Indonesia police kill two in Papua road riot

AFP

16 09 2010

TIMIKA, Indonesia — Indonesian police opened fire and killed two men and wounded a woman as a dispute over a traffic accident spun out of control in the restive province of West Papua, officials said Thursday.

Police were forced to use lethal force in self-defence when dozens of angry residents became violent after a motorist fled the scene of an accident in the city of Manokwari, provincial police spokesman Wachyono told AFP.

The mob, armed with knives and spears, blocked roads and threw stones at police who arrived at the scene late Wednesday, he said.

« Our members opened fire at the angry residents. They did it automatically in self-defence against people who brought knives, spears and wooden sticks, » Wachyono said.

« I believe they felt their lives were threatened. If they hadn’t opened fire they would have been hit by the residents, » he added, rejecting allegations the police used excessive force.

Papuan tribal representative Dominikus Sorabut, from the Papuan Customary Council, said heavily armed « Mobile Brigade » police acted out of revenge after the mob pelted them with stones.

« The policeman who was hit by stones ran back to his station and came back with a troupe and acted blindly by shooting people, » he said.

Unconfirmed reports from human rights activists said the dead men were a priest and his son, and hundreds of local residents had gathered with the bodies in front of the governor’s office Thursday to demand justice.

Indonesia’s police are widely accused of abusing the basic rights of indigenous Melanesians in Papua, where a low-level insurgency has simmered for decades.

Earlier this month police killed six people in Central Sulawesi province after locals rose up against them in anger at the death in custody of a local man who had been arrested for traffic infringements.

Police had to be pulled out of the town of Buol for their own safety as furious residents roamed the streets looking for them.

Indonesian police kill two in Papua road accident unrest

monstersandcritics.com

Sep 16, 2010,

Jakarta – Two men were shot and killed when Indonesian police opened fire on people involved in a confrontation after a road accident in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua, a police official said Thursday.

The incident took place late Wednesday in the Manokwari district, said provincial police spokesman Wachyono, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

‘From the information I have, the police opened fire in self-defence,’ Wachyono was quoted as saying by the detik.com online news service.

He said one of the people involved in the accident fled from the scene and locals chased the motorcyclist into a police complex.

‘Armed with machetes, arrows and stones, the mob blocked the road and attacked police officers,’ Wachyono said. ‘In an attempt to defend themselves, the officers opened fire on angered residents.’

It was the latest deadly incident involving Indonesian police in recent weeks.

At least six people were killed this month when police opened fire on protestors in Central Sulawesi province after locals rose up against them in anger at the death in police custody of a local man who had been arrested for traffic accidents.

Indonesian police have been accused of human rights abuses against indigenous people in Papua, where the Papua Free Movement and a poorly armed separatist group have fought Indonesian rule since the region fell under Jakarta’s control in the 1960s.

Papua, a predominantly ethnic Melanesian and Christian province, is a former Dutch colony that became an Indonesian province in 1964 after a vote involving tribal leaders that many regarded as a sham.

Two killed after residents, police clash in Manokwari

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta | Thu, 09/16/2010

Two residents died at the hospital on Thursday following a clash with Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police officers in the West Papua capital of Manokwari on Wednesday night.

Hospital officials have not yet disclosed the cause of death of Naftali Kwan, 40, and Septi Kwan, 29, who were pronounced dead early on Thursday.

The clash erupted in front of the Brimob headquarters on Jl. Esau Sesa because of a misunderstanding between police officers and local residents, Papua police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said.

The incident was allegedly triggered by a traffic accident that occurred near the Brimob office. When three plain clothed Brimob officers tried to help the victim, a crowd of residents gathered and demanded that the officers take responsibility for the accident, Wachyono said.

“Armed with swords, arrows, wooden bars and stones, the residents attacked the officers. They thought the police officers were responsible for the accident,” Wachyono said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com, adding that the police opened fire to disperse the angry residents.

“The Brimob officers opened fire in self defense. The injured were admitted to the hospital, but they died,” Wachyono said.

Tension gripped the town throughout the rest of the day, but security authorities had restored order by Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this month clashes between local residents and the police broke out in the Central Sulawesi town of Buol, leaving eight people dead, and a similar clash took place in the South Sumatra town of Musi Rawas.

Informations

Manokwari est une ville d’Indonésie située sur la côte nord de la péninsule de Doberai en Nouvelle-Guinée occidentale. C’est la capitale de la province de Papouasie occidentale, créée en 2003 par détachement de celle de Papouasie. La superficie de la ville est de 18,7 km² et sa population d’environ 150 000 habitants.

~ par Alain Bertho sur 17 septembre 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots