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REMEMBERING THE BLOOD Of BIAK ANCIDENT, JULY 06, 1998

From July 2 to 6, 1998, when the military opened fire, the mornig star
flag flew over the thirty-five meter-tall water tower near the harbor in
Biak town. The demostranion was led by Filip Karma” Yopy Karma”. The flag
appeard on the top of the tower on July 2, at about 5: 00 a.m. Some
seventy five people gathred beneath it, shouting freedom slogans, singing
songs and dancing traditional dances. Some had painted their faces and
arms with the morning star symbol, and as the demonstration contiuend,
many people in the immediate are joined in. The water tower is near both
the main taxi terminal dan a major market, so the site is one that many
people would pass as part of their daily lives.
Aroud 9:00 a.m. The Regency head of Biak, Amandus Mansnembra, together
with the military command and Police Command came in the words of the
military Commander to give guidance and direction to the demostrators,
but they did not want to listen. Instead, they held an open forum as
part of their protest. Yopy Karma appeared as one of the speakers to
voice the aspiration of the people of Biak and demand independence for
the people of West Papua.

About 4:30 p.m. Security forces tried to break up the demonstration. When
the crowd recognized one intelligence agent there, Police Sergeant Irwan,
who they believed had been infiltrated into the crowd to cause trouble,
they attacked him, knocking out a few teeth and breaking his leg. This led
to a violent clash between the demonstratiors and the security forces
surrounding them. The later consisted of the special troops a platoon of
Police it called BRIMOB, a platoon from Infantry Battalion 753, one from
KODIM 1702, and one from the Biak navy post.

Economic activity in the area came to halt because of the demonstrations.
Shops and kiosks in the area closed down, and trading in the old market
ceased around 5:00 p.m. After about 5:30 the main road in the town of Biak
was virtually empty. The demonstrators had set up blockades around the
area, preventing anyone from reaching the harbor. A ship that was
supposed to dock at 5:00 p.m. , the Dobonsolo, was unable to do so and had
to anchor offshore.

Demostrators , in the meantime, hearing that they were going to be
attacted, had prepared themselves with bamboo spears and Molotov
cocktails, and cut down trees to block the way in to the demonstration
area. The head of Parlement Biak Regency, Mr. Ayub Sumerta came and asked
Yopy Karma to take down the flag.

At 1.00 a.m. on July 4, the Army forces brought nine village heads
together to discuss a strategy for attack, and both the subdistrict head
and subdistrict military commander told the village heads that each man
was responsible for bringing thirty men into the city. He also told them
that the district commander’s instructions were that each man should bring
a weapon of some sort, wheter a spear, knife, or some other sharp object.

At 8:00 a.m. negotiations began between the army and church leaders to try
to resolve the situation. As a result troops were pulled back from around
the district health clinic near the water tower but the demonstrators
refused to leave.

At 2.00 p.m., a Hercules transport plane landed in Biak with troops from
the Trikora Regional Command, the Regional Command based in Ujung Pandang,
Sulawesi, and anti-riot forces from the police mobile brigade.

The long awaited attack took place at 5.00 a.m. on July 6. Troops from
Battalion 733 Pattimura stationed at the air forces base at Manuhua aided
local forces, and were reinforced by troops from two warship, a logistics
ship called Waigeo and another with a resgistration number 108. The troops
opened fire from four sides. Witnesses reported that five civilians who
were already on the ground prone were deliberately shot. By 9:00 a.m.,
twenty one people had been brought to the hospital, one of whom, Rubben
Oroboi, died about an hour later in the hospital’s emergency room; he had
been shot in the head. Soldiers were all over the hospital, and a nurse on
duty said her superior was ordered not to say anything about anyone
having died. When an army truck drew up to the hospital entrance with
some of the wounded, the latter were just pushed off the truck. She said
Yopy Karma’s brother, Costan, was told to jump off the truck even though
his feet and hands were tied. He of course fell to the ground. Although he
was barely conscious, soldiers forbade the nurses to untie him, but they
did anyway, after pleading with him not to run.

One young man who was in the crow said that the army loaded people on
trucks, dead, wounded, and unhurt, and headed for the outskirts of the
town. When they reached the jungle, he and ten others were let off the
truck, while the remaining wounded and dead were driven on, to where he
had no ide. He was then picked up with the other survivors and taken to
navy headquarters, where he was not allowed to contact his family, who
assumed he had died and it was not until he returned home on July 11 that
they knew he was alive.

Additional violence followed the shooting, when youths from Sorido, armed
with Molotov cocktails, set fire to shops owned by immigrants from South
Sulawesi in he area of Kampung Baru, about a mile from Kampung Baru. The
youths were apparently intending to join the demonstration, but when they
saw trucks taking wounded demostrators to hospital they turned on the
shops instead.

People living near the water tower were taken to the port area on the day
of the attack and were forced to remain there all day. 150 people
arrested after the crackdown, nineteen eventually were charged and tried
and as of November 30, 1998 were detained at Biak district prison.

