West Papua: Greens concerned over escalation of conflict

Press Release: West Papua Media Alerts

Greens concerned over escalation of conflict in West Papua

Greens’ spokesperson for West Papua, Senator Richard Di Natale, has expressed his deep concern for those involved in the violent clashes at the Grasberg mine site in West Papua, where ongoing pay disputes have led to one protester being killed and eight others injured by armed security forces.

“I was saddened to hear of this worker’s death and the injuries sustained by others protesting,” said Senator Di Natale.

Read more>>West Papua: Greens concerned over escalation of conflict | Scoop News

Indonesia must investigate mine strike protest killing

The Indonesian authorities must immediately investigate the use of deadly force by police at a mining protest, Amnesty International said today after one protester was killed and at least six injured.
Indonesian security forces opened fire on striking workers of a gold and copper mine in the eastern province of Papua run by US company Freeport-Mcmoran on Monday. Some 8,000 workers at the mine have been on strike since 15 September, after demands for a pay rise reached a deadlock.

“This latest incident shows that Indonesian police have not learned how to deal with protesters without resorting to excessive, and even lethal, force,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific Director. Read More>>Indonesia must investigate mine strike protest killing | Amnesty International

West Papuan people's struggle for independence there is nothing preventing

We who are gathered in this place, we are the owners of this land, the heir to the country, none inhibited the struggle of West Papua, Republic of Indonesia was not, the Governor was not, the MRP was not, not anyone.

We are the owners of the land, we have the right to sit on this land, everyone must respect the person sitting on this land, God created this earth, God created the land of Java, Sulawesi ground the Lord God created, God created the land of Borneo and the Lord put all ethnic groups, with their eating style, their forests, their sea, sugai them, God had placed them the same place, God put the island of Papua, the mystery island,
beautiful island, the island that is not owned by another pride, another tribe, race Another, God gave special special people of Papua, (really!), spare nothing makes any here, not people, people of Papua is not a separatist, not! land owners, who come here are the separatists, who she Homeland separatists, whom he did military separatist, separatists means separation, which comes to separation is the Homeland, not the people of Papua, we are the owner of the land God has placed us here, we will win.

I feel grateful today, during my three years in prison, only this time my speech, but I believe our future will be equally, we will fight, West Papua National Committee (KNPB) always in the forefront, no matter the risks! prison is my profession, my profession is killed, for the sake of truth and glory of God on this land, either consciously igat degar good .. I want to explain important information .. from the 60s until the day before we would release the nation's west papua, it's part of the international support agencies, while we missed was the street, the International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP), which was founded by the people themselves, who ever you want, expect support, goods already exist, the goods are roads, KNPB will never love the promise that turgid, love-agan agan dream, I want to be this, I want to be it, my, my, kator governor who served until regents office wear tomorrow will occurs, but for us is not important stuff, not important for us, because we believe, the goods have not been fulfilled, the goods do not, I also wonder .. meresa we fooled all-out, we're screwed out, is one of Papua itself. . we killed out - out by the Homeland, we've killed it with promises of love,

West Papua National Committee (KNPB)

Buchtar Tabuni
General Chairman

West Papua: A history of exploitation -Opinion – Al Jazeera English

West Papua was taken over by Indonesia in 1969, and a legacy of oppression and environmental devastation has followed.

The Grasberg mine has damaged surrounding river systems, such as the Ajikwa river above [West Papua Media]

Investing in conflict-affected and high-risk areas is a growing concern for responsible businesses and investors. Companies based in developed countries often operate in lesser-developed foreign markets, where governance standards are lax, corruption is high and business practices are poor.

These pieces focus on one specific Anglo-Australian company and their American partner that jointly operate a mine in West Papua, one of the poorest provinces of Indonesia. The risks for the company include the potential to contribute to environmental and social damage in a foreign market. The risks for investors include financing a company that does not get its risk management right.

This is the second chapter of a four-part essay that examines how the Norwegian Pension Fund came to blacklist the mining giant Rio Tinto. The first part can be found here.

Part 2: A history of exploitation

New Guinea, geographically as well as historically, is Australia’s closest relative. Separated from the mainland during the last glacial period, the waters filled in what now separates them: about 152km of the Torres Strait.

While Australia and New Guinea both have enviable mineral stores, economic and political exploitation has left the latter as home to many of the poorest people on Earth. New Guinea is also an island of two histories.

