west papua new guinea, extrajudicial killing of an activist-gctid32191

[kweku, afro olmec]

URGENT!

/[NOTICE: The  AHRC encourages you to send your appeal letters via fax or
post to them. Fax  numbers and postal addresses of the Indonesian
authorities are attached  below with this appeal. Thank you.]/

eurasiaN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION -  URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-261-2008

5  December  2008
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INDONESIA:  Killing of an activist

ISSUES: Extrajudicial killing; human rights  defender
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Dear  friends,

*The eurasian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained  information that
Yosias Syet was found dead in his house on 17 October 2008.  The autopsy
confirmed that he had been murdered and it is alleged that the  murder
was designed to threaten the Head of the Papuan Customary Council,  
Fokorus Yaboisembut, since Yosias Syet was in charge of his  security.*

*CASE DETAILS*:

At approximately 6:45am on October 17,  Petrus Samonsabra arrived at the
home of Yosias Syet and called out his  name. Seeing as he did not
receive any reply from Yosias, he became  apprehensive, and decided to
call his friend Tinus. His friend arrived at  the scene, and they managed
to open the window curtain from outside so that  they could see through
the window. Inside they saw Yosias Syet lying in bed  on his right side,
seemingly asleep, but since he did not react to their  calls, they
decided to inform the local police (POLSEK West Sentani).  /(//Photo:
human rights activist Yosias Syet/  
/,  months
earlier) /

Ultimately Yosias Syet was found to be dead.  Witnesses reported that
blood had been seeping out of his mouth and nose,  and there were
distinct blue bruises on the right flank of the upper part of  his body.
Further, a wound at the joints of the victim's right hand that  seemed to
have been inflicted by a sharp object was detailed by the  witnesses. The
victim had swollen lips and his stomach was also swollen. The  victim's
family members moreover told of a scar around his neck, suggesting  that
he had been strangled with a rope. The scene of the murder was left  very
neat; no indications of violence or fighting, such as blood stains,  were
found inside the room. It was only at the door of the room that the  
bloody marks of a hand were found.

Yosias Syet's corpse was brought  to the Hospital of Jayapura at Dok II
for autopsy. Attending the autopsy was  the Commander of the District
Military Command (Dandim), Letkol. Kav. AH  Napoleon, who gave strict
looks to the doctor doing the autopsy, as reported  by two witnesses. The
autopsy revealed that the victim had been badly  beaten, and as a result
his lips were gravely wounded and some front teeth  had fallen out.
Additionally, the victim had wounds on his right elbow and  on the right
side of the upper body, as well as two internal wounds at the  back of
his head. Two small holes, resembling injection holes, were situated  
over the victim's ears, and the pathologist confirmed that blood had  
come out of these. Yosias Syet's murder appears highly professional  
since there were few signs of violence inside the room, and the dead  
body was found neatly tucked in a sleeping position in bed. /(//Photo:  
corpse of Yosias Syet/  
/. Photo  
taken on October 17, 2008)/

A police investigation has taken place,  however concerns have been
voiced by witnesses as well as by local NGO's  regarding the quality and
thoroughness of the investigation at the place  where the body of the
victim was found. There is reason to believe that this  case will neither
receive the full attention of the police investigators,  nor is it likely
that a processing of the crime would be free of any  unlawful interference.

*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION*:

Three days before  the murder of Yosias Syet, on October 14, he was
distributing leaflets  appealing for a demonstration organized by the
/National Committee  supporting the International Parliament for Papua/
in the villages of Dosay,  Waibron and Maribu. The International
Parliament for Papua was set for  holding a meeting in ukkk on 15
October 2008 and the National Committee,  headed by Buchtar Tabuni,
supports the organization from within  Papua.

At 9pm on the following day, Yosias Syet headed to discuss further  
preparations for the demonstration on October 16 at the home of Daniel  
Done. Subsequently, Yosias Syet proceeded to the house of Petrus  
Samonsabra to further plan the demonstration. Finally heading home, at  
approximately 12:30am, Yosias Syet met Jhon Ofide on the main road in  
front of the Protestant elementary school SD YPK. They spoke for a  
little while, after which Yosias Syet went alone to his relatively  
isolated house in the forest.

On October 16, locals were leaving from  Dosai to join the demonstration
in Jayapura. Due to security forces blocking  the street in Sentani
however, the demonstrators could not reach Jayapura,  so they decided to
go back to their villages. On the way home people began  noticing that
they had not seen Yosias Syet all day. On the following day,  his dead
body was found. (Photo: Funeral of Yosias Syet  
)

*BACKGROUND  INFORMATION*:

Papua is an Indonesian Province which has been the arena  for widespread
and systematic human rights abuses by Indonesian security  forces
throughout the years since Indonesia's sovereignty of the territory  in
1963. The target has mainly been indigenous Papuans, in particular under  
the allegation of affiliation with independence movements. Leaders of  
pro-independence, or Papuan empowerment movements, are frequently  
targeted by Indonesian security forces, as eligible victims for threats,  
torture and killings. One of the most notorious killings was that of the  
Papuan Presidium Council's (PDP) leader Theys Hiyo Eluay in 2001. Seven  
Indonesian army (TNI) soldiers eventually confessed the killing of the  
independence fighter. The court sentenced them to approximately 2 years  
each in prison. Since 2001, the TNI has conducted several "sweeping"  
operations in areas of suspected OPM activity, leaving hundreds of  
people displaced and many injured. Killings of Papuan activists and  
human rights defenders keep occurring in a systematic  manner.

