Investigate Reports Of Excessive Force In Papua Rally The Jakarta Globe, Saturday, February 7, 2009
Amnesty International urges the Indonesian authorities to conduct an impartial investigation into reports of police using excessive force to disperse a peaceful demonstration in Nabire, Papua Province. On Jan. 27, 2009, the Coalition of People Concerned About the Election of the Regional Head, or Koalisi Masyarakat Peduli Pemilihan Kepala Daerah, organized a peaceful demonstration to call for local elections to be held after several delays. The demonstration, consisting of about 100 people, was conducted in front of the regional elections commission building in Nabire. Demonstrators erected a tent that blocked one of the main roads, and when the police asked them to dismantle the tent, they refused. According to reports, two days later, police units violently dispersed the remaining peaceful demonstrators in the early morning while they were sleeping on the site. Local sources say police shot rubber bullets at the crowd, wounding at least five demonstrators. Police also kicked and beat some demonstrators with rattan sticks and rifle butts. Many people suffered bruises and cuts as a result. Officers also were reported to have kicked a 40-year-old human rights defender, Yones Douw, with their boots three times. They beat him around the head and punched him in the face when he attempted to intervene to stop the clashes between police and demonstrators. They also destroyed his computer memory stick in front of him. Yones Douw is a member of the Papuan Kingmi church, the Papuan branch of the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia and a volunteer with the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy. Police then arrested and interrogated Yones Douw and seven demonstrators. They purportedly refused all eight people access to the outside world and deprived them of food and drinking water during their one-day detention. Those injured report that police did not grant them access to appropriate medical care. Police then detained Yones Douw in a cell on his own and interrogated him for several hours. On Jan. 30 the police released all eight people but instructed them to report to the station each day. Policing of public demonstrations should not deny participants the right to peaceful assembly. This incident occurs in the context of a larger crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly in Papua. On Jan. 14, 2009, Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of 11 Papuan protestors facing three years or more in prison merely because they displayed a banned flag. Indonesian authorities should give public reassurances that freedom of expression and assembly are guaranteed in Papua. They should also express their support for the legitimate work conducted by human rights defenders throughout the country and take speedy measures to ensure that they are fully protected when they carry out their work. Papua has witnessed a deteriorating human rights situation over the past few years. The indigenous population, ethnically distinct from other parts of Indonesia, has increasingly questioned the government’s policies regarding Papua’s natural resources and the migration of non-Papuans into the area. The government maintains significant police and military forces, whose members have faced accusations of intimidating and threatening members of the local indigenous community who support greater autonomy or independence from Indonesia through peaceful means. Amnesty International recognizes the challenges involved in policing demonstrations and that in this case some protestors obstructed public buildings after being asked to disperse. However, the police actions may have contravened the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. These stipulate, among other things, that force should be used only as a last resort, in proportion to the threat posed, and should be designed to minimize damage or injury. Amnesty International urges that an inquiry into the Nabire incident be carried out promptly, with a review of police tactics and weapons in the policing of demonstrations, and that its findings and recommendations be made public in a timely manner. The Indonesian authorities should discipline and bring to justice those involved if the force used is found to have been excessive and to have contravened the principles of necessity and proportionality. They should also put in place measures and training to ensure that future policing operations conform to international standards. Josef Roy Benedict, Amnesty International Secretariat Source: THE JAKARTA GLOBE URL: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/letters/article/8857.html Mulai chatting dengan teman di Yahoo! Pingbox baru sekarang!! Membuat tempat chat pribadi di blog Anda sekarang sangatlah mudah. http://id.messenger.yahoo.com/pingbox/
