West Papua: Nurses arrests violate human rights

JUBI, 24 March 2011
Nurses arrests violate human rights

KontraS Papua, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, is convinced that the detention of five nurses by the police in Papua is a violation of their human rights. KontraS Papua member, Olga Helena Hamadi said that the police should not treat the nurses as criminals, adding that the government should quickly act to resolve this case.

She also said that it was wrong for the governor of Papua Barnabas Suebu to ignore this case, as the consequences are being felt by many others in Papua. 'Many people have already become victims.'

[This refers to the impact the case is having on services at the hospital where the nurses work, which are vital to all local Papuans in need of medical treatment at a hospital where they can be treated at minimal cost. TAPOL]

Hamadi urged Komnas HAM, the National Human Rights Commission, to continue with its investigations into this case to mediate in the case. 'They need to work harder to produce stronger evidence to bring an end to this case,' she said.

She also suggested that the police should hand this case over the government in order to reach a settlement.

As already reported, eight nurses have been identified for questioning, five of whom have been arrested and are being held by the police. Five of the nurses have already been declared suspects, while two others are currently being interrogated.

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JUBI, 24 March 2011

Nurses working at DokII General Hospital in Jayapura have reported the secretary of the province of Papua Costant Karma to the police. They were accompanied by the team of lawyers who are acting for the nurses.

One of the lawyers, Michael Tieret, said they had produced the governor's instruction No 125/2010 which granted payment of an incentive to the nurses, alongside the governor's instruction No 141 which cancelled the incentive.

One of the lawyers, Cory Silpa, said that the provincial secretary had also used abusive words against the nurses at a meeting in mid December 2010, when the nurses had made their demand for the incentive to be paid. He had said: 'You lot seem to think I have no brains. I'll use my own ways, just you wait and see. The names of all of you sitting here now are with me. '

The lawyer, Michael Tieret, said that this had caused great anxiety among the nurses. He said that he hoped that the provincial secretary would be summoned by the police for an explanation.

ENDS

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