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ONE PERSON DETAINED BY 1702 WAMENA DIED, OTHERS ARE SUSPECTED
UNDER SERIOUS THREAT OF DEATH, by ELSHAM-Demmak and WPNews, 15
April 2003
Source: Elsham News Service
Translation with Additional Comments by WPNews
15 April 2003
Wamena, ENR-WPNews
Report received by Elsham and Demmak contact persons in Wamena mentioned one of those arrested by the TNI (Indonesian army), Yapenas Murib, from Ilekma village, died early this morning. He died due to heavy torture by the TNI.
A day before he died (14/4), at 16:00 Papua Time (PT), Yapenas Murib and Kanius Murib were dragged towards Ilekma village, 3 km south of Wamena town. Kanius' arms were tied up, while Yapinus' neck was tied with 2 steal chains (treatment like an animal/ cow), then they were both dragged backwards. When Yapenas fell down, he was kicked and told to wake up. This drama of violence repeatedly dan villagers around the area came to witness what was happening along the way from Sinakma to Ilema.
One eye witness said that after his return to Ilekma, 1t 18:00 PT, Yapenas had his dinner, but then in the morning he was found dead. Even Doctor Nugroho, who carried out autopsy on Yapenas corpse, when phoned for confirmation from Elsham at 14:16PT did not want to give any clarification. When asked the outcome of medical analyses and the cause of his death, dr. Nugroho put off his telephone after knowing that he was receiving call from Elsham in Port Numbay. Three times Elsham contacted again, but dr. Nugroho did not answer the phones.
There is no clarification yet what caused his arrest and torture and died in the hands of TNI/ Kodim 1702 Wamena. Available information indicates that both Yapenas and Kanius were those who gave back 3 guns to the mediators of the military operations underway in Wamena at the moment. The guns were returned to the mediators in Ilekma village. Elsham as well as Demmak have has not yet received information how both of them got the guns.
Sargent Fred Koridama, TNI member at Kodim 1702 post in Wamena who received a phone call from Elsham papua on Tuesday (15/4) at pukul 12.42 PT to get further information for the Human Rigths Monitoring Staff and requested the commander of Dandim Wamena, but Koridama replied that Mr. Dandim is in Jakarta for a meeting held by the TNI Headquarter. Polres (Police Resort) Wamena confirmed the death of Yapenas Murip.
Meanwhile, there is also a report that on Saturday (12/4) one of those being detained, whose name has not yet been identified was brought to the hospital in Wamena. This detainee was tortured heavily (his chest and back were sliced into pieces with razor blades). Medical workers in Wamena hospital only told to treat them with bethadine liquid. @Elsham News Report
Memoria Passionis: All Papuans Share Experience of Similar Story across the Island
This incident brings back memory of many similar incidents in West Papua of many incidents during the occupation of Indonesia in West Papua soild. The following two stories are from a member of the Collective Editorial Board of the Do-OPM or WPNews, based on personal eyewitness.
1. Assassination of Tandar Yikwa (1980)
In mid-1980, I was at the sixth year of my primary school when one of my uncles, Tandar Yikwa was killed.
He was suspected by the TNI as the killer of an Indonesian man from Makassar region of Sulawesi. Papuan villagers confirmed that this person died because when he was chain-sawing a tree, and the tree fell down and hit him to death. But the TNI did not accept this explanation, and they found Tandar Yikwa, who was on the way back from his garden when the TNI troops went to evacuate the Makassarese corpse.
He was then tied up with steal-chain, from the forests to the village of Kelela, dragged him, kicked him when he fell down, spit on him, along about 10 km, from early morning to late afternoon.
The path from the forests to Kelela army post goes through my house. My mother told me, "Look, your uncle is being dragged on the street just like the cut-down trees (she meant logs). He will die in their hands!" I went out to the path and saw him being fully guarded by four TNI, with guns ready to shoot in their hands, and their helpers (Papuans) were shouting and cursing him as the killer and other words that I cannot mention here. He face turned black-blue and blood on his neck, his eyes and ears. He glanced at me, as he normally took me to the forests for hunting, and said, "Look, I am innocent. But do not forget this brutal treatment. You are a man. I am ready to die, but keep the struggle alive.!
