Saturday 4 December 2010

Jakarta under pressure to prosecute torture troops
Tom Allard, Jakarta
December 4, 2010

A scene from the torture video that has sparked calls for action.

AUSTRALIA and the US have urged Indonesia to bring to justice soldiers who tortured two Papuan men in May, pressuring Indonesia to meet its commitment to reforming its military.

Ambassadors from the two countries - which share a close security relationship with Indonesia - have raised the issue in the past week or so in response to a farcical investigation into the torture, which was captured on video and revealed by The Age.

The video depicts Indonesian soldiers repeatedly burning the genitals of a Papuan man while he cries in pain.
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After the video surfaced, before a visit by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised that the perpetrators would face trial.

Four soldiers were soon court-martialled and sentenced to between five and seven months in prison. But it emerged that the men were on trial for an earlier and far less serious incident in which unarmed Papuans were kicked and hit with a helmet.

The investigation into the video has since stalled, with some senior Indonesian military officials continuing to claim that those imprisoned were involved in the torture.Australia's chief of mission in Jakarta raised the concerns about the case, particularly embarrassing given Dr Yudhoyono's assurances to Ms Gillard about swift action.

Ms Gillard yesterday confirmed the approach, adding that she was confident Dr Yudhoyono ''wants to see any wrongdoers brought to justice''.

An American diplomatic source confirmed that the US ambassador in Jakarta, Scot Marciel, had raised the issue with the Indonesian Defence Minister.

''We are not very happy at all with what's going on,'' the source said. The US has just resumed training with Indonesia's notorious special forces unit, Kopassus, after a 12-year ban imposed over human rights abuses.

Asked about the status of the investigation into the torture, Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Priyatna, spokesman for West Papua's military command, said ''there is no lead in this case, it's difficult''.

However, human rights advocates say there is ample evidence for a serious investigation.

Tunaliwor Kiwo, the man whose genitals were burned, has testified about what happened in a video recorded by human rights activists.

He has identified when it occurred and where he was abducted, a military post at Kampung Yogorini village, in West Papua's restive Puncak Jaya region.



Source: http://www.theage.com.au/world/jakarta-under-pressure-to-prosecute-torture-troops-20101203-18jrb.html 

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