West Papua Media Alerts
by Oktavianus Pogau at SuaraPapua.com
June 28, 2013
Nabire – On 26 June 2013, Titua Money, a traditional landowner of Kampung Warmi, Yaur District, Nabire Region, Papua was violated by 3 members of the Mobile Police Brigade of Papua district. Titus was assaulted due because he protested against PT. Nabire Baru, an oil palm plantation regarding a delay in the payment of his wages.
“It is true that my brother’s face was assaulted with a rifle butt by three members of the Mobile Police Brigade (Brimob) of Papua. His lips were bleeding and busted. His buttocks were assaulted with the rifle butt until it turned blue black,” explained the victim’s brother, Imanuel Money, when he was contacted by suarapapua.com, on Friday (28 June 2013) afternoon.
Before the assault, Imanuel said that his brother was detained and handcuffed by the three policemen, after which they rained repeated blows to his face with a rifle butt.
“After the arrest, the policemen released eight shots in the air to intimidate other workers who were present in the plantation,” Imanuel added.
Imanuel further elaborated that, his brother Titus, had protested to the manager of PT. Nabire Baru due to a delay in the payment of his wages. This practice had become increasingly frequent and without an explanation provided to the workers.
“The delay in the payment of the wages of the workers, including my brother, was a common practice of the plantation, however no one dared to protest because armed police personnel were employed by the plantation to pacify the situation to their benefit,” explained Imanuel.
Imanuel said that he had asked his brother to return to Nabire to attend to his medical needs, however this was prohibited by the management of the plantation.
“The plantation has utilized the mobile police brigade to keep peace in the plantation. To our knowledge the plantation has employed eight mobile police brigade personnel for that purpose. The three mobile police brigade who perpetrated the assault are Sertu Eko, Serda Genta and Sertu Urbanus,” said Imanuel.
Imanuel demanded immediate legal disciplinary action by the Police Inspector General of Papua, Tito Karnavian and Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Nabire, Bahara Marpaung against the three personnel.
“As a representative of the kin of the victim I demand that the Police Inspector General of Papua and the Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner of Nabire take due action against the three personnel who perpetrated an inhumane assault against my brother over a trivial matter,” expressed Imanuel.
When contacted by suarapapua.com for confirmation, the Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner, Bahara Marpaung verified the assault by the three police personnel against Titus Money who is an employee of PT Nabire Baru. The Commisioner claimed that Titus had threatened and assaulted the manager in a drunken stupor.
“Mr Titus Money had threatened and assaulted the plantation manager in a drunken stupor. Our personnel meant to calm him down, however Titus had behaved in a disorderly manner and spat on one of the officers. This had enraged the personnel who resorted to severe action to control Titus Money,” explained the Commissioner of Nabire.
The Commissioner also bid the family of the victim to make a formal police report with adequate medical evidence as proof the assault if they wished to proceed with legal action against the three police personnel who had assaulted Titus Money.
“I welcome the family of the victim to make a police report to start the legal process. I am also prepared to meet the family tomorrow at the District Police Station of Nabire, I shall await them,” he urged.
Pt. Nabire Baru is an agribusiness involved in promoting oil plantations. It started its operations in Kampung Sima, Yaur district and Nabire district, three years ago. It has been actively recruiting the local communities in the areas as labourers and workers with very low wages.