As he arrive at the TNI post, he was then ordered to sit beside the fire, and then put crowbar into the fire until it went red. They took the crowbar out and put it straight to his body, beginning from his leg up to his head. Then, they began questioning, "Why did you kill our man? Why didn't you eat him? Did you kill him to eat? Oh it is a pity, we came when you were preparing woods to cook and eat him! Pity of you! Fool cannibal, bastard."
I came under the house, (as the post was on the stage-house), and listened to what they were saying closely and carefully. I heard him crying, "Oh my God, I have done nothing, I swear to God. Please the Holy Spirits take my soul, I do not want to suffer in this way!"
A few minutes later, they took him out; but all over his body was burned. In fact they also cut off his two ears. This time, I could not believe my uncle has turned into a different person, totally different. He again, looked around, and found me there. He then shouted, without looking at me, "Yikwanak, which means the son of Mother Yikwa, go and tell your mother to prepare woods to burn me. I am dying now. Suddenly, after that, he fell on the ground, and died."
I did not react with tears and cries, as most Lani children do, but just crawled back from the bush, and ran to my mother that my uncle just died.
No one was allowed to take his body, as the army were there. So, the tribal elders gathered and ten elders went to meet the army and asked for his corpse to be taken away from the public.
Two days later, he was burned (that is the Lani culture).
2. The Assassination of Yani Yikwa (1982)
Yani Yikwa was the commander of the Red-and-White militia group called Pasukan Sukarela (volunteer corps) at the Western Lani region. While the Grand Valley Lani commander was from Mukoko Tribe, which is still waging war against independence movement up to now. Haji (Reverend for Islamic Religion) Aipon Asso and Haji Yalipele are the leaders of the militia for Wamena right now. In 1970s, I did not know who the leaders were.
Yani Yikwa helped TNI troops when the TNI was waging war against other Lani villagers, including my village. At that time (in 1977-1979) my elders fought against Indonesia and I was in the jungles - hiding. I heard of Yani Yikwa and his friend Toganep Yikwa as the leaders of pro-Indonesia militia. My mother told me, "They are in fact your uncles. If they come here, you will not get killed, because they know you well."
In 1982, after the war ended in 1980, Yani was planning a visit to Kelela. He was from Mbolakme, some 4 hours to walk to Kelela. The army post commander in Mbolakme wrote a letter, a Letter of Oder to Kill Yani Yikwa, and asked Yani to bring the letter over to Kelela. The commander said to him, "Yani, I respect you, my elder, bring this letter to your friend, the commander of the TNI in Kelela. Do not open it, though!"
On the way, as most tribal elders do, the villagers asked him, "Let us open the letter and see if it contains something dangerous for us!" But Yani replied, "I was ordered not to open this letter whatsoever." He had 10 guards with him, all tribal people.
Four hours later, he arrived to Kelela, and handed over the letter to the TNI post commander. Yani and his guards sat down and began rolling their cigar and smoking. Suddenly, the TNI commander shouted, "Where is Yani?"
Yani stood up in a military position, and said, "Yes, Sir, I am Yani!"
At that time, I was in the village market, waving to Yani and his guards. My mother normally sells cakes, fruits and vegetables to sponsor my elder sister's who went to the capital of West Papua, Port Numbay for her education. The market-place was just three meters across the army post.
I saw Yani, with Koteka on his body (not modern clothes), stood up perfectly as a military commander. He than ordered to come closer to the TNI commander and to sit down. I saw the first time; this TNI commander was kicking the Lani-collaborator, Yani Yikwa. He kicked and kicked, and kicked, and kicked. Until he fell down to the ground.
