Tragic West Papua Incident Intentional - Front PEPERA

Press Release

Intentional Creation of Tragic Incident by Indonesian Armed Forces In West Papua

Jayapura, Papuan Province, Indonesia – 3 December, 2013

The allegation that the latter part of the peaceful demonstration by the National Committee of West Papua (KNPB) on 26 November 2013 involved a clash with Indonesian armed forces is a scenario that has been created at a high level by the Armed Forces of Indonesia for the following reasons :

1. To make KNPB into a scapegoat.

2. To trap the leaders of the KNPB so they can be arrested, detained, imprisoned, and put onto the hit list as targeted persons.

3. To create pre-conditions that the Armed Forces wanted for security reasons leading up to 1 December 2013.

4. To delay the planned visit of the Foreign Ministers of the members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group based on reasons of security issues.

5. To torture, terrorise and kill indigenous Papuan civil citizens.

6. To create pre-conditions upon the visit of the Head of Indonesian National Police on 27 November 2013.

7. To secure promotions of rank and position for members of the Indonesian Armed Forces who were involved in the incident and to secure receipt of operasional funds for the same.

8. As a means of creating conflict between indigenous Papuans and transmigrants.

9. To ensure there continues to be no space for democracy in Papua. In this regard a similar approach was used by the Indonesian Armed Forces in a previous tragic occasion on 16 March 2006 infront of the Cenderawasih University; when the Indonesian armed forces worked together with P.T Freeport Indonesia to stifle freedom of citizens to express their opinions in public.

If the Police had issued a Letter Indicating Receipt of Advice (STTP) of the planned action and given access to KNPB to carry out the peaceful demonstration, then the bloody tragedy which has caused a loss of life would never have happened. This tragedy has also consumed a significant amount of material resources.

The Head of the Papuan Provincial Police must be required to take responsibility for this tragedy.

ENDS

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