Medical personnel arrested in Jayapura for 'inciting strike

Bintang Papua, 15 March 2011

[Abridged in translation into English]

Eight nurses and midwives have been arrested in Jayapura for their
involvement in a strike that resulting in a halt to services at the
general hospital in Jayapura. They face charges of inciting their
colleagues to take part in a strike.

[See earlier reports about the strike of medical personnel who were
protesting against the failure of the authorities to pay incentives that
had been promised more than a year ago.]

The eight persons are being held by the criminal investigation unit of
the Papuan police command. The police claim that there is sufficient
proof that the persons had acted in violation of the law, forcing others
to engage in acts of violence and citing a number of articles in
Indonesia's criminal code. Media attempts to contact the police for
confirmation of the arrest were unsuccessful.

According to Anum Siregar, one of the lawyers acting for the eight, a
group of fifty personnel from the security forces had gone to the homes
of two of the persons and told them that they must report to police
headquarters in Papua. The two women, Leni Ebe and Popi Mauri, then
contacted the lawyer to inform her of what had happened. The two women
then reported to the police as requested, in the company of the lawyer.

The two had earlier received notification from the police that they
would be summoned as witnesses in connection with the strike action of
the hospital personnel.

According to Anum Siregar, after being questioned for several hours by
the police as witnesses, the police changed tack and indicated that they
were being held as suspects. Soon after, the police took the six others
into custody.

According to Bintang Papua, the eight detainees have been subjected to
prolonged interrogations while other personnel from the hospital have
rallied in support of their colleagues. Anum Siregar accused the police
of acting in violation of the rule of law, saying that the medical
personnel were only acting in defence of their legitimate rights. She
also said that the action by the police would have a negative effect on
the provision of services for patients at the general hospital.

'The impact will not be felt by officials in the province because they
never go to the local hospital for treatment on occasions when they fall
ill but fly to Jakarta or overseas for treatment.'

She also said that the arrests had led to expressions of solidarity from
members of the medical profession throughout the Land of Papua in
protest against the actions of the police.

ENDS

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