The local human rights organisation LP3BH (Manokwari Institute for Research Study and Development of Legal Aid) has documented of various cases of arbitrary arrests in Manokwari Regency. According to LP3BH the majority of arrests were carried out by members of the military in relation to the alleged theft of a fire arm, which had been stolen from a member of military special unit KOPASSUS. Since beginning of August 2017, LP3BH documented seven cases of unlawful arrests which occurred near the office of the company PT. Coklat Ransiki in Sowi, Manokwari Regency.
Hendrik Bosayor (30 years) was allegedly arrested and tortured on 4 August 2017. According to Hendrik Bosayor’s family, a group of military members had arbitrarily arrested him in Sowi I, near the former office of PT. Coklat Ransiki company. Subsequetly, the military members tortured Hendrik Bosayor and forced him to confess his involvement in the theft of a weapon. Hendrik Bosayor was unlawfully detained for eight days and released on 11 August 2017. LP3BH reported that Hendrik Bosayor’s family demanded a legal prosecution of the perpetrators. A similar incident occurred on 17 August 2017. Three men came at 10 am to Nimbrot Korwa’ s house in Arowi I and forced him to enter a silver mini van (Toyota Avanza). Family members reported the arrest on 19 August 2017 to LP3BH, after Nimbrot Korwa had not returned to his home. LP3BH reported that five other victims with the initials NK, FK, MB, BK and HB had been unlawfully arrested in the Sowi area during the past weeks.
All arrests were carried out without warrant or solid evidence for the victim’s involvement in the theft. Moreover, the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) states that criminal offenses are the responsibility of the national police and must be processed through law enforcement institutions in line with national regulations. The regional military command (Kodam XVIII/ Kasuari) did not respond to the allegations. However, the Head of LP3BH, Yan Christian Warinussi, stated three members of the military intelligence visited him on 12 August 2017 in the LP3BH office. The intelligence members left the office after Warinussi asked them to postpone the meeting to the evening.