The eastern half forms the independent state of Papua New Guinea – a status it has enjoyed since breaking from Australia in 1975. With its natural resources of oil and industrial metals, Papua New Guinea has long been exploited for its minerals at places like Ok Tedi and Bougainville.

Both projects ended in social and environmental disaster. The environmental impact of Ok Tedi was so great that, in 1999, Paul Anderson, then chief executive of Australian mining company BHP, conceded that the mine was “not compatible with our environmental values”. But it did serve the company’s pursuit of profit. It was not until the Ok Tedi environmental disaster three years later that the true impact of BHP’s mining practices came to the attention of the global public. BHP subsequently sold its interest, established a fund to restore the sustainable development of the affected people, and received immunity from further prosecution.

The western half of New Guinea has had a lesser-known but equally tragic history centred around the Jayawijaya Mountain, home to the Amungme, and farther downstream, the Kamoro people. As with much of East Asia, the indigenes were under Dutch rule when a geological expedition in 1936 located a significant ertsberg (ore mountain) deep in the southwestern highlands. World War II intervened, and the Japanese claimed Indonesia and some of the western parts of New Guinea.Following defeat in the war, the Japanese were marshalled back to their home territory, and Dutch colonialism resumed. Importantly, when Indonesian independence was obtained from the Dutch in 1949, few knew of the ertsberg (mineral ore) hidden deep in West Papua’s wilderness.The Dutch began a ten-year Papuanisation programme in 1957 that would see West Papua handed back to the indigenes, and would create the independent state of West Papua around 1972.Despite multiple territorial claims, the ore mountain lay dormant for over 20 years.On March 6, 1959, the New York Times reported the presence of alluvial gold in the Arafura Sea just off the coast of West Papua. Reminded of their earlier discovery, Dutch geologists were said to be returning to the ore mountain, now simply known as Ertsberg.Independence deniedThe indigenes, meanwhile, as part of their programme toward independence, established a Papuan National Council and provisional government as well as their own military, police force, currency, national anthem, and flag. At the time, West Papua’s independence was due before the United Nations Decolonisation Commission, and representatives took part in various cultural and political activities throughout the region. By December 1, 1961, the West Papuan “Morning Star” flag had been raised alongside the Dutch for the first time. Many assumed that independence was imminent.Unbeknown to both the indigenes and the Dutch, US mining company Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold was negotiating directly with Suharto – at the time an Indonesian army general – for a small group of its experts to prospect this ore mountain. The path into West Papua through Suharto promised to be fruitful for Freeport, since its board was stacked with the Rockefeller’s Indonesian oil interests who already were versed in the general’s way of doing business. An exploration agreement was reached, and soon after a geologist from Freeport was forging his way through the wilderness toward Ertsberg.West Papua was about to change hands again.Armed with Chinese and Soviet weapons, as well as an increasingly public friendship with the communists, Indonesia declared war on the Netherlands. To protect Western interests from the threat of communism, on August 15, 1962, the United Nations and the United States orchestrated a meeting between Dutch and Indonesian officials during which interim control of West Papua was signed over to Indonesia.Six years of UN interregnum followed, after which a plebiscite would decide whether to form a separate nation or integrate into Indonesia. All 815,000 West Papuans were to vote in an Act of Free Choice.To ensure a favourable outcome, the Indonesians worked to suppress Papuan identity. Raising the West Papuan flag and singing of the national anthem were banned, and all political activities were deemed subversive. Indonesia ruled through force, for self-interest. Alarmed by ongoing media reports, on April 5, 1967, in the British House of Lords, Lord Ogmore called for a UN investigation. By early 1968, with Suharto having assumed the presidency of Indonesia, a US consular visit almost unanimously agreed that “Indonesia could not win an open election” in West Papua.West Papua still wanted its independence.In a desperate attempt to secure West Papua’s right to self-determination, two junior politicians crossed the border into Australian-administered Papua and New Guinea on May 29, 1969. They carried damning evidence of Indonesian repression; the hopes of a yet-unformed nation rested on the politicians reaching the UN. As Australia and its allies were amenable to Indonesian control of West Papua, the two were imprisoned upon crossing the border until after the referendum. Their brave plea was silenced.Between July and August 1969, less than a quarter of one per cent of the population – some 1,026 West Papuans – signed the country’s freedom over to Indonesia. The election, held under the aegis of the UN, was far from an act of free choice. The following day West Papua was declared a military operation zone, the local people’s movement was restricted, and expression of their national identity banned under Indonesian law.Poor, neglected West Papua.Selling West PapuaControl of West Papua proved a lucrative business deal for the Indonesians. Two years prior to the Act of Free Choice – coincidentally on the same day the plight of Papua was raised in the House of Lords – Freeport signed a contract of work with the Suharto government entitling a jointly