On 26 November, 25 men were arrested following violent clashes in Jayapura between demonstrators and police during a demonstration in support of a new Free West Papua Campaign office in Papua New Guinea and the launch of the Sorong to Samarai campaign on the same day. 16 detainees were eventually released later that day, while 12 remained in detention and were later charged with manslaughter and maltreatment under Articles 170 and 351 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. The 12 men – Pendius Tabuni, Muli Hisage, Karmil Murib, Tomius Mul, Nikson Mul, Nius Lepi, Tinus Meage, Mathius Habel, Agus Togoti, Natan Kogoya, Nikolai Waisal and Penius Tabuni – were not involved in the demonstrations on 26 November 2013.
According to interviews with a local human rights worker, the 12 men were engaged in various activities when they were arrested. One was on the way to see a friend after college, another two were on their way to a relative’s birthday party. Four of the men are Aloeswood traders from the Star Mountains (Pegunungan Bintang) region who were visiting Jayapura and had been advised to stay in the house of their relative that day to avoid any trouble. Two agricultural labourers were on their way to the airport to see off a friend travelling to Wamena. One young man was preparing for a sculpture exam the following day, making a bamboo flute in his yard. He encountered the police on his way to buy some cold water. A builder changing buses at Waena ran from the gunshots and hid in the bushes, where he was apprehended by police. A gold panner was on his way to work at Sentani Puai when he was stopped and dragged into a police truck.
The men were arrested in various places, brought to Expo Waena and beaten, before being taken to Jayapura regional police station. That night they were beaten with bayonets, bamboo canes and iron rods, and kicked by police officers wearing jackboots. They were all tortured with electric shocks administered using electric cables. Muli Hisage was hit in the testicles, and beaten with the police station printer. Pendius Tabuni was burned with cigarette butts. Mathius Mabel was threatened with a gun to the head. All 12 men were interrogated without a lawyer and forced to sign the police investigation report (berita acara pemeriksaan, BAP) without having read or understood it. Police seized six mobile phones, money totalling IDR 12,750,000 (USD 1,055), shopping and clothes from the men.
While human rights lawyers in Jayapura had been informed by police that the 12 men were receiving legal aid from the state Legal Aid Post (Pos Bantuan Hukum, Posbakum), the men state that they have had no legal accompaniment since their arrest. Following their detention in Jayapura regional police station, on 24 January 2014, they were transferred to Abepura prison while awaiting the start of their trial.
On 25 July 2014. Pendius Tabuni, Muli Hisage, Karmil Murib, Tomius Mul, Nius Lepi, Tinus Meage, Mathius Habel, Agus Togoti, Natan Kogoya and Nikolai Waisal were released following the completion of their eight month prison sentences. They were sentenced for violence against persons or property under Articles 170 and 351 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. On 11 February, 16-year-old Nikson Mul was released. In April 2014, Penius Tabuni was released after receiving a sentence of five months’ imprisonment.
Sources
Email correspondence with human rights lawyers, February to July 2014
Report received by local human rights source entitled “Kronologis kejadian penangkapan sewenang-wenang terhadap rakyat sipil Papua,” 5 February 2013
Report received by human rights lawyers entitled “Daftar nama 12 tersangka,” 28 November 2013
Report by Markus Haluk entitled, “Situasi Papua Hari Ini,” 30 November 2013 Pada 26 November 2013, 25 pria ditangkap berikutan kejadian bentrokan di Jayapura di antara para demonstran dan polisi di demonstrasi mendukong pembukaan kantor Kampanye Papua Merdeka Barat di Papua Nugini dan peluncuran campanye Sorong ke Samarai pada hari yang sama. 16 demonstran kemudiannya dibebaskan pada hari yang sama. Namun 12 orang ditahan dan didakwa dengan pasal 170 dan 135 KUHP Indonesia dan UU Darurat 12/1951 karena memiliki senjata buatan sendiri dan amunisi. 12 demonstran tersebut Pendius Tabuni, Muli Hisage, Karmil Murib, Tomius Mul, Nikson Mul, Nius Lepi, Tinus Meage, Mathius Habel, Agus Togoti, Natan Kogoya, Nikolai Waisal dan Penius Tabuni – dilaporkan tidak terlibat dalam demonstrasi pada 26 November 2013 itu.
Menurut seorang aktivis HAM setempat, 12 orang tersebut pada masa itu sedang melakukan kegiatan yang tidak berkaitan. Salah seorang yang ditahan dalam perjalanan untuk mengunjungi teman selepas kuliah, dua orang yang lain dalam perjalanan ke pesta ulang tahun seorang kerabat. Empat dari yang ditahan adalah pedagang kayu gaharu dari Pegunungan Bintang yang sedang mengunjungi Jayapura dan disarankan untuk tinggal di rumah kerabat mereka hari itu untuk menghindari masalah. Dua lagi orang adalah buruh tani sedang dalam perjalanan ke bandara untuk mengunjungi seorang teman yang berangkat ke Wamena. Sementara seorang pria muda tengah sedang membuat persiapan ujian mengukir pada hari berikutnya dengan membuat suling bambu di halaman rumahnya. Dia ditemui polisi dalam perjalanan untuk membeli air dingin. Seorang buruh ketika bertukar bas di Waena melarikan dirinya dari tembakan dan bersembunyi di semak-semak, lalu ditangkap oleh polisi. Sementara seorang panner emas yang dalam perjalanan untuk bekerja di Sentani Puai ditahan dan diseret ke dalam truk polisi.
Mereka ditangkap di tempat berlainan dan dibawa ke Expo Waena dan dipukuli, sebelum dibawa ke Polres Jayapura. Malam itu mereka dipukuli dengan bayonet, bambu dan batang besi, dan ditendang oleh polisi memakai sepatu. Mereka semua disiksa dengan distrum diberikan dengan pengunaan kabel listrik. Muli Hisage dipukul di testis, dan dipukuli dengan pengunaan printer kantor polisi. Pendius Tabuni dibakar dengan puntung rokok. Mathius Mabel diancam dengan pistol ke kepala. Semua 12 orang tersebut diinterogasi tanpa pengacara dan dipaksa untuk menandatangani laporan Berita Acara Pemeriksaan (BAP) tanpa membaca atau memahaminya. Polisi menyita enam ponsel, uang sebanyak Rp 12.750.000 (USD 1,055), barang belanjaan dan pakaian dari mereka.
Seorang pengacara HAM di Jayapura telah diberitahu oleh polisi bahwa kesemua yang ditahan menerima bantuan hukum dari Pos Bantuan Hukum (Posbakum), namun mereka menyatakan bahwa mereka belum mendapat dampingan hukum sejak penangkapan mereka. Menyusul penahanan mereka di Polres Jayapura, pada tanggal 24 Januari 2014 mereka telah dipindahkan ke penjara Abepura sambil menunggu permulaan persidangan mereka.
Sumber
Laporan dari aktivis HAM setempat berjodol “Kronologis kejadian penangkapan sewenang-wenang terhadap rakyat sipil Papua,” 5 February 2013
Laporan dari pengacara HAM berjodol “Daftar nama 12 tersangka,” 28 November 2013
Laporan dari Markus Haluk berjodol, “Situasi Papua Hari Ini,” 30 November 2013