Papua House representative – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – A Papua legislator from the electoral district of Intan Jaya, Paniai, Mimika, Nabire, Deiyai and Dogiyai, Maria Duwitau, accused the police of reneging on on their promise in the settlement of the shooting in Sugapa, Intan Jaya on 28 August 2016 by mobile brigade officers that caused the death of Otinaus Sondegau.
Dewitau, a politician from the Democrat Party, said during the negotiation with the victim’s family, the Papua Police promised to give punishment to the officers found guilty and involved in this case. The victim’s family didn’t ask any more than the dismissal of the perpetrators.
“The lives of Papuans are precious. They are not worth 21 days or a year in prison. It would give no deterrent effect to the perpertrators. People could count on it. What the Papua Police in the square has talked was different with the verdict. It is a lie if the officers did it for defending their selves from people who chased them with the arrows,” she said on Tuesday (11/10/2016).
According to him, if those said the Papua Police has given Rp 150 million to the victim’s family, the money wasn’t for paying the fines based on the customary law.
“When they talked with the victim’s family, we were in Sugapa. At that time, some of Police chiefs including the Papua Police Deputy Chief were attended. The Papua Police Chief gave Rp 150 million to the family not for paying the life. It is to say his condolence. On the other hand, the victim’s family asked that a life should be paid with another life,” she said.
Besides the residents, she said the shooting witnesses are the police officers in Intan Jaya. She asked to all members of the security forces, including the military and police to treat Papuans properly.
“The indigenous Papuans should not be seen like the animals and be killed. The Papua Police Chief must put this case in order. No one has rights to take anyone’s life except God,” she said.
Another Papuan legislator from the same electoral region and also the victim’s family, Thomas Sondegau, said the family could not accept the verdict over five mobile brigade officers.
“Papua Police promised to refer on the positive law, but the reality four of five officers only got 21 days sentences and one got a year sentences. It is only the punishment of ethics. We don’t ask for anything. We only wanted they are all being fired,” he said.
According to him, the officers should get the proper punishment.
“Those who stole the cassava got two years sentences, but in the case of convicted murder, they only got 21 days and one year sentences,” he said.
The Papua Police spokesperson, Patrige Renwarin, said the five officers were found guilty due to the misuse of armed weapons causing the death of civilians.
“The sanction is various, especially for Jackson Simbiak and Paul Eduardo Ansanay, they are dismissed from their position as the platoon commander. Meanwhile Jefri is dismissed from his position as the commander of the squad,” said Renwarin.
According to him, they cannot get the sanction on crime because they are proven to defend themselves from the people’s arrow attack around the shooting incident.
“From the investigation in the trial, the five officers opened the shout after being attack by people with the arrow. Their shot hit the victim,” he said. (*/rom)
