken Papuans have been deliberately run over in the past.
Around 10am local time, more than 100 family and kinsman of the dead teenagers, together with 4 local priest from the Kingme Church, went to the Brimob Post. The victim's family asked the police for "secara keluarga" or negotiation with the driver to resolve the 'accident'. (This "secara keluarga" translates to talk in a family way to make a peaceful solution in a traditional customary way). With the priest the victims family and kinsman were seeking to negotiate a solution, which would have involved compensation, consistent with traditional law or custom.
The Brimob officers at the post wouldn't allow this negotiation process to occur. The people become very emotional at this point. Then it is reported that someone among the crowd of people began to throw stones smashing the glass windows of Brimob Post. Witnesses could not provide detail of who escalated the situation, though it is reported not to be a member of the victims' family. The priests together with other members of crowd were active in efforts to maintain calm.
After the windows were smashed the Brimob officers are then reported to have immediately began shooting automatic weapons into the crowd. The Brimob officers were reported as saying, "Mana kamu punya jago itu ayo tunjukkan jagoan kamu itu", This translates to "Where are your guts, show your guts". The shooting resulted in 3 Papuan relatives being shot and other people with injuries reportedly fled the scene.
According to a priest, who was at the front of the crowd, the 3 victims were helping him to calm the people down when they were shot. He reports that Brimob shot the crowd not like 1 or 2 shots but shot like a rain (= automatic shooting). He said that he also should have got shot but the Lord protects him.
It is reported that to avenge the Police shooting, local people killed then a non-Papuan man.
Around 12.30, the victims (the 3 Papuans and the dead non-Papuan}, who were accompanied by a Kingmi priest, were taken by plane to Nabire. From the airport they were taken straight to Siriwini public hospital. The three Papuan men were reported to be in a critical condition. The body of the non-Papuan man, whose identity is unknown, is reported to have been taken by his family.
The Papuan men critically injured were: Yulius Anouw S.Sos (27) was shot in his chest the bullet still stuck inside his body and was still in coma today. Gayus Auwe (32) was shot in his chest and his right thigh, the bullet is still inside his body and was today still waiting for surgery. Anton Edoway (28) was shot in his left tight the bullet penetrated and broken his leg bone and went out through the right side.
According to locals, Indonesian security forces in Moanimani always face the Indigenous people with brutality.
Moanemani has now been under full guard by Indonesian security forces with combined Army, Police, and Airforce troops. The non-Papuans population has gathering at the local Military Army Office in Moanemani.
Further comments on the situation by Paula Makabory of Institute for Papuan Advoacy and Human Rights, "The Indonesian police should have understood the culture of the people and give them room for negotiation with the driver with the help of the police."
"In this case it shows that the Brimob have fanned conflict by being ready with their killing in minds. Which has triggered more killing and conflict for Papuans and non-Papuans."
"This group of priests and local people involved in the incident who were trying to negotiate with authorities were branded as 'a lynch mob' by the Jakarta Globe."
"These Brimob police are heavily armed police, with an anti terrorist unit, has nothing to do but fight local people in West Papua. They will always face the local society of Indigenous Papuans as the target for practicing their theory of killing terrorist and military training. Australia and New Zealand have contributed to the training to these Indonesian police. It serves to maintain state of conflict and fear at the community level which allows Indonesian and foreign exploitation of the richness of our land"
[Reported by Yones Douw, Human Right Activist of Kingmi/Tabernacle Church from Nabire, Paniai, West Papua. Translated by Paula Makabory with comments IPAHR 6 May 2013.]
Related Indonesian Media Report: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/three-injured-papua-police-fire-civilians/.
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