I had a similar experience in previous day with Tandar Yikwa, another uncle, so I ran to the place I was hiding last time. All people at the marked were ordered to "leave the place soon!" My mother was shouting and looking for me, but I did not give a reply. She thought I ran away to my home, but I was not.
I was then ordered to go into the pool, a "punishment pool" we called it, and to look up to the sun all day long. I was there also, in the grass watching the whole day, no water, no food, no movement, none." At about 05:00PM, he was taken out of the pool, and some minutes before that, the same crowbar was already read. Just off the pool, the red crowbar went to his legs, arms, face, back, all over his body. As a warrior, he did not shout nor cry, nor show any signal of suffering. He was steady and strong. I saw he started bleeding, from his nose, mouth and ears.
His ears cut off, fried and ordered to eat. I saw him eating his own ears, without showing a fear in his eyes. Suddenly, his 10 guards, who were guarding him all the day long, stood up and run away, towards my house, up to the hill of Mbiam Paga. They ran, shouting and crying.
The military did not care of them.
Yani Yikwa was a warrior-commander, therefore, he had a string-hat covering his head/ hair, just like Bob Marley's (African hat).
After eating his ears, he was ordered to get out of the builing, and I saw with my two eyes, three army came nearby me, and started opening their weapons in a shooting position. I was just at some 20 meters away from them. Once Yani out from the back door of the house, they started shooting at him, repeatedly. The bullets all went into his body. But he did not show any sign of pain and suffering. He was steady and still in a military position.
The commander came and I saw him counting the holes of the bullets. It was 30 holes. Then he said to his friends, "This is not human, he is satan, or a son of satan."
Then a Papuan member of the TNI came and whispered to his commander. One second later, the commander went and took off (something that all warrior-commanders normally carry with them, a kind of bullet-proof helper) from one part of his body (that I cannot mention because I am not allowed to do so by my elders).
Suddenly, I saw him shaking, shaking, and shaking, while standing. I saw my uncle Yani Yikwa was telling himself, "You are also a commander, do not shake, stand still, and show to the Indonesians that you are just innocent!" And he did so for about 30 minutes. The commander then brought his knife and started pushing his knife the holes made by the bullets.
Just two or three minutes he breathed his last remaining breath, he realised that someone was watching him close, and he knew that it was me. He shouted, "Hello, Yikwanak, my son, I have been helping Indonesia for these years. You know well. But they are now killing me. Why? I do not know, my son. But I know that you know what is happening, if not you will surely know it soon. But do not forget, Indonesia will not remain here in this land forever. They will get out from this land, and you are responsible to make that happen. I am with you my son, my son, my son." Then the breathing went off, he fell off the ground.
The army cheered and shouted happily, just like the reaction we are watching right now in Iraq, when the USA and British armed forces smash Saddam Hussein's' statues all over Iraq.
I went back to my mother. She was shocked and angrily told me, "Where have you been?" I told the whole story of his assassination.
His body was then taken away the next day by his tribes people and burned.
Final Comment: Indonesian Military Are
Still Brutal and Inhuman
The stories of these two brutal acts by the TNI thirty years ago being repeated this year. The two stories occurred under the Suharto regime. And today's death happened under so-called democratic leadership of Megawati Sukarnoputri-Hamzah Haz regime. Indonesian government has been campaigning around the world that all problems only
occurred during the past regimes, and this regime is solving those problems by offering Special Autonomy to West Papua and conducting dialogue with the Papuan people.
The reality is on the contrary. There has been no single dialogue held during 1998-2003, except informal meeting between former Indonesian President BJ Habibie on 26 February 1999.
The reality is that brutalities of the TNI/Polri still continue. Killing of innocent villagers still continue. Torture and inhuman treatment against the innocent villages still continue.
Can this civilised and democratic society allow these continue now? If the democratic leaders of the world punish Saddam Hussein for his inhuman and cruel conducts to his own people, why can't they do anything at all against brutal violations of human rights in West Papua in almost a half century now?
By Wiwa Wewo, a Papua Tribesman
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© 2002 The Diary of Online Papua Mouthpiece
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