AHRC says arrest of drunk youth was excessive
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| Marthen Goo, head of the National Papuan Solidarity |
The
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) yesterday called on the government
to launch a criminal investigation into the shooting and arrest of an
unarmed man last month by police in Papua province.
Kristian Belau, 21, was shot in the leg and arrested in an
altercation with police following a night out with friends in Nabire
district on September 24.
According to Yones Douw, a local rights activist, Belau and several
other young men had stopped a police car while drunk and demanded money
from the officers inside.
“The police fired three warning shots, which scared the young men off,” Douw said.
Police then launched a search for the young men and found Belau and two others.
“Two of them escaped. Belau, however, was very drunk and approached
the police instead of running away. As he did so, they shot him even
though he was unarmed and didn’t pose any threat,” Douw said.
The AHRC agrees with Douw and says the police exercised “excessive use of force.”
“Under Indonesian law, police should only use force in situations
where it is strictly necessary. The force used should also meet the
‘proportionality test’ – it should not be greater than the danger caused
by the threat,” the commission said.
The AHRC demanded the shooting be adequately and effectively
investigated. It has also questioned the police version of events which
stated that Belau was shot during a gunfight.
“That’s not true. There was no gunfight. The police are telling lies,” said Marthen Goo, head of the National Papuan Solidarity.
“We have lost our trust in law enforcement officials, including the
police. How can we report criminal activities to police when, in fact,
they are the perpetrators?” he said.
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