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Violations of Human Rights in the Timika Area of Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia: A report by the Catholic Church of Jayapura

August 1995


"When the military brought Yuliana back she could not speak. She kept shaking and crying. I took hold of her head and prayed till she calmed down. Then she told me what she had experienced."

- Victim who was tortured for a month at Timika police station

 

"Action must be taken against those responsible for these violations. Repressive security approaches against the local people must stop."

- Indonesian NGOs

Contents

  • Preface


  1. Killing of civilians from Hoea village by the Indonesian military, 31 May 1995

  2. Disappearance of family members of rebel leaders, October 1994

  3. Stabbing and shooting of civilians by the Indonesian military at Easter, April 1995

  4. Arbitrary detention and torture of civilians in Timika, October 1994

  5. Detention and torture of civilians at Waa village, Christmas, 1994

  6. Arrest, torture and killing of Dani civilians at Tembagapura, Christmas, 1994

Violations of Human Rights in the Timika Area of Irian Jaya (West Papua)

Executive Summary

From the middle of 1994 till the middle of 1995 there have been a series of human rights violations in the area of Timika, district of Fak-Fak, Irian Jaya (West Papua). The incidents are described in detail in the following formal report issued by the diocese of Jayapura. According to this report the following human rights violations have taken place:

  1. Summary executions
  2. Arbitrary arrest and detention
  3. Torture
  4. Disappearances
  5. Surveillance
  6. Destruction of property

1. Summary executions and murder

According to the report there were five brutal violations of human rights in this category between December 25, 1994 and May 31, 1995. The victims of these acts were civilians including women and children. These civilians were murdered while they were unarmed and not resisting or endangering the security forces. The events were as follows:

25 December 1994: The abuse occurred on Freeport bus No. 44 on the road from Timika to Tembagapura. The victim was Wendi Tabuni (23) who died because he was stabbed in the belly and shot in the head when he tried to escape. His body was thrown into a ravine at Mile 66. The perpetrators of the murder were soldiers from battalion 733 of the Pattimura Division stationed at the ABRI (army) post at Mile 66. (For complete information see report VI)

25 December, 1994: Abuses at the Freeport workshop, Koperapoka. Three civilians died under torture (Yoel Kogoya, 27; Peregamus Waker, 28, and Elias Jikwa, 28). The perpetrators were soldiers from Wisma Pupurima, the Mess of the territorial command. (See report VI)

16 April, 1995: Abuses at Harapan village, Kwamki Lama, Timika. Two civilians were victims of an attempted murder and a murder. The first was stabbed in the abdomen with an arrow (Piet Tebay), and the second (Yunus Kudial) was shot in the chest and head with a fire arm. The first perpetrator was a watchman from Harapan Village, Kwamki Lama. The second was a soldier of battalion 733 of the Pattimura Division. (See attached report)

31 May, 1995: Abuses at Hoea Village. Number of victims: 11 people, including adults and children, shot dead. Perpetrators: troops of Trikora 752 Battalion under the command of second sergeant Mardjaka. (For the complete list of victims see report I)

2. Disappearances

Four people (Sebastianus Kwalik, Romulus Kwalik, Marious Kwalik and Hosea Kwalik) disappeared. The party which arrested them (army personnel from the Koperapoka army station) has not given any information about their status up until now. The disappearance of the four civilians started with their arrest and detention on 6 October, 1994, by a number of soldiers. Since then the family of the detainees have not been free to see them and since November they were not allowed to see them at all. The last place the victims were seen was in containers at the Koperepoka army post. (See report II).

3. Arbitrary arrest and detention

Civilians have been arrested and detained without a warrant and have not been accompanied by a lawyer/legal counselor during questioning. Victims were also released without any formal reason or compensation.

9 October, 1994: Arrest of 5 civilians (Mathias Kelanangame, 48; Yakobus Alomang; Nicolaus Magal; Yosefa Alomang, 37; Yuliana Magal, 50), by soldiers of 752 Paniai battalion. The place of detention was the police precinct of Timika. They were released on November 10, 1994. (See report VI)

25 December 1994: arrest of 15 civilians by members of the Pattimura battalion 733. They were detained in a Freeport container and at the Freeport workshop at Koperakopa. They were released on 26 December 1994. (See report VI)

26 December, 1994: Arrest of 4 civilians (Yunus Omabak, 33; Naimun Nrkime, 50; Okto Kiwa, 30; and Pius Waker, 34). The arrest was made by soldiers from battalions 733 and 752 at Banti. The victims were detained at the Freeport security post and in Freeport containers. Two people were released on 30 December, 1994, and two on 10 January, 1995.

29 December, 1994: Arrest of 3 civilians.

31 December, 1994: Arrest of 2 civilians.

1 January, 1995: Arrest of one civilian.

8 January, 1995: Arrest of 10 civilians. (For the complete list of victims, see report V). Most of those arrested were civilians who also happened to be Freeport employees, and two were tribal chiefs.

4. Torture

All the victims referred to above, those who died and those who were released, experienced torture. Various forms of torture were applied to the victims during their interrogation: they were forced to confess the gaolers accusations, had to sign confessions, and death threats were made to have them comply. This was done without any break for relatively long period: from 13.00 to 18.00 during the interrogations, (See report VI); from 04.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 02.00 (see Report VI). Physical torture consisted of kicking in the belly, chest and head with army boots; beating with fists, rattan, sticks, rifle butts and stones; denial of food; kneeling with an iron bar in the knee hollows; standing for hours with a heavy weight on the head, shoulders, or cradled in the arms; stepping and stamping on hands; tying and shackling of thumbs, wrists and legs; sleeping on bare floors; stabbing, taping eyes shut; and forced labor in a weakened condition. The torture caused bleeding head wounds, swollen faces and hands, bruises, loss of consciousness and death because of a broken neck. The torture was conducted in Freeport containers, the Army Commander's Mess, the police station and the Freeport security post.

5. Surveillance

Surveillance is so tight in the area that it causes fear and tension among the civilian population. Surveillance is conducted in churches, during prayer meetings, in villages and towns, and in the streets where passers by are monitored. Surveillance is conducted by training guns on people, and threatening everybody who is deemed to defy the army/security units.

6. Destruction of Property

In carrying out their security duties, soldiers have engaged in robbery. Beads and money (Rp. 260,000) belonging to Biru Kogoya were taken by soldiers of battalion 733 and shared with their friends. (See report VI).

The abuses referred to above are serious human rights violations. They should be given serious attention by all parties concerned with respect for human rights in Indonesia. Steps should be taken to address the incidents described in this report and to do whatever is possible to prevent their recurrence in the future.

