Police Urged: Investigate Shooting Dead Of Papuan Student

Police Urged To Investigate The Shooting Dead Of Papuan Student On 1 May

JUBI, 2 May 2012

A Papuan human rights activist has called on the police to thoroughly investigate the killing of a Papuan student.in Port Numbay on 1 May.

Theo Karoba (26) was studying at the High School of Economics and was a resident at the students hostel. He was shot while attending a demonstration organised by the KNPB, the National Committee for West Papua, to commemorate 1 May which is known in West Papua as Annexation Day.

Human rights activist Mstius Murib said that it was essential for the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing and to identify the person who shot him dead and why he had done so. He pointed out that the incident occurred in the centre of Jayapura and many people had witnessed the incident.

'The person who shot Karoba must be identified and his name made public.He should not be allowed to disappear and become yet another 'unknown person' OTK.' [Many lethal shooting incidents which have resulted in the deaths of Papuans have never been investigated and are simply described as the work of 'unknown persons'.]

Murib said that he had made inquiries with friends of the victim, many of whom saw what happened. Some of them said that they believed that a member of the security forces was responsible for the shooting. 'It would certainly be easy for the police to get to the bottom of this incident.,' said Murib,'

'The person must be identified and this should not be allowed to become a mystery. It did not occur up the mountains or somewhere in a dense forest. If it had happened in such a place, then indeed, it would certainly be difficult to investigate,' said Murib.

[Translated by TAPOL]

ENDS

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