Cause For Concern. Military Sweeps In West Papua
AWPA has again written to the Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr concerning the possibility of military operations in
West Papua by the Indonesian security forces. AWPA has urged Sen Carr to raise the matter the Indonesian President and
urging the indonesian President to halt any proposed military sweeps in the territory.The impact of military operations
In West Papua are creating a traumatised population living in fear.
Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, Sydney, Australia 2088
Senator the Hon Bob Carr
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House, Canberra
ACT 2600
11 June 2012
Dear Senator Carr,
I am writing to you with great concern about the possibility of coming military operations in West Papua by the
Indonesian security forces. We have already raised concerns about the attack by the military on the village of Honai
Lama, a sub district of Wamena in the Baliem Valley (letter dated 8 June).
However, in the last few days there have been a number of statements from security force personal that indicate military
operations might take place in and around Jayapura.
A police spokesman for the National Police, Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said "that his force would deploy members of
the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) special operations unit to Papua and we will send our best men to support the Jayapura
Police as soon as possible because the shootings and stabbings need to stop. In a report in the Jakarta Post on the 7
June, he also hinted that members from the elite police counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, could also be dispatched if
necessary.
The head of Indonesias State Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman has also spoke of the need for a sweep of
Jayapura for armed civilians following heightened violence in the capital of Papua province. We note the security
forces have not yet identified the perpetrators of many of the attacks and simply refer to them as armed gangs.
The opposition legislator Tubagus Hasanuddin, a member of the House of Representatives Commission which oversees
security affairs said Its just strange that the government cant solve a single case even after nearly 30 people have
died recently in the province, and It seems like the authorities are allowing [the violence] to happen.
The House Speaker Marzuki Alie also alleged that some people were deliberately orchestrating the bloodshed in order to
grab power and get access to the provinces abundant natural resources. Some have used the chaotic condition there to
benefit themselves, he said. Marzuki, a member of Yudhoyonos Democratic Party, said that the shootings could indicate
that people were fighting for control of natural resources and while he did not rule out the possibility that soldiers
and local officials could be involved in the incidents, urged that the groups behind the incidents must be identified.
Also reported in the Jakarta Globe of the 10 June, Aleksius Jemadu, dean of Pelita Harapan Universitys School of Social
and Political Sciences, said he suspected that the authorities inability to solve any of the cases was due to the
involvement of security officers in the incidents. although the military as an institution cant be involved, some of
its members might be. These incidents show that Jakarta has failed to address the problems in the province. The
shootings indicate that the local officers dont listen to the central government, he said.
The behavior of the Indonesian military during sweeps is of great concern as was seen by the recent attack by the
military on the village of Honai Lama in Wamena.
The local paper Jubi on the 8 June reported that the situation in Sentani, district of Jayapura, has become very tense
causing a great deal of fear among the community, so much so that they are afraid to leave their homes following the
death of a member of the KNPB, the National Committee of West Papua.
Amnesty International in its statement dated 8 June said Credible reports of human rights violations committed by the
security forces continue to emerge in the provinces of Papua and West Papua, including torture and other ill-treatment,
unnecessary and excessive use of force, including firearms, and unlawful killings.
As Australia is involved in helping train the Indonesian military and in particular Detachment 88, which Insp. Gen. Saud
Usman Nasution has hinted could also be dispatched if necessary to West Papua. We again urge you to raise the behavior
of the Indonesian security forces in West Papua with the Indonesian President and urging him to halt any proposed
military sweeps in the territory.
The impact of these military operations are creating a traumatized population living in fear.
Yours sincerely
Joe Collins
AWPA (Sydney)
ENDS