On 1 August 2014, Pastor Ruten Wakerkwa of the Baptist Church of Jerusalem in Tekun village in Pirime district, Lanny Jaya, was arrested during fighting between security forces and an armed group led by resistance leader Enden Wanimbo. His arrest followed several days of fighting between the two sides.
On 28 July 2014, fighting broke out between security forces and the armed group reportedly due to an arms transaction deal that had turned sour. The presence of an unwanted police brigade who were not involved in the deal had sparked mistrust, which led to shooting between the two sides. During the unrest, the armed group reportedly seized four weapons and thousands of bullets before escaping. The following day, military and police forces allegedly burned down traditional honai houses in Yugumeya and Wenam villages in Pirime in retribution. On 30 and 31 July, the burning of honai houses reportedly continued in Indawa village in Awinayu district and Ekanom village in Pirime district. Abednego Wakerkwa, a 10-year-old boy, was reportedly found dead in a burned down honai.
Pastor Wakerkwa was detained in Lanny Jaya Regional police station. He was reportedly arrested when police found a photo of the Morning Star flag on his phone. Early reports indicate that he is likely to have faced torture in detention. As at October 2014, Papuans Behind Bars has been unable to ascertain the fate of Pastor Wakerkwa.
Information received from local human rights sources indicate that Pastor Wakerkwa has since been released from detention.
Sources
Report from the Fellowship of Baptist Churches of Papua, “Press Realisse: Tentang Peristiwa Kekerasan Pada 28 Juli 2014 di distrik Indawa Kabupaten Lani Jaya, Papua,” 21 August 2014
Last updated 30 October 2014 Pada tanggal 1 Agustus 2014, Pastor Ruten Wakerkwa dari Gereja Baptis Yerusalem di kampung Tekun di Pirime, Lanny Jaya, ditangkap saat pertempuran di antara aparat keamanan dan kelompok bersenjata yang dipimpin oleh Enden Wanimbo. Penangkapannya terjadi berikut pertempuran yang berlangsung beberapa hari di antara kedua belah pihak.
Pada tanggal 28 Juli 2014, pertempuran di antara aparat keamanan dan kelompok bersenjata terjadi setelah transaksi senjata yang beubah menjadi buruk. Kehadiran polisi yang tidak terlibat dalam transaksi tersebut menyebabkan kecurigaan yang mengakibatkan penembakan di antara kedua belah pihak. Selama kerusuhan tersebut, kelompok bersenjata dilaporkan menyita empat pucuk senjata dan ribuan peluru sebelum melarikan diri. Keesokan hari, militer dan polisi dilaporkan telah membakar honai di Yugumeya dan Wenam di Pirime sebagai hukuman setimpal. Pada tanggal 30 dan 31 Juli, pembakaran rumah honai dilaporkan berterusan di Indawa, Awinayu dan di Ekanom, Pirime. Abednego Wakerkwa, berumur 10 tahun, dilaporkan ditemukan tewas dalam honai yang terbakar.
Pastor Wakerkwa ditahan di polres Lanny Jaya. Ia dilaporkan ditangkap ketika polisi menemukan sebuah foto bendera Bintang Kejora di HPnya. Laporan awal yang diterima menandakan bahwa ia telah menghadapi penyiksaan dalam tahanan. Pada Oktober 2014, Orang Papua di balik Jeruji belum dapat memastikan nasib Pastor Wakerkwa.
Sumber
Laporan dari Persekutuan Gereja Baptis Papua, “Press Realisse: Tentang Peristiwa Kekerasan Pada 28 Juli 2014 di distrik Indawa Kabupaten Lani Jaya, Papua,” 21 Agustus 2014
Terakhir diperbarui: 18 Desember 2014