Catholic Students want shooting in Papua investigated

Catholic students have called on local police and military to investigate a shooting in Papua. One man died and two others were injured. “We urge local police and military to immediately put their members (involved in the case) on trial, because they violated the existing law and human rights. Anyone who violates the human rights must be put on trial,” said Simon Petrus Baru, head of the Jayapura chapter of the Union of Catholic University Students of the Republic of Indonesia. “As fighters for truth and justice,  Catholic university students will never close their eyes to such (a) case,” he said.

Domin Auwe (25) was shot dead in front of a police station in Moanemani, capital of Dogiyai district on April 13. Two others youths, Otin Yobe (23) and Amon Pigai (23), were also shot and seriously injured. A riot later broke out and the police station was attacked but no one was injured in that incident. In response, a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit was deployed to the area. The next day, a man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest, while another was wounded in the arm and leg.

The police said they were forced to open fire after rioters attacked the Moenamani subdistrict police station in retaliation for an earlier raid on an illegal gambling den.

However, officials from the Kingmi Church said there was never any raid. They claimed officers shook down two people for money, one of whom, Dominikus Auwe, was selling tickets for togel , a popular lottery-like gambling game. Dominikus then went to the police station with three others to demand his money back. “The police shot him point-blank in the chest and head, killing him on the spot,” said Yones Douw, the church’s peace and justice coordinator.

The Kingmi church has been particularly vocal in speaking out against human rights violations in the region. The majority of the Kingmi Church members come from the Papuan highlands where the Indonesian military has been most brutal

Source
Pacific Scoop
UCAnews

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UCAnews

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News category: Asia Pacific.

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