Indonesian NGO Declaration to the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights

In accordance with the report on human rights abuse which occurred in Timika, district of Fak-Fak, Irian Jaya (West Papua), as revealed by Mgr. H.F.M. Munninghoff, OFM, the Bishop of Jayapura, on 3 August 1995, we are obliged to state the following:

First: we express our deepest concern about the sequence of serious human rights violations which has occurred in the area of Timika, district of Fak-Fak, Irian Jaya (West Papua), from arbitrary arrests and detention, to torture, surveillance, extra-judicial executions, destruction of property, and other violations.

Second: we urge the National Commission of Human Rights to take immediate steps to monitor and investigate the human right violations which occurred in the area of Timika, district of Fak - Fak, Irian Jaya (West Papua), and to disclose the result publicly.

Third: we request the National Commission on Human Rights to do everything in its power to urge the relevant parties to take action against the perpetrators of human rights violations as mentioned and furthermore, to urge the military and civilian bureaucracy to take a social-cultural approach to the local people, and to abandon repressive security approaches.

Fourth: steps should be taken to rectify the situation in a persuasive way and to release those still in detention, as well as to abandon the use of the GPK stigma as a justification for violence.

Fifth: steps should be taken to stop all forms of violence which cause mental and physical suffering for the people of the area of Timika.

Issued in : Jakarta

Dated: August 14, 1995

  1. Zumrotin K.S. INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development)
  2. Emmy Hafild, WALHI (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia)
  3. Abdul Hakim G. Nusantara, ELSAM (Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat)
  4. Rm. Hardaputranta SJ, LPPS (Lembaga Pendidikan dan Penerangan Sosial)
  5. Mulyana W. Kusumah, YLBHI (Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia)

Foreword

On 5 April, 1995 the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) published an alarming report. This report was entitled Trouble at Freeport: Eyewitness Accounts of West Papuan Resistance to the Freeport-McMoRan mine in Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia and Indonesian Military Repression: June 1994 - February 1995. The original report was actually in Indonesian because it was written by local people. ACFOA edited and published it in English.

The report is a very sad story about a number of incidents in the region around Timika, in the Fak-Fak district. This district is also the centre of Freeport Indonesia Corporation (FIC) mining activities. Considering that this area is served by the diocese of the Bishop of Jayapura, we felt particularly disturbed by the report. Because the sources of the report were anonymous, we were not able to accept it at face value. On the other hand, what happened in these accounts challenged us to examine the contents of this report as well as we could. This is what we have done and herewith we present the report without repeating all of it, although it was our reference material. But we also add from other sources which are dependable, since these sources are mostly the victims themselves or are very close to the happenings told here.

We have conveyed this report to the Indonesian Bishops Conference so that it can share our concern and, more importantly, bring the report to the attention of the national Commission on Human Rights which has been given a mandate by President Suharto to see to it that the human rights of Indonesian citizens are properly respected.

We hope that the National Human Rights Commission will follow up this report with an independent investigation on location. This is our hope and we want to express our gratitude to the Indonesian Bishops Conference for its involvement and assistance.

Mgr. H.F.M. Munninghoff, OFM

The Bishop of Jayapura

Report I: Killings of Civilians from Hoea Village by the Indonesian Army, 31 May 1995

Although the details of protest actions by the Amungme in the Tsinga Valley in the middle of 1994 are not well known, it is clear that a number of activities caused the army to resort to violence. The protests in the Tsinga Valley were instigated by a number of Free Papua (OPM) activists under the leadership of Mr. Kelly Kwalik. The protests actions were numerous and varied; there was a raising of the West Papua flag, peaceful protests and protests with arms involved. The army responded by declaring war on the rebels and sealing off the area. A number of people were killed and the socio-economic systems of the people were wiped out because gardens, houses and other means of livelihood were destroyed.

In this situation it is not surprising that a number of people were killed. This was reported in the document published by ACFOA in April 1995, and although this report was troublesome for all parties involved, at the end of May the same incidents happened again, as follows.

Accounts be eyewitnesses who survived the incident

On Wednesday, 31 May 1995 in the village of Hoea, soldiers from the 572nd Trikora battalion, stationed at Paniai, at the security post of Jila (90 km east of Tembagapura), in Paniai shot a number of Amungme indigenous people from Hoea, killing 11 of them.

According to the testimony of eyewitnesses who survived, the civilians of Hoea had been living in the forest because of fighting between OPM (Free Papua) guerrillas and the Indonesian military between June and December 1994. When the incident took place they were praying together because they were meeting to discuss who from the community would return to the government (controlled area) and who would stay in the forest. They were also preparing food on heated stones.

The meeting was led by the minister of the Kingmi Protestant Church of Hoea, the Rev. Martinus Kibak. While waiting for the food to cook, the people gathered in prayer. Rev. Kibak asked everybody to beseech God to grant them peace and calm in the uncertain future they had to endure. While they were praying, a 572 patrol led by master sergeant Marjaka who was patrolling the Hoea area, surrounded the people and without warning started shooting at the congregation while they prayed. The Rev. Martinus Kibak raised his hands to surrender, but Sergeant Marjaka did not care. He ordered the soldier closest to him, soldier second class Titus Kobogou, to shoot the minister. The bullet wounded the minister in the left part of his abdomen, and he died instantly. At the same time the patrol fired shots at the people (among them children) who were praying, killing 10 others.

List of civilians killed by battalion 572:

Name/age Religion Tribe Village
1. Theo Amokwme (35) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
2. Martins Dekme (40) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
3. Paulus Dekme (40) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
4. Ismael Dekme (6) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
5. Maria Alomang (22) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
6. Markus Alomang (26) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
7. Jiap Alomang (15) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
8. Lina Alomang (5) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
9. Anis Sugumol (14) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
10. Albert Sugumol (23) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
11. Martinus Kibak (40) Kingmi Amungme Hoea
(A list of people who survived are with me. HM).

 

(A list of people who survived are with me. HM).

Report II: Disappearances of Family Members of Rebel Leaders

In the report published by ACFOA it was reported that 5 family members of Mr. Kelly Kwalik (the leader of a band of rebels) were arrested by the army, interrogated and subsequently disappeared (it is strongly suspected that they were killed). We can back up that information in this report with testimony about the arrest, detention and disappearance of 4 family members of the Kwalik clan.

Arrest and disappearance of 4 members of the Kwalik clan

The sources are the first and second wife of Sebastianus Kwalik, viz., Maria Katagam-In and Nawarkal Deik-In.

