Gratianus Silas, Jayapura – Cenderawasih/XVII Regional Military Commander Major General Izak Pangemanan has spoken out about a video that has gone viral of a Papuan civilian being tortured by rogue TNI (Indonesian military) officers.
According to Pangemanan, the video is not true. Pangemanan claimed that the Yonif Raider 300 Task Force serves in Ilaga and their relationship with the community is very good.
"There have never been complaints about harsh behavior towards the community. We're still confirming the video", Pangemanan told the Cenderawasih Pos.
Pangemanan continued saying all of those who were arrested were handed over to the police in good health. "There was nothing like that, the video is the result of editing", he said.
As has been reported, a video clip has been circulating allegedly showing a civilian being tortured by rogue TNI members. The video clip has circulated widely on WhatsApp groups.
The video has caused anger from some people who watched it, and not a few have condemned the heinous act.
The video shows a Papuan man who has been placed into a drum containing water and his body being cut with a knife until he bleeds.
Not only that, the man was also beaten alternately, allegedly by a group of TNI soldiers. "Lift the dog's face", says one of them while torturing the Papuan man.
Komnas HAM, TNI commander urged to investigate
Responding to the circulating video, the Papua Human Rights Lawyers Association (PAHAM Papua) is urging the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and the commander of the TNI to immediately conduct a thorough investigation and to prosecute the perpetrators in court.
"The perpetrators must be punished and receive the maximum sentence including being dismissed from their unit", PAHAM Papua Chairperson Gustav Kawer in a release sent to the Cenderawasih Post on Friday March 22.
Kawer claimed that based on a brief investigation, the interum conclusion is that the torture was carried out by non-organic troops from the Siliwangi/III Regional Military Command (Kodam), Raider Brajawijaya/300 Infantry Battalion (Yonif Raider) Unit, against a civilian in the vicinity of Puncak or Puncak Jaya regency (Mulia, Ilaga or Sinak).
"The act of torture against the civilian was very sadistic, carried out by TNI soldiers without prioritising the principle of presumption of innocence", he said.
It should be, Kawer continued, that if the person concerned was suspected of committing a crime or involvement in the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), then the TNI with its large number of fully equipped troops should have be able to deal with a civilian who is alone and helpless.
"It's not appropriate to commit cruel acts and sadistic torture as was circulating in the video", he said.
According to Kawer, the actions by the TNI officers was an illegal act of torture so it is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation.
"If it is discovered that the victim died, the security forces' actions could be categorised as murder outside of the law (an extra judicial killing)", he said. (*)
Notes
The video (warning: contains graphic, violent content and viewer discression is advised) of the Papuan man being tortured by TNI soldiers can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJgAHYdLgVo (requires registration), or from the United Liberation for West Papua (ULMWP) website at: https://www.ulmwp.org/president-wenda-a-crime-against-humanity-has-been-committed-in-yahukimo.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "VIRAL Oknum TNI Siksa Warga Sipil, Pangdam Cenderawasih: Video Itu Hasil Edit".]
