Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Four Timika residents arrested by Papua Police over the killing of two American teachers and their Indonesian colleague continue to live in fear, despite being released after it became clear they had no connection to the murders.
The four – Dominikus "Domi" Mom, Germanus Magal, Markus Kelebetme and Victus Wanmang – are still in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, fearing they will be killed by relatives of the eight suspects in the murders if they return to Timika. The four men and the eight suspects are all members of the Amungme tribe.
Papuan feminist Yosepha Alomang, who is also an Amungme tribal leader, said the fear was based on tribal culture. According to Amungme culture, the 12 people, who left their hometown together, must all return to Timika together.
"In Amungme culture, if five people leave a house together, all five should return together to the house. If they fail to do so, they might be accused of betraying their friends.
"In this case, the 12 left their village for Jayapura and, based on our culture, the four might be accused of being spies and be killed," said Yosepha, a recipient of the Yap Thiam Hien human rights award and The Goldman environment prize, in Jayapura.
The four released men are currently staying at the Institute for Human Rights Study and Advocacy for West Papua (Els-Ham) in Jayapura, while Yosepha speaks with the eight suspects' families to help them understand the country's legal procedures, according to Paula Makabori, Els-Ham's coordinator in Timika.
In an operation last Wednesday involving officers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Antonius Wamang, the main suspect in the killings, and 11 other suspected members of the separatist Free Papua Movement were arrested. Eight of the 12, including Wamang, have officially been named suspects in the killings, which took place in August, 2002.
The eight were flown to Jakarta on Saturday for further questioning.
Meanwhile, angry that the eight suspects were transported to Jakarta without their families first being notified, relatives of the suspects have returned Jayapura-to-Jakarta airline tickets provided by Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tomy Tider Jacobus.
"The police said the eight people's departure would be transparent, but it turned out they were quietly taken by helicopter to Sentani without their families or legal representatives being informed. We were lied to and that is why we gave the tickets back," Yosepha said.
A lawyer for one of the suspects, Piet Ell, said he planned to file a lawsuit against the Papua Police chief for unlawful arrest. "They were arrested without a warrant. The warrant was issued by the Papua Police a day after the arrests," he claimed in Jayapura.