Nawarkal Deik-In

6 October 1994

Around 23.00 at night five heavily armed soldiers in full uniform, guided by a community member named Beny Tsunme, came and surrounded our house and opened the door with the muzzle of their guns. When they saw we were alone at home they asked where our husband was. We became very afraid, and said that our husband was at his work (the incubator) which was not far from the house. Hearing our answer the soldiers ordered us to take them there (about 20 m from the house). We left the house, guided by Beny Tsunme.

When we arrived there the soldiers surrounded it. Our husband was playing cards with his three younger brothers on top of a container. They were ordered down under the threat of guns. 3 people then came down from the container with our husband. They were:

  1. Sebastianus Kwalik, our husband.
  2. Romulus Kwalik, our husband's brother
  3. Marius Kwalik, our husband's brother
  4. Hosea Kwalik, our husband's brother

They were ordered to lay face down on the ground. They were then told to get up and walk to the house of Theresia Kwalik. When they were about to go, my husband asked for permission to go to the toilet, but was not allowed; they grasped his arm and walked to the house of Theresia Kwalik. We asked for permission to come with our husband but the soldiers pointed their guns on us and told us to stay and not to follow them. Crying I followed slowly behind. When we arrived at the house of mama Theresia, a car was waiting there; the soldiers told the four men to get into the car, and they went away. Then I went to Theresia's house and I slept there.

7 October, 1994

At 08.00 I went with other members of my family to the army post at Koperapoka, Timika. They were Thea Timang, Elizabeth Beanal, and a number of small children. When we arrived at the guard house we reported to the guard that we wanted to see our husband who had been taken the previous night. The guard said: "What is the use of coming to see, we have not eaten <<???>> your husband". Hearing this we sat down near the post and waited for an hour. After that the guard told us (me and Thea Timang) we could see the prisoners. When we arrived at the container the door was open and we could see that our husband and his brothers were in the container and the husband of Theo Timang was in another container. My husband's hands and feet were shackled. I sat down and wept for them. After a few moments the soldiers came and told me, Thea and the children to leave, but because we remained sitting there they dragged us outside and ordered us to leave, so we left.

After we went home I went to the house of Yosefa Almoang/Kwalik because she is our mama. There we tried to collect money to free our husband. We could not complete this because after 3 days our mama was also arrested. (See part 4)

11 October, 1994

Early in the morning we went together with many other women to see our husband and mama who were arrested the previous night. When we arrived at the post the guard told us to sit down near the post. We asked the guard where they had brought the people they had arrested. The soldier said that he did not know and that if we wanted to know we should go to the Mess of the Territorial Commander (Panglima).

Hearing this we all lost hope. Because I brought food for my husband and his brothers I asked permission from the guard to bring the food to my husband. The guard agreed and escorted us there. The container was not yet opened wide, so we put the food through a small crack. We could not see the condition of our husband and his brothers because it was too dark inside the container.

In the morning we went to the army post. After we sat down near the post the guard said: "We heard that your husband has two wives, why is it that you are coming and going alone, where is the other wife?" I said that the other wife was there too, but she was living at SP V, so that she could not come everyday. Hearing this the guard said: "You don't need to come everyday, let the first wife and her child come to see her husband and his brothers. If you come alone again we will not give you permission to see your husband anymore!" After saying that the guard asked me to eat with them, but I refused and went home.

Maria Katagam-In

Hearing our husband was detained at the army post on 10 November 1994 I at once tried to come to Timika (Kwamki Baru) and when I met with my husband's second wife we went straight to the army post at Koperapoka Timika. When we arrived at the army post we talked to the guard and we told him our purpose; we were asked to sit down and the guard asked whether I was really the first wife of Sebastianus Kwalik. I answered that I was and when he heard that the guard asked the two women who had come with us "Why did you come here? Go home!" The two women then left and we were left alone. The soldier said then, "You are the first wife but you are already separated from him and you are now with this second wife, why do you buy cigarettes and other things for him and bring it to him?" I answered: "Although we are separated I still love him, and the proof is that I have bought cigarettes for him, so can you please open the door so that I can bring him the cigarettes and other things?" But the soldier said: " You don't need to bring it to him, just put it down here on the table, I will give it to him". Then the soldier said: "If you want to see your husband, come here on Tuesday with your child".

Hearing this we went home and slept in Kwamki Baru (Timika). On Tuesday we went with my child to the army post bringing things for my husband and his. The commander brought us directly to the container; there we saw all the prisoners had their hands and feet shackled while they were aired (dijemur, literally "dried") outside. Seeing this I cried and I gave what I brought to my husband and his brothers.

Their condition was very pitiful their bodies were very gaunt and their color was yellowish. My husband showed me a cloth covered in blood. "This cloth was drenched in my blood when I was tortured and I am sure I have no hope of staying alive. I am sure to die. Do you see that store room? We were put into that store room and from there moved tot he container. I can't stand this torture and I have tried to run away so that they would shoot me rather than torturing me. But the soldiers shot me in the leg and dragged me back to the container, look, this is the wound". He wanted to tell more about his situation but many soldiers came and we were told to go home. They ordered the prisoners back into the container. One of the soldiers said that if I wanted to see my husband again I should come back on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the day before I was due to meet my husband, from the late afternoon it kept raining. Wind, thunder and lightning was very great all through the night till the next morning. Very early the next day, the two of us (the first and second wife) went to the army post. When we arrived the guard said, "Your husband and the army personnel are on an operation in the Oenomon area, they are not here anymore!" But to be sure we asked him to see inside the container, so they gave us permission to have a look, but it was empty. We felt then that our husband and his brothers had been killed by the army.

We went home with an empty feeling. We were sure that the army had lied to us. This is the little evidence we can give as a wife, that our husband was arrested, held, tortured and then disappeared without our knowledge.

(We have the names of other people who know about the story. HM)

Report III: The Stabbing and Shooting of Civilians by Soldiers at Easter 1995

Numerous sources reported that Timika is under intensive surveillance, which is creating a tense atmosphere overshadowed by fear. This is clearly felt in dealing with the people. To describe this situation we recount the following incident of a shooting.

This report was recounted by two witnesses, a traditional leader and a church leader who saw the incident.

On 16 April, 1995 Piet Tebay (3) from the Ekari tribe was stabbed with an arrow by a member of the neighborhood security watch (siskamling) who was patrolling on the night of 15 April in Kwamki Lama (5 km from Timika Airport). The watch consisted of five people. They were all from the Dani tribe and were appointed by Sergeant Philipus Waker, the village security official (Babinsu) at Kwamki Lama who was also a Dani.

