Jayapura, Jubi – About 150 police personnel were deployed to hunt for the perpetrators of the attack on the Sinak Police Headquarters at Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua, which killed three officers. No one has been arrested as of Thursday.
The operation to chase the rebel group believed to be behind the attack on 28 December was led by Puncak Jaya Police Chief, Adjuct Senior Police Commissionaire Marselis.
Papua Police Spokesperson Senior Police Commissionaire Patridge Renwarin said the police identified two men suspected as the attackers.
“One was identified as the attacker while another one was identified to help open the rear door. Both have not arrested yet,” Renwarin told BeritaBenar on Thursday and added the sweeping operation was executed in three villages, namely Nigilome, Pamebut and Weni at Sinak Sub-district.
Papua Police Chief, the Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw said during their operation, the Police managed to find 19 bullets of 7.62×51 mm caliber, 7 ammunitions of AK 47, 44 ammunitions of 7.62×39 mm caliber, and 59 ammunitions of SS1 5.56×45 caliber.
The ammunitions were founded whent the Police inspecting the houses of two Sinak residents named Kalenak Murib and Iris Murib, he said without explaining whether both were arrested or not.
Houses Burned
An Agengen villager said due to the Police’s operation, some residents’ houses were burned and a man was shot dead.
“The security personnel who conducted the operation shot down a man suspected to be a member of Free Papua Movement on 3 January. The victim was Gombane Telenggen’s brother,” said a resident who declined to be named due to security reasons. Gombane Telenggen is one of 25 persons suspected attackers on Sinak Police Headquarters.
He added the Police also burned a kunume (man’s house) and some honai (houses). “Four honai were burned in Agenggen Village, while in Pamebut, the entire residents’ honai were burned down, except a church,” he said to BeritaBenar on Wednesday, 6 January.
Fire over the residents’ honai was also confirmed by a Papua youth leader, Natan Tebay. Even he said the Police scrutinized six villages in order to find the attackers on Sinak Police Headquarters.
“I got information from Sinak people about the security personnel coming to Gigobak, Agenggen, Cambera, Pamebut, Nigilome and Weni villages to find the rebel. Several households lost their houses because being fired during the raid,” said Tebay.
According to him, the residents of those villages do not know anything about the guns seizure and the shooting over the police officers at Sinak Police Headquarters.
“People should not receive the impact of this raid,” he said. When being confirmed, Papua Police Spokesperson admitted he received information about a citizen shot for suspected member of Free Papua Movement, but after checking, it was not true.
According to him, searching the victim, the Police and people were not found the body. He also denied the accusation said the Police burned houses during the raid.
“It’s not true. No houses were burned. People have also agreed that anyone who caught hiding ammunitions or guns would be penalized. The regent would give them ransom to those who return it,” said Renwarin.
Police Deemed Not Professional
Paniai Customary Council, John Gobai, regretted the Police’s operation that caused the loss of people’s houses in Sinak. He said the security personnel are often not professional in doing operation that resulting victims among civilians.
“It has repeatedly happened all the time. In 2013, the similar thing was also happened in Paniai. Every passing vehicle would be raided. As a result, the situation in Paniai became disturbed,” he said.
“In Pugo Village, all people were left at that time because of fears. Their houses were burned for the reason that the security forces hunted the rebel group that they called the National Liberation Army – Papua Free Movement who involved in the gunfire with them at Waidide, Pugo Village, Paniai Timur Sub-district,” added Gobay.
He also questioned the Police for quickly appointed someone as Sinak Police’s attacker.
“Just within 1 x 24 hours after the attack on Sinak Police Headquarters, the Police personnel were directly deployed to search the perpetrators. Papua Police Chief even came directly to Sinak. And the Indonesian Police Chief accused Benny Wenda as the actor behind the attack,” he asserted.
“But what about the shooting over four high school students in Paniai at the early December 2014, after 1 x 365 days it had not been revealed yet. In fact the Police have no dare to suspect. Where is the justice for us, the indigenous Papuan?” Gobay questioned.
“Jokowi Concerns on Investment Only”
The security forces’ repressive acts and the slow resolution to the cases of violence towards the indigenous Papuan is also highlighted by the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG).
In the press release received by BeritaBenar in Papua, the Director of HRWG Rafendi Jamin accused the government under the President Joko Widodo to be more concerned on investment than the settlement of the cases of violence and human rights violations in Papua.
He said Widodo has shown the chronic fear in addressing the conflict and violence in Papua, so tends to respond it as the handling of the issue of separatism.
“It’s clearly reflected through repressive and security approaches that are still done excessively by the government. These approaches often sacrifice the civil society who actually does not understand about the real issues that’s going on,” he said. (*/rom)