owned company, PT Freeport Indonesia (Freeport-Indonesia), full rights to the Ertsberg mine. In return, Indonesia would derive significant tax revenues and fees as well as a minority 9.36 per cent shareholding. Without the authority to do so, Indonesia nevertheless cut itself into a deal that sold large tracts of West Papua to the US company, intent on sifting it for copper and gold.Although Ertsberg fulfilled its promise, as production slowed in the mid-1980s, Freeport-Indonesia began to explore surrounding mountains and ridges for other reserves. As is often the case, the best place to establish a new mine is next to another. Sure enough, significant copper and gold reserves were located at Grasberg only a couple of miles southwest of Ertsberg.Grasberg has the largest recoverable reserves of copper and gold in the world. It’s also Indonesia’s economic beachhead.Observing the Grasberg mine via Google Earth, one sees a scar like no other: Located about 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) above sea level, open-pit (above ground) mining has bored a hole through the top of the mountain more than half a mile (1 km) wide. What they’re digging for is more than $40bn worth of copper and gold. Every day the operation discharges 230,000 tons of tailings (waste rock) into the Aghawagon River. This process is expected to continue for up to six more years, at which point exploration will go underground until there’s no value left. Freeport estimates that will occur by 2041.The operation is so large that it has shifted the borders of the adjacent Lorenz National Park. Listed as a World Heritage site by the UN’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1999, the park is “the only protected area in the world to incorporate a continuous, intact transect from snowcap to tropical marine environment, including extensive lowland wetlands”. For the Amungme and Kamoro indigenes, corporate imperialism had replaced European colonialism.The ramifications are both environmental and social.‘Slow-motion genocide’The social and economic condition of the indigenous Amungme and Kamoro poses fundamental human rights concerns. Although Freeport-Indonesia directly or indirectly employs a large number of West Papuans and is regularly Indonesia’s biggest taxpayer, in 2005, the World Bank found that Papua remained the poorest province in Indonesia. With a marked rise in military personnel and foreign staff has come a number of social issues, including alcohol abuse and prostitution such that Papua now has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia.Indonesian control of West Papua has been characterised by the ongoing and disproportionate repression of largely peaceful opposition. Few sustained violent interactions have occurred; however, in one major conflict in 1977, more than 1,000 civilian men, women, and children were killed by the Indonesian military in Operasi Tumpas (“Operation Annihilation”) after a slurry pipe was severed and partially closed the Ertsberg mine.More recently, in 1995, the Australian Council for Overseas Aid reported that the Indonesian army and security forces killed 37 people involved in protests over the mine in the preceding seven-month period. While the level of violence is difficult to establish, academics at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney maintain that up to 100,000 West Papuans may have been killed since Indonesian occupation. They call what’s happening to West Papua “slow-motion genocide”.There are also two primary environmental concerns over Grasberg. The first is that the mine discharges 230,000 tons of waste rock a day into surrounding waterways; given the escalating rate of processing, this rate is arguably above that allowed by national law. Secondly, acid rock drainage – the outflow of acidic water – has resulted from the disposal of a further 360,000 to 510,000 tons a day of overburden and waste rock in two adjacent valleys covering 4 miles (6.5 km), up to 975 feet (300 metres) deep. The mine operators dispute both claims.Riverine methods of waste disposal are banned in every developed country on Earth. The World Bank no longer funds projects that operate this way, due to the irreversible ecological devastation, and the International Finance Corporation requires that rock be treated prior to disposal, which is not a practice carried out at Grasberg. Since the mid-1990s, a number of independent environmental assessments have found unacceptably high levels of toxicity and sediment as far as 140 miles away.Freeport and Rio Tinto maintain that riverine tailings disposal is the best solution, given the difficult terrain, the threat of earthquakes, and heavy rainfall.Grasberg’s reserves are so vast that extracting them is expected to create 6 billion tons of industrial waste.President Suharto, who is now recognised as one of the most corrupt and tyrannical leaders in history, renewed Freeport-Indonesia’s exclusive mining rights in 1991 for a further 30 years with an option of two 10-year extensions. The license included an option to prospect another 6.5 million acres (2.6 million hectares), as far as the Papua New Guinea border. “The potential is only limited by the imagination,” Freeport’s chairman, James Moffett, remarked to shareholders in March 1995. “Every other mining company wants to get into Irian Jaya [West Papua]. Bougainville and Ok Tedi don’t hold a candle to Grasberg.”Part 3 to follow next week.This is an extract of a chapter from the book, Evolutions in Sustainable Investing: Strategies, Funds and Thought Leadership, to be published by Wiley in December 2011. NAJ Taylor is a PhD candidate in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland, and casual lecturer in the Faculty of Law and Management at La Trobe University.Follow NAJ Taylor on Twitter: @najtaylordotcomThe views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.Related articles