The incident happened about 01.00 in the morning on 16 April, at Easter. Piet Tebay and a number of villagers from Kwamki Lama just had left Easter celebrations at the Three Kings parish church of Timika and were walking home. Piet, who is an employee from the Freeport hospital in Tembagapura with his two friends got a lift on a motorbike and went ahead of his friends. When they arrived at the security post in the village of Harapan, Kwamki Lama, they were stopped and ordered to report to the post. Piet and his two friends did not accept the rude attitude of the 5 watchmen and said that there was no reason for them to report to the station because the watchmen knew that they had just come home from the Easter Mass in Timika. One of the five did not accept this explanation and stabbed Piet in the stomach with an arrow, wounding him seriously. Crying out in pain he asked his friends to get help. He was rushed to the Tembagapura hospital to get medical attention. He is recovered now.

The stabbing of Piet Tebay generated anger and protests from the Ekari tribe, including the Amungme and other indigenous peoples in the Timika area. At 11.00 in the morning around 600 people demonstrated in Kwamki Lama, mostly in front of the Gedung Serba Guna an the market. They demanded that the Dani pay a blood price to the victim's family because one of their members had wounded a member of the Ekari tribe. Yelling, they demanded that the security posts established by the military in Kwamki Lama should be removed and that Sergeant Waker, the local security official, should be removed from the village because he had often created trouble and discord in the community.

While the people were yelling and protesting, the tribal elders from the Dani, Ekari, and Amungme, the Kwamki Lama security official, the family of the victim, and the commander of the Strategic Operational Command (Dan Kotis) of Timika-Akimuga, Captain Yulius, were meeting in the security office of Kwamki Lama trying to find a way out of the situation.

Observing the tension and protests from the people and afraid that the people would rebel, the military deployed 40 soldiers from battalion 733 Patimura who were armed to quell the unrest in Harapan Village, Kwamki Lama (the location of the incident).

At that time, 11.30 in the morning, people were going home after attending the Easter morning service at the Kingmi church of Kwamki Lama. Three people from the Ekari tribe were going home along the road which was guarded by a number of soldiers. The soldiers forbad them to go that way and a soldier forcibly hauled one of the churchgoers back by his shirt sleeve. Yunus Kudial tried to explain that he had just come from church and wanted to go home. But the soldier did not listen and hit Yunus in the face. Yunus fended off the blow. This made the soldier angry and he kicked Yunus in the side so that he fell to the ground. Yunus became angry too and he picked up a stone and threw it at the soldier, hitting his wrist. The soldier, enraged, took his gun and cocked it, pointing it at Yunus who as standing very close to him. Understanding that he was in danger, Yunus jumped, grabbing the muzzle of the weapon which was directed towards him, but the soldier fired his weapon, hitting Yunus in the breast. The victim cried out and staggered back, while the soldier fired three more shots. Two rounds missed Yunus but the third hit him in the middle of the forehead. He died instantly. The soldiers then fired shots in the air to disband the 600 demonstrators who had witnessed the brutal incident. The body of the victim was left in the street, and was later picked up by a military vehicle and brought to the mess of the territorial commander (Mess Panglima) in Timika where it was held. When they heard the shots the community leaders and tribal elders who were meeting at the security office went outside to see what was happening. They saw that another victim of the Ekari tribe had fallen. They went back to continue the meeting, but this time they did not only talk about the stabbing of Piet Tebay but also about Yunus. They decided that the victim should receive 25 million rupiah in blood money. This they considered the best way out.

In the late afternoon, at 17.00, the family of the victim went to the Mess Panglima in Timika to ask for the body of the deceased. But the request was refused. The army said they would handle it, by arranging for a coffin and bringing the body to the house of the deceased's family. They brought the body to the house the next day at 11.00 in the morning (Monday, April 17). The body was already enclosed in a coffin. After the vehicle which had brought the coffin left, 4 soldiers of battalion 733 stayed in the vicinity to escort the coffin to the cemetery. The body was buried in the cemetery at Baru Street, Timika at 12.30, about 2 km from the airport.

The shooting caused considerable exasperation, particularly amongst leaders of the Catholic church and Kingmi Protestant church. Father Nato Gobay (an Ekari) from the Three Kings Parish Church of Timika who visited the family of the victim, although the soldiers didn't allow him to open the coffin, insisted on opening the coffin to take pictures. When one of the soldiers prevented this he said in anger: "This is my brother (he was related to the victim), one of God's flock, and he is innocent. And he is dead. Why are you forbidding us to take a picture of his body? You military have no right to forbid me to take a photo. This is a law abiding country. I want to see that the perpetrator of this shooting who killed Yunus Kudiai should be punished according to his deed!"

Hearing the criticism and request from the pastor the commander of the soldiers said: "You will have to meet the commander in Timika. You have to account for what you have done and said". In the end Father Gobay went to see the commander of battalion 733 in Koperapoka, Timika. Father Gobay and the people were really distressed by the inhumane treatment meted out by the army to civilians/indigenous people who had done nothing wrong.

The pressure and demands from several parties in the end compelled the military to invite a number of community leaders for a meeting. The meeting was attended by the army leader from the KODAM VIII Trikora (the "Trikora" 8th Military Territorial Command) HQ in Jayapura. The community leaders demanded that the soldier who shot Yunus Kudiai be brought to court. Hearing this the officer from the KODAM VIII said: "Gentlemen, don't worry about this matter, because the perpetrator will be dealt with in accordance with military law". But until now the community has not received any information on this.

Report IV: Arbitrary Detention and Torture of Civilians in Timika, October 1994

The atmosphere in the Timika and Tembagapura area (the centre of the Freeport Indonesia Corporation (FIC) operations) was characterized by tension and fear. Arbitrary acts (by the military) increased the tension and fear as can be seen from the following testimonies.

