Jayapura, 18/4 (Jubi) – A photograph captured some Papuans laid in the ditch and been watching by some police officers and people has been circulated towards the time of speech taken by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Moana Carcases Kolosis in front of the UN Human Rights Council. It didn’t get attention either from the local or national press because it wasn’t providing the time and location where it was taken.
Later, it revealed the men in the photograph are Meki Elosak, Wiki Meage, Obeth Kosay and Oscar Hilago who arrested and accused separatists by the police. The picture has been taken in Yalengga in 2010. As published in the AIDP website (17/4), the Directress of AIDP, Anum Siregar admitted the picture posted in the Facebook is about her four clients, Meki Elosak, Wiki Meage, Obeth Kosay and Oscar Holago.
“Meki Elosak described the torture they have been through in detail, it was a true story, not a hoax,” Siregar said.
“They were tortured but not revealed,” she added. According to her, the Jayawijaya Police Office has issued the Letter of Order No Sprin/01/III/2014/Sipropam appointing 6 officers to conduct an investigation towards Meki Elosak and Wiki Meage.
“We will appreciate the police to respond this case but please don’t do because of it appeared in the social media. What about if it wasn’t posted?” she said.
She further said, if the police continue to disregard the offender, it would damage the image of the police. People cannot see the different between the offender and the police as the state institution.
The incident was happened in Yalengga in October 2010. At that time, 9 Jayawijaya residents were planning to attend the funeral of their family. But the police arrested them during their travel and accused them as the members of the West Papua Revolutionary Army. They have been sentenced 8 years prison on the charge of treason. Along with Meki Elosak, Wiki Meage, Obeth Kosay and Oscar Hilago, there are Meki Tabuni, Ali Jikwa, Peres Tabuni, Wombi Tabuni and Toebaga Kilungga.
Jubi noted in November 2010, the Jayawijaya Police Chief I Gede Sumerta Jaya has confirmed about the arrest. He said there were nine people who suspected as the members of “West Papua Revolutionary Army”. The police arrested those people because they flapped the Morning Star around of Yalengga Village. The police later seized the flag and detained them. But the Chief denied the torture. “The police never tortured them. They have been arrested and well treated in the Jayawijaya Police Office.
Meanwhile the Spokesman of Papua Police Office said the police have not identified yet the one who took and posted the picture.
“I don’t know who took the picture, and who posted it as well. But this wasn’t a massacre, but it was about the flag. The suspects are currently in the prison in Wamena,” the Papua Police Spokesman Sulistyo Pudjo said (18/4). (Jubi/Victor Mambor/rom)
