West Papua: Extra-Judical Killing, Kelly Kwalik

Extra-Judical Killing Of Papuan Patriot Kelly Kwalik

On December 16, 2009 Indonesian police shot Kelly Kwalik. He died shortly later due to a thigh wound. The Indonesian security force team that shot Kwalik was composed of members of the notorious Mobile Brigade (BRIMOB) and the U.S.-funded Detachment 88. That much is clear.

The rest is subject to intense discussion and dispute. Kwalik died of his wound shortly later, apparently due to blood loss. It is not clear that police took necessary medical action to address, i.e., to tourniquet, the wound. As a consequence of this apparent inaction the wound proved mortal. Equally unclear are the circumstances that brought this leading pro-independence figure into reach of Indonesian security authorities. Less than two months earlier he had met cordially with senior Indonesian security authorities at their behest. That meeting has prompted speculation that Indonesian security authorities lured Kwalik into a trap on the pretense of another friendly meeting. It was just such subterfuge which lured another renowned Papuan, Theys Eluay, to his murder at the hands of Kopassus in 2001.

The immediate police commentary regarding their killing of Kwalik lends support to those who suspect a police conspiracy to murder Kwalik. Police spokesmen pronounced Kwalik guilty of orchestrating the months of violence that have jeopardized the operations of the Freeport-McMoran mine. This claim, offered in apparent defense of the police killing of Kwalik, contradicted Kwalik's profession of innocence and, more troublingly for the police, the police's earlier public acknowledgement that Kwalik was not involved in the crime. Police claims that the dead Papuan leader also was responsible for the killing of U.S. and Indonesian citizens in a 2002 shooting incident in the same area similarly lack credibility. Initial police statements at the time and subsequent exhaustive investigation by independent researchers (see http://skyhighway.com/~ebenkirksey/writing/Kirksey-Harsono_Timika.pdf) demonstrated that the Indonesian military orchestrated those killings.

The killing of Kwalik was all the more tragic because for many years Kwalik had honored the appeal of Papuan human rights leaders such as John Rumbiak who have urged to seek redress of Papuan grievances through peaceful means.

The killing of Kwalik, like the 2001 murder of Papuan leader Theys Eluay by the Indonesian military (Kopassus) forces has prompted strong criticism from many quarters. The following December 29 statement by the Indonesian Human Rights Network, translated in abridged form by Tapol, underscores the injustice of this killing and the urgency of action by Indonesian President Yudhoyono to address rogue security force actions in West Papua.

Bintang Papua, 29 December 2009

ENDS

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