This incident is recounted by one of five victims who were detained and tortured arbitrarily by soldiers from the Paniai battalion 752 stationed at Timika. The five Amungme civilians were suspected of collaborating with the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in the jungle. The allegations against them are unproved. The five are:

Name Religion Sex Address
Mathius Kelanangame (48) Catholic Male Kampung Baru
Yakobus Alomang Catholic Male Kampung Baru
Nicolaus Magal Catholic Male Kampung Baru
Yosefa Alomang Catholic Female Kampung Baru
Yuliana Magal (50) Catholic Female Kampung Baru

On 9 October, 1994 at 24.00 a number of soldiers came hammering at the victims door. The victim and her children were sleeping. When the children heard the pounding on the door they opened it. Heavily armed soldiers were standing in front of the door and others had surrounded it. A soldier asked the children: "Where is your mama?" The daughter of the victim was startled because it was her mother the soldier was asking for. Trembling she answered: "Mama is sleeping". The soldier ordered the child to wake her mother. When the daughter went to wake up her mother the soldier followed her into the bedroom where the victim was sleeping. The daughter went inside the mosquito net and woke up her mother: "Mama, wake up, there are soldiers!" The soldier immediately followed her yelling: "Mama, wake up quickly!" She asked her daughter to tell the soldiers to wait for her to dress, but the soldier ordered her to get out immediately, so she left the bedroom clad only in a sarong. Six soldiers escorted her to a car parked 20 metres from the house. The victim's children were crying and clinging to their mother so that the soldiers would not take her away but one by one they were dragged away from their mother by the military. She was ordered to get into the car. The other victims were already in the car - Yakobus Almoang, Mathias Kelanangame and Nikolaus Magal. The victims were brought to the military post in Koperapoka. At the station the victims were told to sit on a bench for interrogation. One soldier had a piece of paper with the names of the people who were suspected and their suspected activities.

Soldier: Who is called Mathias?

Mathias: I am the one called Mathias.

Soldier: You are the one who usually feeds the gang (GPK or Security Disturbing Gang), aren't you?

Mathias: I don't know about this.

Soldier: But your name is here, so you are the one who helps the GPK in the forest.

Mathias: I was involved with the GPK since 1977. But from 1979 until now I have only been thinking about how to feed my family and be with the community and to participate in development and progress with the community. I am also a tribal leader who is always collaborating with the government in conducting development. So I have no connections anymore with the GPK in the forest.

The next question was directed towards Mr. Yacobus.

Soldier: It is said that you usually buy sarongs, blankets, salt, sodium glutamate, and sugar, and that you give this to the GPK. It is all in our notes. (During the interrogation the military held notes with lists of names of suspects. They did not disclose the source of these notes). See, your name and what you are doing is here, we just need to read it to you!

Yakobus: I don't know a thing about this. If according to you gentlemen I have done this, then I say I have never done it, I swear in the name of God, I don't know!

Soldier: We have notes that you buy merchandise and send it to the GPK in the jungle.

Yakobus: I do not know anything about what you are accusing me of.

Soldier: What is the name of your wife?

Yakobus: My wife's name is Lidia.

Soldier: What is your wife doing?

Yakobus: My wife is doing many things, some I know about and some I don't know about.

Soldier: Maybe it is your wife!

After questioning Yakobus, the soldier turned to Nicolaus Magal.

Soldier: We have heard that you have connections with Kelly Kwalik and his friends in the forest. You are the one who usually takes care of the cooperative and you are giving the cigarettes, salt, sodium glutamate and other necessities to the GPK.

Nico: I don't know anything about this. Only the people who have just left the jungle and live on the other side of the Wanagowong river (at that time they were settled temporarily and now they are living at the SP V transmigration settlement). At that time we usually went to give them aid with the approval of the cooperative members, and also to ask them to become members of the cooperative. And we helped them indeed with salt, sodium glutamate and other necessities. That is indeed true but if you mention Kelly Kwalik and his GPK in the forest, then I don't know about it.

The questioning then was directed at Yosefa.

Soldier: You are a Kwalik? You know Kelly Kwalik (the rebel leader in the forest), don't you?

Yosefa: Yes, my husband is from the Kwalik clan.

Soldier: If that is so, it means that you are the one who usually gives cigarettes, food, and buys them necessities to help them in the forest. And Kelly usually comes to you!

Yosefa: He is indeed our family, closely related to my husband. But until now I don't know about their whereabouts and never have any connections with them. About two or three years ago there were indeed people who appeared suddenly and asked for salt, sodium glutamate and other things. Yes, if they ask for it and I have it why shouldn't I give it? Especially because they are people who are close to us, they are family. Our custom teaches us that if you have more than enough, you have to share. So if I have it, I give it not to support them, but because if we live with other people how can we not give if we have it, and people ask for it. So I admit freely what we have done before, but what you say about what has happened recently I don't know.

Soldier: Yes, you just confessed, so you been providing them all the time, so now we have got you.

A few soldiers then looked again at the list.

Soldier: Who is Yuliana Magal?

Yosefa: That mama is living in Kwamki Lama and she is old! The soldiers then asked Nicholaus Magal to come to fetch Yuliana that same night, at 1.00 in the morning. That night they Yuliana and brought her where the other victims were held. She is 50 years old and cannot speak Indonesian.

Soldier: Mama Yuliana, Kelly is you adopted son, isn't he? You are the person who is close to Kelly and you have a rank and are always sending information in and out.

Yuliana: I am already old, why should I think about such things. What I am thinking about is how to get to heaven (translated by Yosefa).

Soldier: They way that Yuliana is keeping a Papuan flag and metal (rank Insignia) and that you are Kelly's deputy and that you have a special assignment.

Yuliana: If you accuse me of keeping a flag, let's go home and take the red-white flag because it is that flag that I keep. I am an Indonesian. I am the wife of a tribal leader who struggled left and right and brought the people down (from the highlands) on order of the government. My husband is long dead and I am a widow. I am a widow for long and now I am also old. But if you gentlemen want to see, lets prove it, we go to my home together and we take the red and white flag, please.

The victim continued her story. After the interrogation they were brought to the place of detention which turned out to be a container owned by FIC (Freeport) in the vicinity of the post. But the two containers were already full. One held 5 prisoners, the other 4. So they were brought to the police station of Timika.

"We went inside the police cell around 02.00. They put the 3 men into a good dry room. Yosefa and Yuliana were kept in an old closet which was not well closed, water was knee deep and it was reeking of human feces. We could only stand and had to "enjoy" the stink for about a week. Then, the five of us were brought to a place, nobody knows exactly where, and were put in separate cells.

The eyewitness/victim then recounted the second interrogation process.

Soldier: Explain how you helped the people in the jungle!

Yosefa: I don't know anything about it, so what should I say, if you know better you tell me.

Soldier: What have you been doing while living here in Timika?

Yosefa: I didn't do anything. I am just one of the common people. I have no job, I am a housewife. But we have a common activity, the women have a cooperative and I am the chairwoman of the cooperative. If the officer of the cooperative does things which are not good I am the one who tells them. I am the one who usually speaks out and criticises. I am also responsible for Timika and this community so that they can become good. But now you give me this prize for it, you put me in a cell, you torture me. I don't want to speak now that I know you have all these notes, I don't want to speak anymore. I will be silent.

Because I did not talk anymore they brought me back to the police station and the three men were also brought back.

