INDONESIA: A Hong Kong-based rights group releases video allegedly showing Indonesian soldiers torturing indigenous Papuans
Record ID:
334618
INDONESIA: A Hong Kong-based rights group releases video allegedly showing Indonesian soldiers torturing indigenous Papuans
- Title: INDONESIA: A Hong Kong-based rights group releases video allegedly showing Indonesian soldiers torturing indigenous Papuans
- Date: 20th October 2010
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 19, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WONG KAI SHING SEATED AT COMPUTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WONG KAI SHING SAYING: "The video is in two parts, the first incident is showing the Indonesian military groups, they are harassing the groups of local indigenous Papuans and they kick them and they have been using abusive language against them. This is common practice in the region, those military operations they will go into villages and searching for people and use a lot of this intimidations against local people."
- Embargoed: 4th November 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Indonesia
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
- Reuters ID: LVAE7HKPNP1BP1Y0E8NY68E87PLP
- Story Text: A Hong Kong-based rights group has released a video allegedly showing Indonesian soldiers torturing indigenous Papuans -- including burning the genitals of one man.
The military maintains a strong presence in resource-rich Papua, Indonesia's eastern-most and most restive province, where a separatist movement has existed for decades and allegations of abuse by police and soldiers are not uncommon.
Local media quoted the chief of the armed forces saying the military would check if the footage was genuine or not.
The Asian Human Rights Commission said that for security reasons it could not reveal how it obtained the footage, which can be seen on the activist group's website (http://link.reuters.com/hyp88p).
Scenes showing genital mutilation have been edited out.
AHRC executive director Wong Kai Shing on Tuesday (October 19) said the video was in two parts.
The first, reportedly shot this year in the Tingginambut area near Puncak Jaya, showed military officers with villagers who they beat and kicked as they accused them of being anti-government rebels.
"They are harassing the groups of local indigenous Papuans and they kick them and they have been using abusive language against them. This is common practice in the region, those military operations they will go into villages and searching for people and use a lot of this intimidations against local people," said Wong.
The second shows two people being tortured. One is threatened with a large knife held to his face and throat while another has a burning stick rammed against his genitals. The rights group cut some scenes from the video.
Wong said the footage, which was taken in West Papua province, featured uniformed officers and showed that there was a culture of impunity within security forces.
Indonesian soldiers cannot be tried in civilian courts and military courts give only lenient sentences, he said.
The chief of the Indonesian military, Agus Suhartono, said the military would investigate whether or not the footage was real.
"I have only just received a report on this. So currently we are issuing instructions to check its veracity," he told Indonesian TV station Metro TV.
The United States recently said it would restart joint training exercises with the military's special forces unit, Kopassus, citing improvements in the military's human rights record. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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