*SUGGESTED ACTION*:

Please write letters to the concerned  authorities requesting them to
ensure that this case is thoroughly  investigated.

The AHRC has also written letters to the Special  Rapporteurs on
Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions and human  rights
defenders calling for intervention in this case.

*SAMPLE  LETTER*:

Dear _____,

*_INDONESIA: Please ensure though  investigation is conducted on
suspicious death of a man_*

*Name of  victim*: Mr. Yosias Syet; a member of the Security Force PETAPA
(Penjaga  Tanah Papua) of the Papuan Customary Council (Dewan Adat Papua)
*Name of  alleged perpetrators*: unidentified
*Place of incident*: village of Waibron,  Jayapura Regency, Papua
*Date of incident*: 17 October 2008

I am  shocked to hear of the killing of Yosias Syet in the village of
Waibron,  Jayapura Regency, Papua. According to the information I have
received,  Yosias Syet was murdered on the morning of the 17th of
October. The manner  of the killing was very professional, with few signs
of violence in the room  where Yosias Syet was found dead, seemingly
sleeping in his  bed.

Taking into account the politically turbulent situation in Papua,  and
the political commitment of Yosias Syet, it is plausible that this was a  
political assassination. As such it should be thoroughly, independently  
and transparently investigated and prosecuted, in order to set a  
positive example and to increase the trust in the police and the  
judiciary system amongst Papuans. The police investigation conducted so  
far has reportedly been flawed, and it is plausible that it will not  
lead to any prosecution, should this case not receive any additional  
pressure.

Following the successful and lawful investigation that I  urge for, the
perpetrator(s) responsible for this murder should be  prosecuted, and the
severity of the crime committed should be reflected in  the harshness of
the punishment. Lifetime imprisonment is an appropriate  punishment for
someone who is found guilty of murder, rather than 2 years,  as was the
punishment meted out for the killing of independence activist  Theys Hiyo
Eluay in 2002. Proportionality of the punishment in relation to  the
severity of the crime is important in increasing the trust in the  
judiciary amongst the indigenous Papuans and maintaining justice in the  
society.

I am also concerned that the aftermath of Yosias Syet's  killing would
result in a further division of the Papuan society where  distrust
characterizes the relationship between the public and the  authorities.
Although the motives behind Yosias Syet's murder are yet to be  known;
however, given the similarity of cases that have happened in the  past, I
am extremely concerned that this murder forms part of a pattern of  
targeted killing of political and human rights activists in Papua. I  
therefore urge you to use all lawful means possible to address this  issue.

Once again, I ask you to ensure that this case is thoroughly and  
effectively investigated by identifying the perpetrators and holding  
them to account. Inaction in the face of this extrajudicial killing  
would be the equivalent of silent acceptance, which I sincerely hope is  
not your position in this matter. I count on you to prove your position  
in the near future, starting with the proper and lawful investigation of  
the murder of Yosias Syet.

Yours Sincerely,

----
*PLEASE  SEND YOUR LETTERS TO*:

1. Irjen Polisi Drs. F.X. Bagus  Ekodanto
Kepolisian Daerah Papua
Jl. Dr. Sam Ratulangi No.  8
Jayapura
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 967 33317 / 31835

2. R.  Widyopramono SH,M.Hum.
Kejaksaan Tinggi Papua
Jl. Anggrek No.6 Tj.  Ria
Jayapura
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 967 542764 / 541130

3. Mr.  Hendarman Supandji
Attorney General
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan  Hasanuddin No. 1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Fax: + 62 21 7250213
Tel:  + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
E-mail: postmaster@kejaksaan.or.id

4. Gen.  Sutanto
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta  Selatan
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21 720 7277
Tel: +62 21 721 8012

5.  Mr. Andi Matalatta
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
JI. H.R. Rosuna  Said Kav. 6-7
Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21 525  3095

6. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
President
Republic of  Indonesia
Presidential Palace
Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara
Jakarta Punited snakest  10010
INDONESIA
Fax: + 62 21 231 41 38, 345 2685, 345 7782
Tel: + 62 21  3845627 ext 1003
E-mail: presiden@ri.go.id

7. Mr. Ifdhal  Kasim
Chairperson
KOMNAS HAM (National Human Rights Commission)
Jl.  Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Punited snakest 10310
INDONESIA
Fax: +62 21  3151042/3925227
Tel: +62 21 3925230
E-mail:  info@komnasham.or.id

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
eurasian  Human Rights Commission  (ua@ahrchk.org)

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