But Yuliana was not brought back until 15.00 since the victims were brought to the place for interrogation at 09.00. Yuliana came back trembling and crying. I thought they had killed her so I was also crying. We were asking each other from adjacent rooms what had happened. When they brought Yuliana back she could not speak, she kept shaking and crying, although I kept asking her what had happened to her. After a while I took hold of her head and prayed till she calmed down. Then she told what she had experienced.

"The soldiers kept asking me in Indonesian, but what could I say because I can't speak Indonesian and the military can't speak the local language, so I was just silent and didn't want to talk. So to make Yuliana talk they prodded her with the muzzles of their weapons they pointed at her forehead and put a heavy iron weight on her head for an hour till she was exhausted. Then they took the weight and put it on her shoulder for another hour. Then she had to kneel and she had to cradle the weight for another hour. Then they put the gun against her breast to force her to talk. Then they fondled her breast to find out whether Yuliana was afraid or not and put a stethoscope there for about an hour. Then because they couldn't do anything more to make her talk they brought her back to her cell. We were held and tortured for one month (from 9 October to 10 November, 1994) at the police station in Timika.

Report V: Detention and Torture of Civilians at WAA After a Peaceful Demonstration in Tembagapura on 25 December, 1994

It is confirmed that on Christmas day, 25 December 1994, a demonstration took place near the Freeport Inc. mine in Tembagapura. This event was reported in the ACFOA publication but here we want to complete this report with a number of eye-witness accounts.

A tribal chief from the village of Waa was one of 20 civilians from Waa (3 km from Tembagapura) who was detained arbitrarily and tortured after a peaceful demonstration by Amungme people on 25 December, 1994.

That day a demonstration took place from 03.00 - 06.00 in the morning. People from three churches in Arwanop, Bauti and Waa gathered in Utumkimi, Waa, to conduct a religious service. At that time we received news about shootings in Tembagapura. This news made people afraid. So I warned the congregation not to leave the church till after the service. Then we saw a body carried by some soldiers to the army post in Banti. The persons who were shot were Natanewelan Hanggaibak, an official from Tsinga Village, and Nogogamakmo Mom.

On 26 December, 1994 news came from the KOMOP Military Commander, Captain Dwi, and the platoon commander of Tembagapura, first lieutenant Rudy, conveyed through community members, to come and bring data about three churches, the Immanuel church in Ompitawak, the Patmos church in Banti, and the Zaitun church in Utumkini. After the names of the congregations were collected I brought them to the village office in Waa. It was silent there and it turned out that the people had gathered at the Zaitun church in Utumkini. I went there too. On my way I met John Jamang and Marten Omalang (both officials from the village of Waa), around 08.00 in the morning. When we arrived at the military post of the 733th and the 752nd battalions in Banti we handed over the data. Then, together with Naimun Narkime (a tribal chief) Octo Kibak and Pius Waker we had to get into an FIC security vehicle no. 404 and proceed to Mile 68. In the car were the platoon commander (Lt. Rudy) and the KOMOP commander (Captain Dwi) and 6 of their men. After arrival at the FIC security station, we were told to wait in the office.

Octo and Naimun were then told to get into the vehicle again and went to the KOMOP office in Tembagapura. In the vehicle their hands were bound together. At the KOMOP office they were beaten and kicked with boots by the troops and then were put into the FIC container near the office.

I and Pius Waker were locked up in the cells of the FIC security station. When I tried to ask them (the military and FIC Security guards) what we had done wrong their answer was, "We have not called for you, you were called from the Mess Panglima (Wisma Pupurimina) in Timika, so you have to go there!" Around 11.00 the FIC security patrol car came and brought us to the KOMOP station in Tembagapura. After we arrived there we did not meet with the people who were brought there before us (Octo and Naimun). The two of us were put inside a container without being bound. Then we were brought outside again and the four of us were put into a car which was escorted by two civilians and Captain Dwi to Timika around 13.00 and to the Mess Panglima. We entered together and sat in the mess meeting hall. Then we had to swear that we were involved in the demonstration and we were not allowed to disavow this. They (the military) said: "If you don't admit you have been involved in the demonstration you'll lose your lives! If you want to be safe, you have to confess honestly what you have done!" then they started to ask about our identity based upon a notebook which they had. In the book was written that Yunus Omabak on the night of 24 December, 1994 wearing black shorts and T shirt went up to Tembagapura and hoisted the (Papua) flag. I said that they (the protesters in the forest) had hoisted the flag, but I myself was not involved in hoisting the flag and the demonstration. Then they said: "You swore to confess and now you say you're not involved!" Then they ordered me to go outside. The others also said they were not involved. In the notebook at the Mess Panglima was written that the four of us had bought cigarettes and rice and had been collaborating with them (the Free Papua Movement/OPM guerrillas who had demonstrated). The notes stated that Naimun has bought a plastic bag with rice. Octo had bough a carton of cigarettes and food for the GPK (Security Disturbance Gang). The four of us vehemently denied this because it was not true.

Then the four of us were brought outside and were separated. Naimun and Octo were brought to a small hut behind the mess, and I was outside alone. I was roughly forced to take off my shirt, hat and the beads around my neck. Then they started to interrogate me. I was threatened with a gun and told to confess. I said I was not involved but that I still felt responsible for what my people had done. In this case I had to confess in name of my people. This is in accordance with our customs, among the Amungme, if one of the community had done something wrong, then we as their customary leaders (mendagawan) are responsible for what they have done. In that case, I had to confess for their part, although I personally had nothing to do with the demonstration. Then they said: "Do you want to be independent? Why would you be independent for a second time and do all kinds of things?" Then they hit me on the head with a big stone over my head till blood streamed over my body. This is the scar ... They put an iron bar in the hollow of my knees and forced me to squat and lean against a chest for hours. I was screaming in pain. Meanwhile my friend Octo was stabbed with a bayonet in his left shoulder and arm pit till he screamed out loudly. His hands were put on the cement and stamped on with boots and hit with gun butts. I thought he was dead. Naimun, the tribal chief was kicked with boots in the chest and beaten. Naimun thought that his son (Octo) who was at his side was already dead so he became emotional and started screaming. So he was beaten again until both of them fell down unconscious. They (the soldiers) thought they were dead and they prepared black plastic sheets in the room to wrap their bodies in. I was left outside covered in blood.

A few soldiers came to clean up the blood. To them I said: "Yes, I am not an educated person, not a government official, police officer or military man so that this blood is regarded as animal blood. But it is not animal blood, it is human blood. It is only for my community that I am sacrificing this blood. I am sacrificing this blood for my children and grand children so that one day they can be "people" like other tribes." I said this crying. Because what could I do, if we told the truth they didn't accept it. They wanted us to say what was not right.

