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Tension rises in West Papua’s Tambrauw after establishment of military HQ
Military personnel have reportedly used excessive force to keep public order in West Papua’s Tambrauw.
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Students of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) stage a rally to commemorate December 1, the day pro-independence activists declare as Papua’ independence day, in Yogyakarta on Dec. 1, 2019. They demanded a referendum on Papuan self-determination and an end to human rights violations in Papua and West Papua. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
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esidents in Tambrauw, West Papua, have reportedly endured “physical and mental mistreatment” at the hands of the Indonesian Military (TNI) after a new military headquarters was established in the regency.
The military personnel are said to have used excessive force to maintain public order in the area. In July, there were at least five incidents of TNI members engaging in conflicts with residents as they got involved in people’s drinking habit and local brawls.
Alleged beating of brawlers and drunkards
Papuan human rights lawyer Yohanes Mambrasar said six TNI personnel had physically mistreated four men during a customary meeting involving residents of Kosyefo village in Kwoor district.
He said the customary meeting, held in Orwen village in Kwoor on July 28, was aimed at solving a case of adultery that had previously led to a brawl between residents in Kosyefo.
“The meeting was held outside under a mango tree, in accordance with local traditions. It went well, and Kosyefo residents reached an agreement peacefully,” Yohanes told The Jakarta Post.
But at the end of the meeting, at 1 p.m., the TNI members arrived and summoned the four men that had allegedly been involved in the local fight, Yohanes said. The four men were Neles Yenjau, 35, Karlos Yeror, 35, Harun Yewen, 30, and Piter Yengres, 27.
