SPECIAL AUTONOMY LAW NO 21 YEAR 2001 or
THE INDONESIAN MILITARY KILLING FIELD OF THE NATIVE WEST PAPUANS:
TNI BATALLION 756 KILLED
OMANGGEN WONDA
Jayapura – West Papua, 11 February 2008
Reported by: Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, President of the Fellowship of West Papuan Baptist Churches
Omanggen Wonda, 22 years old, was killed by a soldier of TNI battalion 756 on January 31, 2008 at 21.00pm in Tingginambut village, Tingginambut district, Puncak Jaya regency, West Papua.
Chronology:
1. The murder of Omanggen Wonda
On January 31, 2008 ten people were playing cards. Nine of them were playing cards seriously. Omanggen Wonda was not seen playing cards. He just observed the others playing.
At 21.00pm, three military personnel from battalion 756 in Tingginambut village came to the house where the people were playing cards. The military post in the village is within 300 metres from the house.
Two military personnel were walking around and were watching the house with their weapons ready to fire. One soldier knocked at the door with a weapon in his arm ready to shoot. Omanggen Wonda opened the door and welcomed the visitors politely. However, the military personnel from battalion 756 shot Omanggen Wonda to death. Omanggen cried and shouted “Oh Mama.... I am shot”. These were his last words before he died.
His friends who were playing cards were shocked and frightened. The military personnel came inside and ordered them to carry Omanggen’s body to the military post in Tingginambut. They were arrested and were ordered to stay in the military post until the next morning.
The Indonesian military commander of the battalion 756 when interviewed commented: “Well.... this child is still young “.
On the morning of the 1st February 2008, Yopinus Wonda, Head of the Tingginambut tribe came to the battalion 756 military post. He was very angry and spoke to the Indonesian military commander. He said:
a. Commander! Did this child steal your belongings?
b. We are just farmers. Why did you kill him?
c. The security here is the responsibility of the police, not the Indonesian military. This is not a war zone. The military came and destroyed our gardens. You have already committed heavy human right abuses. You do not have any right to kill anyone without (legitimate) reasons.
d. I am sad and disappointed that your personnel always come, kill us and disturb us.
e. Is the special autonomy law no 21, year 2001 for killing the native West Papuans?
The head of the tribe, Yopinus Wonda, asked one of the Indonesian military personnel and the Indonesian military personnel said: ‘It was the commander that ordered us to kill this man’.
The main reasons for the killing were:
(1) Civilians threw stones at a passing car.
(2) There were shootings (heard three times).
(3) At every thanksgiving in memory of the death of a loved one, people always sing and pronounce the word ‘Papua’
2. My visit (Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman) to Puncak Jaya
Having heard about the incident of the shooting of an innocent civilian, I went to Puncak Jaya on the 6th February 2008. I arrived at 15.30 and went to the Chairman of the Indonesian Evangelical Church’s house. Unfortunately, he was in Jayapura (and was in mourning) following the death of his child who had been sick. Praise the Lord I could get the information that has been reported above. The community are the eyewitnesses of the incident.
On the morning of February 7th, 2008 at 8.30 am I met Elly Wenda, the regional secretary of Puncak Jaya to get more information on the incident. However, the regional secretary said: ‘I don’t know anything about it. We haven’t got any report yet from the community’.
At 09.00am on the same day the head of tribe, Yopinus Wonda and I went to the Indonesian military post in Mulia town, Puncak Jaya. I met the post commander Lieutenant Triono and the deputy commander, Sergeant Rafi. Lieutenant Triono said: ‘We do not know about the incident in Tingginambut post. In fact, we were distributing aid to the community and to the regional government’. The deputy commander, Sergeant Rafi added: ‘We are from KOMPI B, Arso 6. We are appointed to work in Puncak Jaya, the total of our personnel is 126’.
3. My suggestions to the military commanders
“Gentlemen, if you are assigned here, you are obliged to defend the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, (it’s not only that) you should also defend the sovereignty of the human being. If you defend the sovereignty of the human beings, in return, the human beings will defend the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia. However, if you hurt and injure the heart (the feelings) of the human beings, certainly they will fight to defend their dignity and their right to live. This includes me as well. I will fight against any actions that betray and violate human rights and justice values. I suggest that you plant and invest the values of kindness and justice and do not hurt the people’s feelings. Thus, when you live this country after you completed your appointment, your kindness will be remembered in people’s hearts. Here in West Papua, there is no OPM nor separatists and subversives. There are only God’s people who own the country and the land.”
4. Military operations and the Puncak Jaya security situation in general.
A very organized military operation in different forms is very obvious in Puncak Jaya:
a. Military Posts in the centre of town, Puncak Irinmuli, Tinggginambut, Yambi, Mebagaluk, and Puncak Kumipaga.
b. Special Teams.
c. Vehicle intelligence operations are very obvious and very organized in every corner of the town and in every small and big road.
d. Intelligence operations (in disguise) in the form of traders and workshops.
5. The people’s demand:
Except ordinary police personnel, withdraw all non-organic military personnel such as special teams, battalions, mobile brigade from Puncak Jaya, because Puncak Jaya is not a war zone.
Jayapura – West Papua, 11 February 2008
Reported by: Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, President of the Fellowship of West Papuan Baptist Churches
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Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org
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