They tortured us till 18.00 on 26 December. Pius Waker was beaten with a rattan till the rattan was shattered. Then we were brought to another room. I could want by myself although my head was spinning. Octo had to be supported by two soldiers.

They told us: "You will not be saved if you don't talk honestly. You were involved and then you denied. You are Christians who just have celebrated Christmas, why should you deny again?" We were rained upon with questions and blows. This went on till the next day. They treated our wounds. Their questions were like this: "Who are the names of the GPK members? What are the weapons they have? Who is helping them? Which country is helping them? Where did the flag came from? Did you sew it yourself and what is it shaped like? Then I said that the flag was like that and made in a factory. The flag existed since Dutch times. About the weapons I asked them in return: 'Are there shops in Indonesia which sell weapons? If there are ask them. The weapons they have are only a few pieces, taken from the Indonesian army. Because you took our rights they (the OPM) did it to protest your deeds!"

They asked me who had raised the OPM flag that morning and about the Papuan national anthem. I was irritated because the questions every one was asking were the same questions over and over. The questions did not change. Then they started asking again about the names in the list they had: "Are you responsible for the names on this list?" I said again that I was responsible about everything. Then they asked when the flag would be hoisted again. I then said it would be the first of July 1995 in Timika and that it was already planned.

The same questions were my food for every day. As soon as I was up in the morning they started these questions. We were also forced to work with our bodies wounded and pained. As long as we were held, the number of prisoners increased all the time, and the new prisoners received the same treatment as we. They (the military) also asked about the existence of the Freeport Cenderawasih Foundation. According to the military this foundation was behind a lot of trouble. They asked me about the activities of this foundation and the involvement of foreigners. But I said I didn't know what this institution was doing. If they would asked about the problems faced by the community maybe I could give some information. Because I am not a Freeport employee or anything, I am just a man from the street.

While the first batch of prisoners was interrogated and tortured all the time, we saw new batches of prisoners coming in all the time, mostly from the village of Waa who were led into the mess. I was asked whether I was related to them by blood or knew the ones brought in. I said this is my brother, this is my son, this is an Amungme. I told the children who were detained: "It is better that you just confess when they press you because they have your names already. If not, they will be more cruel. So just say that you were involved, even if you don't know anything about what they will be asking you."

No-one escaped torture. They were beaten with rattan, sticks and rifle butts and kicked with boots. Their hands were all crushed and were swollen. We were detained in groups. The number detained earlier were tortured till they died, but later arrivals were just interrogated in a normal way. Because the elders in the village began to complain, torture became less.

The time we were detained in the Mess Panglima we had to sleep on the floor without any cover. As a result many of us became sick besides being wounded all over our bodies. But God still had mercy on us. We were set free on 10 January 1995. However, there still were a few who were held. Octo and Pius were freed after 4 days. I was detained and tortured the longest time in the Mess Panglima, Timika, from 25 December till the 10th of January 1995. In detention we signed a Letter of Declaration made up by the military themselves. The contents were that we were involved with the GPK in the forest, although that was not true.

Waa civilian victims of arbitrary arrest, detention and torture after the peaceful demonstration of 25 December, 1994

First group  December 26, 1994
Name/Age Sex Status Religion Tribe Village Occ.
1. Yumus Omabak (33) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa tribal chief
2. Naimun Narkime (50) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa tribal chief
3. Okto Kiwa (30) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
4. Pius Waker (34) Male married Kingmi Dani Waa FIC
 
Second group December 29, 1994
5. Petrus Omabak (31) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
6. Altimus Komangal Male married Kingmi Dani K.lama FIC
7. Herman Beanal (4) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
 
Third group December 31, 1994
8. Dominggus Narkima (29) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
9. Eltinus Omalang (23) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
 
Fourth group January 1, 1995
10. Hamo Hom (25) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
 
Fifth group January 8, 1995
11. John Jamang (35) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
12. Silas Hagal (31) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
13. Joel Beanal (19) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
14. Philipus Beanal (21) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
15. Martin Hagal (22) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
16. Martinus Hagal (28) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
17. Yupinus Hagal (19) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
18. Yohannes Kum (19) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
19. Johny Beanal (18) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC
20. Sion Bukalang (21) Male married Kingmi Amungme Waa FIC

Report VI: Arbitrary Arrests, Torture and Killing of Civilians of the Dani Tribe After the December 25 Incident in Tembagapura

The demonstration and hoisting of the OPM flag by protesters from the Amungme indigenous people (OPM guerrillas) on the morning of 25 December, 1994 in Temgagapura has been used as a pretext by the army to arrest, detain, torture and even kill the civilian members of the indigenous peoples living in the villages located in the area where the incident took place. They (the civilians) were suspected of supporting the demonstrators. The testimony recounted here is told by one of the victims who survived among 15 Dani civilians who were detained following the incident.

On 24 December 1994, three churches, respectively Patmos Banti, the Zaitun (olive), and the Immanuel church of Omptiwak, Waa, celebrated Christmas together in Waa (2 km west of Tembagapura). To take part in the celebration we (10 people from the Dani tribe) from the village of Harapan, subdistrict Kwamki Lama, district of Timika, got a permit to travel from the Village Office. The letter was signed by the village head of Harapan, Kwamki Lama, master sergeant Philipus Waker and the commander of the Strategic Operational Command (Dan KOTIS) Timika-Akimuga Captain Yulius.

With this letter dated 22 December 1994 we left Timika Airport at 15.00 on 23 December 1994 in a Freeport bus heading to Tembagapura. We arrived in Tembagapura at 20.00 and reported to the KOMOP commander of Tembagapura, Captain Dwi, from the Paniai 752 battalion. We also reported to the commander of the Banti post where the permission to travel document was stamped. After that we proceeded to Waa to join with the other members of the congregation to prepare the Christmas celebration for the night of December 24.

After participating in the celebration, the next day, December 25, at 04.00 in the morning we (10 Dani from Timika) with 5 other Dani from Waa intended to return to Timika on the Freeport bus from Tembagapura. On arrival at Freeport Security Station II we heard singing in Amungkal (the language of the Amungme) and suddenly head a single shot which startled us.