• The blacklisting of Rio Tinto – Opinion – Al Jazeera English.
• Would An Independent West Papua Be A Failing State? :: JapanFocus (westpapuamedia.info)

Giving West Papua Its Own Voice

John Waromi hands me his collection of unpublished poems, its title “Sulur-Sulur Sali” handwritten on the cover. I flick through the pages, read some lines at random and feel that emotional charge you get from reading good poetry.

A fresh and authentic voice in contemporary Indonesian verse, John is a 51-year-old Serui man from the islands south of Biak, West Papua. He writes in Indonesian, using words from indigenous Papuan languages as he sees fit. “Sulur-Sulur Sali,” John said, referred to the lengths of grass used to make Papuan highlander women’s frocks.

“The sali [grass skirt] has special significance in Papuan cultures. I use the word [in the book’s title] as an expression of love and respect for women,” he said one morning in Depok from underneath the wood-stilt house of his friend, the musician Sawung Jabo.

“These poems are my contemplations after living in Jayapura for the past decade. I arrived back in Jayapura not long after the murder of [Papuan separatist leader] Theys Eluay. A few days later I was beaten up by a joint military-police ‘social control’ operation. I was hurt quite badly, had broken bones and internal injuries.
Read More>>Giving West Papua Its Own Voice | The Jakarta Globe

West Papua: Stop the Slow-Motion Genocide

Press Release: Lush

West Papua: Stop the Slow-Motion Genocide*

We first met Benny Wenda in April 2011 when he attended the Lush communications meeting in Bournemouth. Benny is to West Papua what Nelson Mandela is to South Africa - a freedom fighter, a tireless advocate for justice and an inspirational ambassador for his people.

We sat and chatted with Benny for hours, and what came across was that he is fiercely passionate in his views, but also that he is unbelievably humble and has a great sense of humour and incredibly infectious giggle. Benny also walks with a limp, the result of violence by the Indonesian military that he was subjected to as a child. Benny’s story is indicative of what is happening in West Papua, far from the gaze of the international community, cut off from the rest of the world with, amongst other things, a total ban on all foreign journalists and most international aid and human rights organisations.

West Papuans have been struggling for independence and self-determination (the principle enshrined in international law which says nations have the right to freely choose how their country will be run without interference) ever since Indonesia seized control of the region in 1962,

just as the West Papuans were preparing for indepedence from the Netherlands. By 1969 there was widespread resistance to Indonesian rule. It was agreed with the UN that a referendum would take place to give all West Papuans the choice of either remaining part of Indonesia or becoming an independent nation. However, just 1,026 West Papuans, of a population of over a million, were hand picked by Indonesia to vote in the referendum, known ironically as the Act of Free Choice. Reports show that people were coerced into voting to be ruled by Indonesia through violence and intimidation. This is now dubbed by Papuan's "the Act of NO Choice".

For the last 40 years many of the people of West Papua have been beaten, tortured, raped and imprisoned at the hands of the Indonesian forces and the industrial interests they represent. Through the veil of secrecy enforced by the military exact figures are hard to gauge, but it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of West Papuans have been killed in what many believe is genocide. We are standing up in solidarity with those struggling for an end to the oppression and violence and supporting calls for freedom for West Papua.

Lush store windows will all be proudly displaying the Morning Star flag that was to be the national flag of a free and independent West Papua. It is now illegal for West Papuans to display the flag; doing so can result in lengthy prison sentences. We are calling for the immediate release of Filep Karma (who was jailed for 15 years for raising the Morning Star flag at a rally in 2004) and all other prisoners of conscience. We are supporting calls for a review of the flawed 1969 Act of Free Choice, and to have a true referendum with a free and inclusive vote for all West Papuans so they can determine their own future.

