Jakarta – A number of organisations that are part of the Papua Human Rights and Law Enforcement Coalition have condemned the shooting of senior advocate and human rights activist Yan Christian Warinussy in Manokwari, West Papua, on Wednesday afternoon, July 17.
They are also urging the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) to order the regional police in West Papua to form a special team to investigate the case.
"We criticise and condemn the perpetrators of the shooting of Yan Christian Warinussy as a defender of Papuan human rights. The National Police Chief must immediately order the West Papua police chief and the Manokwari police chief to immediately formed a special investigation team on weapons abuse crimes in the case of Yan Christian Warinussy as a senior advocate of human rights in Papua", read a statement by the coalition that was received on Wednesday evening.
The Coalition is made up of a number of civil society organisations in eastern Indonesia including the Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Papua), the Papua Human Rights Lawyers Association (PAHAM Papua), the Papua Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Fransiskan Peace and Justice Secretariat (SKP), the Papua Franciscan Peace and Unity of Creation Justice Secretariat (SKPKC), the Land of Papua Peace and Unity of Creation Synod of the Papua Injili Christian Church (Sinode GKI), the Foundation for Papuan Village Children (Yadupa), the Papua Institute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (Elsham Papua), the Democratic Alliance for Papua (ALDP), the Papua Talenta Justice Legal Aid Foundation (LBH-TK), the Papua LBH Merauke Post and the Papua LBH Sorong Post.
They have also asked the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and the Komnas HAM Papua representative office to immediately form a special investigation team to ensure the right to justice for victims who are Papuan human rights defenders.
"The Komnas HAM chairperson and the Komnas HAM Papua representative office should immediately form a special team to carry out the task of implementing the protection of Yan Christian Warinussy as a Papuan human rights defender", the Coalition said.
Separately, Amnesty International Indonesia also condemned the shooting of Warinussy by an unknown individual (OTK) in Manokwari.
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said Warinussy is a lawyer who has long defended human rights and peace in the land of Papua.
"This shooting is terror against Yan personality and his work up until now", said Hamid in a written statement on Wednesday.
Amnesty is therefore urging the authorities to find the perpetrator of the shooting. "Bring them to the court so they can be held legally accountable", Hamid said.
Earlier, Papua Komnas HAM Commissioner Frits Ramandey explained that the shooting occurred when Warinussy was leaving a bank in the Manokwari area, although he does not know any details about where Warinussy was shot or what kind of firearm was used.
Ramandey explained that Warinussy is still being treated at a Navy hospital in the Manokwari area, although he does not yet know Wariness's current condition.
Contacted separately, West Papua Regional Police (Polda) Chief Inspector General Johnny Edison Isir said that police have already deployed personnel to investigate the alleged shooting incident.
"Yes, it's true [the shooting incident]. The Manokwari Polresta [municipal police] backed up by the West Papua Polda Ditreskrimum [General Crimes Detectives Directorate] are currently investigating the incident", said Isir when contacted by CNN Indonesia late on Wednesday afternoon.
Isir said they will endeavour to find and secure the alleged perpetrator of the shooting. Isir also said that the police have already secured the location of the incident and the victim is currently being treated in hospital. (kid/ugo)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was " Koalisi HAM Papua Kecam Penembakan Advokat di Manokwari Papua Barat".]