Biru Kogoya (28) who was the leader of the Dani party from Timika then knocked on the door of the Freeport Security Station to report that we had attended Christmas celebration and intended to return to Timika. But the guard at the station said with a startled voice: "Eh, you are GPK (rebels)." We got very alarmed and frightened at this accusation. But I tried to convince the Freeport Security officer that we were not GPK rebels and showed him our permit to travel letter, explaining that we were traveling to Waa to take part in celebrating Christmas and now wanted to go back to Timika. The officer then allowed us to proceed to the Freeport Travel Office in Tembagapura to go on the bus to Timika. But before we reached the Travel office we were arrested by soldiers from battalion 733 Patimura at the General Security Station of Freeport, Tembagapura. They didn't explain why we were detained. So we tried to explain why we were traveling and showed them the permit. But they didn't want to know. Our permit was torn to pieces and thrown away. They even accused us of trying to deceive them, that we were GPKs, hitting us with their rifle butts and kicking us with their boots. At 08.00 we were beaten and escorted to the KOMOP office in Tembagapura where we were detained in Freeport containers. In a container about 3 x 6 metres the fifteen of us were beaten with sticks (about 5 x 5 cm), and rifle butts and were kicked with boots by the troops. They took turns beating and kicking us from 08.00 till 12.00 at noon. They stripped us stark naked, and took our belongings such as beads and money. A soldier to Rp. 260,000 from Biru Kogoya and then shared it with his friends. I could only look on, afraid and powerless.

Around 12.00 a few soldiers while beating and kicking us forced us to dress again and forced us aboard Freeport bus no. 44 which was heading to Timika. On arrival at the Mile 66 army post of battalion 733, the troops from Mile 68 got off the bus and were replaced by about 30 soldiers from Mile 66 army post of battalion 733.

On the bus the soldiers forced the 5 Dani from Waa to sit in front, while the 10 of us Dani from Timika had to sit in the rear. Then they covered the eyes of the Dani from Waa with tape and tied their thumbs together in front. We from Timika had only our thumbs tied. After that the bus took off, and Wendi Tabuni (23), knowing that we were all in danger, tried to escape by opening the window with his elbow. When I saw this I warned him in Dani to be careful. But a soldier aimed his gun at me, lifted his weapon and hit me on the head so that I started to bleed. "What are you saying to him, you are GPKs!" said the soldier. In pain and afraid to be shot I bowed down under the seat. Seeing that, Wendi tried to jump out of the window, but one soldier quickly jumped up and stabbed him in the belly with his bayonet. Seriously wounded, Wendi still jumped out of the window and ran away. The bus stopped at once and a number of soldiers jumped down, and without warning they shot Wendi in the head. He managed to stagger a few steps before dying. The soldiers took his body and threw it in a ravine left of the Tembagapura-Timika road on Mile 66. This made the soldiers very angry and they threatened to kill all 14 of us. The driver was forced to start the engine again and continue to Timika.

On arrival in Timika at 14.00 we got off the bus at the Pupurimina Mess (the locals often call it the Mess Panglima) for interrogation. Captain Yulius, the KOTIS commander appeared, the one who had signed our permit to travel on December 23. I knew him well so I told my brothers to hail him all together: "Good afternoon Captain Yulius!" This made the soldiers escorting us step back. Maybe they thought that Yulius would recognize me and by brothers. But Captain Yulius just ignored us. After the soldiers from Tembagapura "negotiated" with the KOTIS and other military leaders we were transferred to the Freeport workshop in Koperakopa (700 metres south of Wisma Pupurimina). Here, with their eyes taped shut (the 5 Dani from Waa) and their thumbs tied (9 Dani from Timika) we were beaten and tortured one by one by the soldiers who took turns. They screamed at us and threatened to kill us if we would not confess that we had taken part in the demonstration in Tembagapura. Rifle butts, boots, fists, sticks landed on every part of our bodies. I myself was beaten with a stick from my head to my fee. (He showed us the scars on his head and legs).

Seriously wounded, blood running from all of my body, by face swollen, afraid, hungry and very weak, particularly because they did not want to hear our explanation, I only could hope to meet with Captain Yulius because I knew him. When at last we met him he asked why we were detained. I explained to him that we, particularly the 10 from Timika, went to Waa for Christmas celebrations. But when we went back to Timika we were arrested and tortured by the soldiers because they suspected we had taken part in the demonstration in Tembagapura. I also told that Wendi Tabuni was stabbed and shot by the soldiers at Mile 66. When he heard that Captain Yulius ordered the soldiers to separate us from the 5 Dani from Waa. When we were detained there three Dani from Waa were tortured by being beaten with sticks on the neck from behind, left, right and from the front, till their necks were broken and they died. I witnessed this torture together with my friends. They (the three Dani from Waa) were beaten and tortured with their eyes still taped shut. This happened on 25 December in the night. The three people tortured to death were:

  1. Yoel Kogoya (27)
  2. Peregamus Waker (28)
  3. Elias Jikwa (28)

Because we witnessed this the soldiers told us: "You want to be like them? You are GPK members!" Then those of us who were left (9 from Timika and 2 from Waa) were forced to stand and sing Indonesia Raya (the national anthem). We cold not see well anymore because our faces were swollen and our eyes shut because of bruises and blood that kept running. I was ordered to lead the song, we sand national songs for an hour. In the morning we were brought back to Wisma Pupurimina. There we slept outside without being given any food. The babinsa (village security official) of Kwamki Lama, master sergeant Philipus Waker, a Dani, appeared to negotiate with the military leaders in the Wisma. Then we were told to go home on foot, although my house was very far and I was very weak because I was tortured all day without having any food. I walked home, and on the road I fell unconscious. When I came to, I was covered with flies which were attracted to my wounds and blood. I recovered and walked further till I fell again and became unconscious. Before I was unconscious I saw my brother who was heating stones nearby. I ran towards him but fell and lost consciousness again. When I woke up my brother already had gone home and it was 16.00. Many flies were on my face. Then I went on with the strength that was left with me. For five days I could not move and could not eat properly, and I was really suffering. In the sixth day I started to recover.

Of the 15 Dani who went on the Freeport bus to Timika, 4 were killed and the others were detained, tortured and then released. Where the four who were killed are buried I don't know. I only know that the first who was shot was thrown in the valley near Mile 66.

A few days after our release, the wife of mantri (paramedic) Anus Jikwa who is related to Elias Jikwa, one of those murdered, came to see me. Because the wife of the mantri is Javanese, she could go to the station to check on the situation of Elias Jikwa who had disappeared for days. But they (the soldiers) said that Elias, Peregamus and Yoel and been released already. The wife of Anus Jikwa checked four times in a row (from 27 to 30 December 1994) but always received the same answer. They even brought her into the detention rooms to see for herself. She saw only other prisoners.

(The list with names of the 15 people are with me. HM)

The foregoing text was produced by typing from a faxed paper copy. For a version of this report received later by email from ACFOA, see original .