Please support this campaign by sending the following email to the Indonesian Ambassador in London (email address: kbri@btconnect.com):

Ambassador,

I was shocked to discover that Indonesia JAILED West Papuan, FILEP KARMA for 15 YEARS for peacefully raising the West Papuan flag in December 2004, and for years was denied access to urgently needed medical treatment during his time in prison. Amnesty International has recognised Filep as a PRISONER of CONSCIENCE.

I am calling on the Government of Indonesia to RELEASE him IMMEDIATELY, and also for the immediate release of all other political prisoners who are being held for peaceful flag-raisings, and for calling for the respect of their human rights, justice and freedom in West Papua. I stand united behind these brave individuals.

I am also calling for all West Papuans to be given a free and fair vote in an act of self-determination, so that they can decide the future of their country. It is a right that they have always been denied.

Papua Merdeka!

Please also support the Free West Papua campaign and sign up for their email alerts, follow them on Twitterand friend them on Facebook.

We believe in what Martin Luther King said: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. Let’s stand together against injustice and demand Freedom for West Papua!

A brief history

West Papua is the western half of the second largest island in the world (the eastern part is Papua New Guinea) and lies just 100 miles to the North of Australia. For centuries the whole region was subject to Dutch colonial rule. But as the old empires gave their conquered territories back and control reverted to the indigenous people who lived there, Indonesia laid claim to neighbouring West Papua. It’s worth pointing out at this stage that West Papuans are not culturally or racially related to the people of Indonesia, they are Melanesians, a group of peoples from Pacific islands ranging from Papua to Fiji. As such the people of West Papua already had strong claim to their own independent nation, and had formed an interim government, judiciary, constitution, national anthem and flag, the iconic Morning Star. This was something that was supported by the Dutch, but which was ultimately to fail, with Indonesia backed by the US running the sham “Act of free choice” referendum in 1969, which was the decisive act that would be a watershed moment to mark the beginning of decades of oppression.

Benny’s Story

Benny told us about growing up in West Papua and how he came to speak out against what is happening there, how he ended up in prison and how he escaped and came to Britain. His accounts are enormously harrowing, but they are important in understanding why we must all support his calls for a free West Papua.

Growing up in a remote highland village, Benny lived with his family and Lani people, tending to their gardens and living in peace with each other and their natural surroundings. In 1977 their tranquil life came to an end, when the Indonesian military came to the region and forcefully asserted their authority over the people living there. Soldiers regularly stopped Benny and his family on their way to tend their gardens. The women were raped, often in front of the children. Many young women, including three of Benny’s aunts died as a result of these brutal attacks. In response to this violence 15,000 Lani people rebelled, and the Indonesian air force launched counter-strikes, bombing Lani villages, including Benny’s. It was a bombing raid that left Benny, still a child, with a serious leg injury and suffering with pain that still afflicts him today.

The people fled into the forests to escape and lived in hiding. Life was extremely difficult, and many people died as a result of the lack of food and adequate shelter and at the hands of the Indonesian military, who continued to pursue, rape and kill those people hiding in the forests. The only way out of this dire situation was for people to give themselves over to the Indonesians, to make themselves subject to their rule and renounce their traditional ways of life and customs. After 5 years in the jungle, Benny’s family could take no more, and gave themselves up to the Indonesian authorities.

Benny then went to a high school where he was only one of two Papuans. He was taught only about Indonesian history and culture, and the other students and teachers called him stupid and dirty. Benny was subject to daily racist abuse because he was Papuan, yet he didn’t understand why he and his family were being treated this way. Determined to find out, Benny sought out information through school and university libraries, but found nothing written about Papuan history and culture, even the name Papua had been expunged from the history books and replaced with Irian Jaya. So instead he sought out other West Papuans, and pieced together their history through sharing with them.

Benny then became active in the independence movement in West Papua, and in 1999 became the representative of the group of elders of a prominent pro-independence group. He was an outspoken critic of Indonesia, something which carried with it enormous risk. Other leaders of the independence movement had been imprisoned and even killed by the Indonesian military. In 2002 Benny was arrested and thrown into jail. His first 2 months were in solitary confinement and prison guards tortured and beat him during this time. He was then falsely accused of organising violent protests and put on trial. This trial was a sham from the beginning, with the judge and prosecution asking for bribes, clearly fraudulent evidence being accepted and indications that there were plans to make sure that Benny was locked up for good or executed. Thankfully, through inside help, Benny was able to escape from prison and was smuggled across the boarder to Papua New Guinea and from there made his way to Britain, where he was granted asylum.

