Papua Human rights defenders Fear Attacks Loom

West Papua Human rights defenders Fear Attacks Loom

Human rights defenders fear that today or tommorrow TNI Battalion 756 from Wamena will carry out operations in Bolakme (West of Wamena near Mulia) . Grave concerns are held for civilian population.

Els -ham is a Papua based Human Right organisation , Office address Jln ISTP Padang Bulan Abepura Jayapura, Papua

Socratez Yoman has just return from Wamena today. He holds view that the deteriorating situation in Mulia is a result of the deliberate action of the Indonesian Military. He believes that the Indonesian military has commenced military operations in the Mulia area.

Yoman beleives that the Military is manipulating the situation to gain advantage in terms of increases troop numbers and being able to undertake operations in the highland area against the local people.

Yoman says that it is essential that international bodies and countries, including the United Nations and Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations, become involved in making the peace & monitoring the situation in West Papua.

In other reports.

Large numbers of troops have been noted moving from Nabire, Wamena & Timika. Human Rights sources believe that the operation in the Punjak Jaya is being run as a 'closed operation'. A 'closed operation' means that all outside contact will be excluded and military will be run operations as if they were not occurring. These sources note that the Police and Military have denied commencing any operations.

These same Human Rights sources (28/12/06) are now unsure that Goliat Tabuni group is responsible for killings of the two Indonesian military personnel previously attributed to them(see IPAHR press release 26/12/06). Goliat Tabuni has not claimed responsibility and no contact has been made with him

Prepared by

Matthew Jamieson Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights