Komnas HAM Papua investigates alleged gross human rights violations of Timika murder

Komnas HAM Papua
The Nduga student demonstration in Jayapura City on Saturday (3/9/2022) demanded that the TNI personnel suspected of being involved in the murder and mutilation in Mimika be punished. – Jubi/Theo Kelen

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM Papua) has started an investigation into the murder and mutilation of four civilians from Nduga Regency in Timika, Mimika Regency.

Head of Komnas HAM Papua Frits Ramandey said his team started investigating in Timika, the capital of Mimika Regency, on Friday, August 2, 2022. Ramandey said the team had visited the crime scene, coordinated with the police and military police in Timika, and sought information from witnesses.

“I lead this team. We are still working on investigating and deepening the data. We are also trying to find new facts from the incident,” Ramandey said when contacted by Jubi via telephone call on Friday.

The murder occurred in Settlement Unit 1, Mimika Baru District on August 22, 2022. The four victims were Arnold Lokbere, Elemaniel “Leman” Nirigi, Irian Nirigi, and Atis Tini.

The Military Police of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Region Command named six Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers as suspects in the case, while the Papua Police named four civilians as suspects.

Ramandey said his team had new findings related to the case but could not announce it yet as the investigation was still ongoing. He said the investigation was targeted to be completed within a week. “But it could be faster or slower,” he said.

Previously, Juli Gwijangge, a family member of Arnold Lokbere, expressed the victim’s family’s demand for the formation of an independent team involving the Komnas HAM, the House of Representatives, and civil society human rights organizations. The independent team must investigate allegations of gross human rights violations in the murder and mutilation of four Nduga residents.

“We ask Komnas HAM, Commission I of the House of Representatives in charge of security and defense, Kontras, YLBHI, LBH Papua, Amnesty International, and the UN Human Rights Commission to immediately form an investigation team to reveal the facts of the murder case,” Gwijangge said.

Gwijangge said the killings and mutilations were gross human rights violations as the victims were killed in a planned, measured, and structured manner, as seen in their actions of burning the victim’s rented car. (*)

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