Indonesian police confirm two dead in Papua independence protests
West Papua activists raise a pro-independence flag at a demonstration. Pic: Lindsay Moller Source: Supplied
INDONESIAN police have conceded at least two people died during Wednesday's violent suppression of a Papuan pro-independence gathering, but continued to deny shots were fired into the crowd.
Two bodies were found yesterday morning, one identified as Melkias Kadepa, a university student who was among the crowd, variously estimated at between 1500 and 5000 people, attending the Third Papuan People's Congress at a Jayapura sports ground.
A third person missing since the pro-independence gathering was presumed dead, said Matius Murid, head of the Papuan chapter of Komnas Ham, the National Committee for Human Rights.
The congress's final session was dispersed by several hundred armed TNI soldiers and Mobile Brigade policemen immediately after Forkorus Yoboisembut, chairman of the Papuan Customary Council, had been proclaimed "president of free Papua" and began reading an independence declaration.
But Papua police spokesman Wachyono continued to insist nobody fired at the crowd. "There were so many, about 1500 people in the field, and there are only 200 police," he said yesterday. "So we shot to the air just for shock effect, because we just want to disperse the crowd."
He claimed there were head and torso injuries on the two bodies, but no indication of gunshot wounds, and that they had been up to 3km away from the congress venue.
But Mr Matius said the bodies were found about 400m from the sports ground and both appeared to have been shot: "To make sure the cause of (Melkias's) death was from a gunshot, the victim is undergoing an autopsy."
He called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono "to open a peaceful dialogue" with the people of Indonesia's restive easternmost province.
The Papuan People's Congress, the third held in the past 50 years, united tribal and community groups with the stated aim of advancing the political and civil rights of indigenous Papuans.
Colonel Wachyono said most of the estimated 300 people arrested on Wednesday afternoon and evening were released by yesterday morning.
But he confirmed Mr Forkorus, Edison Waromi, who was named on Wednesday as "prime minister of an independent Papua", and three others were still in custody and would be charged with seditious activities under the Criminal Code, carrying penalties of up to 20 years' jail.
The Australian West Papua Association has urged Kevin Rudd to raise the matter with the President.
Milis Pers Indonesia
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