Ever since Benny has been travelling around the world trying to get the plight of his people heard, in parliament, law courts, seminars, lectures and protests. He has managed to get members of Parliament and prominent lawyersto support him. Internationally there is growing recognition that what is happening in West Papua is both illegal and immoral and that we cannot continue to allow this to continue. Benny Wenda deserves all of our attention, help and support in his struggle for justice and freedom.

*The term “slow-motion genocide” was coined by academics at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney. It is estimated that up to 400,000 West Papuans may have been killed since Indonesian occupation. Read more>>http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/news

Gereja Baptis Akan Tuntut Polresta Jayapura

Moury Kogoya (Sekretaris PGBP)

JUBI --- Terkait barang dan uang milik 13 warga sipil yang hilang, Gereja Baptis Papua di Jayapura akan menuntut Kepolisian Resort Kota Jayapura. Korps berbaju cokelat ini didesak untuk segera mencari dan mengembalikan sisa barang serta uang yang hilang.

Sekretaris umum Gereja Baptis Papua di Jayapura, Maury Kogoya mengatakan, pihaknya akan menuntut Kepolisian Resort Kota Jayapura agar segera mengembalikan sisa barang yang belum dan uang yang hilang. “Kami akan mendesak pihak polisi agar segera mengembalikan sisa barang dan uang,” ujar Maury Kogoya kepada tabloidjubi.com di Abepura, Jumat (7/10) malam.

Lanjut Kogoya, paling utama, aparat keamanan harus mengembalikan sisa dana pembangunan gereja, Rp. 100 Ribu. Lantaran, jumlah sebenarnya bukan Rp. 900 Ribu. Namun, Rp. 1 Juta. “Uang gereja ini harus dikembalikan ke kami karena uang tersebut diperoleh dari semua umat gereja,” tegasnya.

Ia menilai, tidak ada transparansi dari pihak kepolisian kepada Gereja Baptis. “Polisi tidak terbuka kepada kami. Tapi, kami tidak memusuhi polisi,” ungkapnya. Ditambahkan Maury, polisi juga harus mengembalikan tapisan emas milik Biben Kogoya lantaran dibeli dengan harga mahal.

Sementara itu, Biben Kogoya pemilik tapisan emas sekaligus salah satu korban yang ditangkap polisi kala itu, menyebutkan, tapisan emas itu dibeli di Nabire sekira Rp. 1 Juta lebih. Dari tapisan itu, dirinya dapat mendulang emas di sekitar Kawasan Nabire, sewaktu tinggal di sana beberapa tahun silam. “Dari hasil dulangan itu, saya bisa jual dan beli segala macam barang termasuk tanah  untuk bangun rumah di Jayapura,” ucapnya.

Barang yang hilang yaitu satu buah tapisan emas milik Biben Kogoya, uang milik Demius Kogoya, Rp. 250 Ribu, Anius Kogoya, Rp. 720 Ribu. Selanjutnya, dana milik Gereja Baptis  senilai Rp. 1 Juta. Namun, kepolisian hanya mengembalikan Rp. 900 Ribu.

Sebelumnya, Kepala Kepolisian Resort Kota Jayapura, AKB Imam Setiawan didesak membayar kerugian dan penangkapan dan penahanan semena-mena serta penyiksaan terhadap 15 warga sipil pada 31 Agustus lalu, sebesar Rp. 101 Juta. Desakan tersebut dibacakakan dalam sidang perdana praperadilan yang digelar di kantor pengadilan  Klas I A di Abepura, Jayapura, Papua, Jumat, 23 September.

Imam didesak karena, dirinya yang memimpin langsung anggotanya ke rumah 15 warga tersebut, yang beralamat di Kampung Horas, Skyline, Kota Jayapura. Saat itu, aparat keamanan tak membawa surat pemberitahuan, penangkapan, penyitaan dan penahanan. Dari operasi yang dilakukan, aparat keamanan berhasil meringkus lima belas warga lalu dibawa beserta sejumlah barang miliknya ke Mapolresta Jayapura guna diperiksa dan diselidiki lebih lanjut.

Setelah menjalani pemeriksaan dan penyelidikan panjang, 13 orang diantaranya dipulangkan pada esok harinya. Sementara dua lainnya ditahan. Dua warga yang ditahan itu bernama Panius Wenda dan Ekimas Kogoya.  Hingga kini mereka masih mendekam dibalik jeruji besi rumah tahanan Polresta Jayapura.  (JUBI/Musa Abubar) Source:http://www.tabloidjubi.com/daily-news/