Families of Abepura defendants lodge complaint with Komnas HAM

Detik.com – October 5, 2006
Witness gives testimony during trial of Abepura riot defendants (Liputan 6)
Witness gives testimony during trial of Abepura riot defendants (Liputan 6)

Nograhany Widhi, Jakarta – Feeling that there has been a miscarriage of justice, the families of the defendants in the Abepura case have lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). They claim that there are three new pieces of evidence linked to the case that has already become a focus of attention in the international community.

The three new pieces of evidence are contained in a 150-page report on human rights crimes and immunity at PT Freeport Indonesia, human rights violations and a violation of court justice. “We are reporting here in order that there will be peace, justice and truth. Also for the protection of the [current] generation of Papuan youths”, said Yemima Krei, a representative from the Papua Indonesian Christian Church Synod at the Komnas HAM offices on Jl. Latuharhari in Jakarta on Thursday October 5.

The families lodging the report with Komnas HAM were represented by Emi Bero Tabui, the mother of the Yesya Echo Merano Bero Tabui, and Sulamit, the older brother of Peter Buwinei. The two defendants are students from the Jayapura University of Science and Technology. In addition to the families of the defendants, also present was a representative from the Papua Communion of Churches and the legal attorney for the two.

Aside from presenting the new evidence, the families also said there had been a distortion of the facts in the Abepura riot, which took place in front of Cendrawasih University during a protest against PT Freeport in March. Initially it was an issue of a riot between the local community and PT Freeport Indonesia that involved members of the Indonesian military and police, now it has just been turned into an issue of the killing of a police officer and an Indonesian airforce officer by Papuan students.

To date some 24 people in involved in the Abepura clash have been incarcerated having being sentence to between four to 15 years in jail. Two are still being prosecuted. “And there could still be additional suspects”, said Krei. (ahm/sss)

[Translated by James Balowski.]