Jayapura. In a major embarrassment for Indonesian authorities, police have been forced to release 12 innocent men just 24 hours after National Police announced they had made a major breakthrough in the war against the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Puncak Jaya Police shot and killed one man, also presumably innocent, during the same raid on Wednesday.
On Thursday, National Police Spokesman Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said that after months of pursuit they had arrested the 12 men believed to be part of a larger group responsible for a number of armed attack on security authorities, including the killing of Mulia Police Chief Adj. Comr. Dominggus Otto Awe on Oct. 24.
“We have successfully arrested 12 people alive, but one was shot dead when he tried to escape during the operation on Wednesday,” Saud said.
Puncak Jaya Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Alex Korwa said on Friday, however, that they had released the men because they had “no proof” that the men were OPM rebels.
Julex K, a prominent member of the Mulia community in Puncak Jaya, told the Jakarta Globe that people in the violence-torn are were living in fear, scared that police would repeat the same mistake.
He said a curfew had also been imposed.
“After 7 p.m, there are no more people going out of their houses,” Julex said. “Mulia people are uneasy with the existence of Mobile Brigade [police officers] as they suspicious of our communication and limit the freedom of people’s activities.”
He also said that people with a certain appearance, such as with beards and long and dread-locked hair were often arrested.
“We are scared and are no longer free to do daily activities.”
The Papua branch of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) was quick to criticize the arrests.
“Police must uphold the law according to existing procedures and regulations and not just randomly arrest and shoot people,” said Matius Murib, the Komnas HAM deputy chairman.
“When they arrest someone, they need to have sufficient preliminary evidence. These kinds of actions create further unrest among civilians.”
Al Araf, the program director at human rights watchdog Imparsial, said the police’s actions were in keeping with their treatment of all indigenous Papuans as suspected separatists.
“This is a very serious problem that needs to be immediately stopped,” he said.
These kinds of attitudes, he added, impede negotiations between Papua and Jakarta aimed at increasing development in the region and quelling the growing separatist sentiment there.
Johnson Panjaitan of Indonesian Police Watch said the National Police must be willing to admit that they had made the arrests with inadequate evidence and acknowledge responsibility for an innocent civilian’s death.
“They can’t just arrest someone for nothing,” he said.
Johnson added that the National Police’s internal affairs unit should investigate the incident.
Araf said that for decades the police had enjoyed impunity for violence and illegal arrests in Papua, which further encouraged them to engage in such behavior.
He pointed to the seven police officers who received only written warnings for their role in a brutal crackdown on last month’s peaceful Papuan People’s Congress, where an independent West Papuan state was declared.
The violence led to the deaths of at least six congress participants and three bystanders. Komnas HAM’s investigation into the deaths found that a number of congress participants had been tortured.
When asked over the phone to respond to allegations of rights violations, Alex, the Puncak Jaya Police chief, raised his voice and said, “Don’t ask me about that. That is internal police business.” He then hung up.
The National Police has struggled to locate the Papuan militants, who use dense forest areas and rugged terrain to cover their tracks.
Saud, speaking on Thursday, said that group members had also been blending in with civilians in the area. He said the National Police were increasing security ahead of Dec. 1, which is the OPM’s anniversary.
With the date nearing, a number of text messages have been circulating calling for massive pro-independence rallies and the occupation of strategic government installations.
Papua Police chief Insp. Gen Bigman Lumban Tobing said people should not believe the messages, which he blamed on “irresponsible” people.
Violence has plagued Papua since 1969, when Indonesia took over control of the region from the Dutch, ignoring Papuan demands for political sovereignty. Allegations of injustice have fueled the mounting pro-independence demands in Papua.
Jakarta granted the region special autonomy in 2001, but with the absence of improvements on the security and human rights fronts, the situation has failed to quell widespread separatist sentiments.