Pes Yanengga, Jayapura – Leaders of the Papuan Baptist Church and the Tolikara Student Association have slammed a statement by the Cenderawasih XVII regional military commander (Pangdam) on the fatal shooting of three civilians by the 753 AVT Infantry Battalion Task Force in Pepera Village, Mulia district, Puncak Jaya regency on Tuesday July 16.
Papua Baptist Church leader and lecturer at the Papua Baptist College of Theology, Reverand Stevanus Yan Wenda, stated that the 753 AVT Battalion must be immediately held to account for the shooting.
He also demanded that the Cenderawasih XVII commander immediately clarify a statement carried by several media outlets and that he prosecute the perpetrators of the shooting in court.
"We, from the church, need to convey that the brutal actions carried out by by rogue TNI [Indonesian military] members must be accounted for. The statement by the Cenderawasih XVII Pangdam carried by various media must be clarified immediately", said Wenda in Jayapura city, Papua, on Saturday July 20.
Wenda explained that the three victims of the shooting were Morib, the head of the Porbalo Village in Dokome district, Dominus Enumbi, a resident of Karubate Village in Mulia, and Tonda Wanimbo, a resident of Temu Village in Ilamburawi district, Puncak Jaya.
"As a Baptist church figure, I deeply regret the TNI's actions. The TNI should protect the community, not shoot the village head who is carrying out his state duties", he said.
Tolikara Student Association Chairperson Misoi Wanimbo meanwhile also condemned the statement by the Cenderawasih XVII commander Lieutenant Colonel Candra Kurniawan who said that the victims were members of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM).
According to Wanimbo, the three victims were civilians, and Kurniawan's statement is a public deceit.
"The three people who were victims were civilians, not from an OPM group. We ask the TNI commander and Cenderawasih XVII commander to immediately take firm action against their members who carried out this shooting", said Wanimbo.
Wanimbo also demanded that the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) immediately form an investigation team to investigate the facts on the ground and assist local media. He asserted that the state must stop sending non-organic troops to Papua and withdraw all existing troops.
"The President of the Republic of Indonesia and the Papuan Regional Police must immediately order the TNI commander to pursue legal proceedings against the TNI perpetrators of the shooting of these three civilians", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Tokoh Gereja Dan Pimpinan Mahasiswa Tolikara Kecam Pernyataan Pangdam XVII Cenderawasih".]
