A

nggen Pugo Kiwo, one of two civilians allegedly assaulted by three soldiers as shown in a video widely distributed on the Internet, is believed to have been a member of the outlawed Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist group, a trial of the alleged torture has heard.

The revelation was heard at the ongoing trial of the alleged perpetrators, at the Jayapura Military Court III-9 on Monday, which heard the testimonies of five witnesses to the torture, as named in the dossiers of defendant First Sgt. Irwan Riskianto.

“We had one of our members passed off as a public transportation conductor serving the Wamena-Mulia route. It was from there that we learned that OPM members wear blue necklaces,” witness First. Lt. Inf. Sudarmin, commander of the Gurage post, where the alleged assault occurred, said.

The military tribunal, which began last Thursday, is trying three soldiers — Second Sgt. Irwan Riskianto, First Pvt. Yakson Agu, and First Pvt. Thamrin Mahagiri — of the 753rd Infantry Battalion for allegedly using torture during the interrogation of two civilians.

The incident took place on May 27, 2010, when the soldiers were assigned to Gurage village in Tingginambut district, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua.

Military prosecutors charged the defendants with “disobeying a superior’s command”, which carries the maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment under the Military Criminal Code.

Sudarmin testified that at the time of the alleged torture he was on his way to the Yambi military post to help soldiers who were under attack from OPM members, an incident in which First Lt. Inf. Agung and First Pvt. Efrianto received gunshot injuries.

Sudarmin said he first learned about the torture incident when he was called to meet the military police XVII/Cenderawasih and was shown the video.