For
Immediate Release
 |
| west papua taken from googlemap |
Hong kong/Wupertal, Thrusday, 24 October 2013, The Asian
Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) are
launching a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central
highlands of Papua, Indonesia during the course of 1977 – 1978. The report
discusses violation under the Conventiom on the Prevention and punishment of
the Crime of Genocide and aims at truth-building. The report, wich was
concluded after three three years of research by the AHRC, reveals the death of
over 4,000 indigenous Papuans, including minors, as a result of operation conducted
by the Indonesian military in the area.
Amongst those who were killed were onfants and children,
10 years-old and younger as well as elderly persons aged over 60. The methods
of killing commonly used by the military at that time include aeriel boombings
and strafing by America-supplied OV-10 Bronco planes.
In addition to reveling the details of the murdered
victim, the report narrates the stories of survivors who witnessed the brutality
and inhumane treatment perpetrated by the Indonesian military at that time. An
interviewed survivor, Reverend Wenda (not his real name) shared his experience in
witnessing the Indonesian military officers forcing the elderly Papuans to
consume their waste. Another victim narrated how the arrested Papuans were forced
to stand in line in a field before being shot indiscriminately by the
Indonesian military. The victim himself managed to survive by pretending to be
dead.
Sexual violence against Papuan women is also reported to
have been common during the military operation around the Central Highlands
between 1977 – 1978, as described by one of the interviewed female survivors :
Breasts of some women were cut and they died. We were raped, abused and
killed.. Some women were only raped but others were raped and murdered.
The AHRCE argues that the series of atrocities described
in the report amounts to genocide as defined by the Convention for the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1948. The Hong kong based organization claims that
the horrendous human rights violation are attributable to high rangking
officials of the Indonesian military at that time, including the former
Indonesian president, General Soeharto.
Director for policy and Programme Development af AHRC, Basil
Fernando, states that, “The Publication of the report is aimed at rising
awarnesess amongst the general public, particularly in Indonesia, on the
history of violence in Papua.
The report is available for download in English and
Indonesian here :
Resoucre : this information received from AHRC groups
emails