In addition, two young men, Paulus Mamoribo and Niko Smas, died shortly
after being released from detention, about three weeks after the
shootings. Mamoribo, who had been shot in the hand during the
demonstration, died at his home; Nico Smas collapsed and died while
walking in the street. At least other believed to have taken part in the
demonstration never returned home, but a full accounting of the missing
has not possible because of the climate of fear that prevails in Biak as
of this writing.

In the meantime, thirty three bodies of men, and children washed up on the
shore East and North Biak beginning on July 27. The Indonesian army
claimed they were victims of the tsunami that struck Aitape, Papua New
Guinea on July 16. There were unconfirmed reported from local people that
some of the bodies has their hands tied behind their backs, and one was
wearing a Golkar T-shirt, giving rise to the belief that at least some of
the bodies might be those of shooting victims.

Six boies, including an adult male , three adult females, an adolescent
girl and girl estimated to be about four years old were found in East Biak
on July 27, and immediately buried by security forces. The bodies were in
poor condition, but police said that some were marked with a tattoo that
resembled the letter “ w”. Nine more bodies washed up the next day. Of
the six found in Amini village, five were children ( three boys and two
girls), and one was an adult women wearing a shell necklace. A body of
girl estimated to be about twelve years old was found in Nyampung village,
Orwer village, and two other headless bodies were found on Padaido island,
near the villages of Pasi and Saribra. And July 29, the body of an adult
male was found in Yobdi, North Biak, and that of a young girl was found
near Wadibu, East Biak.

The Biak Detainees :

All of the following were arrested in connection with the Biak
demonstration, and all are being held in Biak prison as their trials
proceed :
• Filip Karma was detained on July 6. Aged thirty-nine. The prosecution
charged him with being the leader of the July demonstration. He was shot
in both feet during his arrest by security forces. After not being able to
see him for over week after his arrest, his wife was finally allowed to
visit but she and other members of the family were experiencing
harassment from officials at least through August and believed the
telephone at the family home in Jayapura was tapped.
• Neles Sroyer, thirty-eight. He was accused of leading the crowd in hymns
at the time the flag was raised and of soliciting contributions from local
people to buy food for the demonstrators. He gave a statement to police
under duress and was beaten during interrogation on July 7.
• Thonci Wabiser, aged sixty-six. He was accused of leading prayers and
collecting funds from sympathizers during the demonstrations. He was
released into the custody of his family pending trial but was redetained
before the trial began.
• Melky Kmur, twenty-five, who help carry the flag to the demonstration.
He was beaten, forced to lie down on his back and then walked on by
police.
• Celsius Raweyai, Forty-six, he took part in the singing of thee hymn “
Onward Christian Solders” as the flag was being raised. He was arrested at
his home on July 6 and reportedly gave a statement to police under
duress. For most of his questioning, he was not accompanied by a lawyer ;
a court-appointed attorney appeared toward the end of his interrogation.
• Agustinus Sada, Forty-nine, he was previously imprisoned for the
non-political murder of a policeman. He helped mobilize the crowd at the
time of the flag-raising.
• Eduard Iwanggin, Forty-four, was released in August in to custody of his
family. H was arrested at gunpoint on July 6 by three members of the
mobile police brigade and one soldier from the regional military command
(KOREM). He was not charged with assault, unlike most of the others.
• Andreas Marsyom, Thirty-seven, he was accused of taking part in the
demonstration and leading the singing of “ Onward Christian Soldiers,
• Hengky Yosias Wambrauw, Twenty-three, whose main role during the
demonstration was to provide guitar accompaniment to the singing. He was
arrested on July 6 and gave a statement to police, reportedly under
duress.
• Nehemia Ronsumbre, Forty-three, who turned himself in to the police on
July 7, and was eventually released in to the custody of his family. He
was later redetained before his trial began in October.
• Marinus Ronsumbre, Thirty-two, he was beaten with rifle butt and
otherwise ill-treated during his arrested on July 6.
• Bernadus Mansawan, Nine-teen, he was arrested on July 6 but eventually
released in to the custody of his family. While being questioned, he was
reportedly ordered to sign a statement refusing legal counsel.
• Lamek Dimara, twenty-two, he helped provide security for the
demonstration and gewas shot with a rubber bullet by security forces. He
was charged with rebellion, spreading hatred, and possession of a sharp
weapon under Emergency Law Number 12/1951.
• Roberth Iwanggin, Thirty-eight, he helped make the flag and later
turned himself in to police because he was afraid of the consequences if
he did not. He was charged with rebellion and spreading hatred.
• Inseren Sampari Karma, a housewife, came to the demonstration only in to
give her brother Yopy Karma, a report on their father’s healty ; he had an
operation several days earlier. Once there however she stayed to help
collect funds and distribute food. A warrant for her arrest was produced
two days after she was detained on July 6, she was eventually released in
to the custoday of her family.
• Djoumunda Costan Karma, Yopy’s brother, aged thirty, he helped make the
flag used in the demonstration. Arrested on July 6, he was only present
with an arrest warrant several days later. Although the charges against
him do not include assault, they do include carrying or possessing a sharp
weapon under Emergency Law Number 12/1951.
• Adrianus Rumbewas, Twenty-five, took part in the demonstration and was
arrested on July 9, by member of the district military command. He was
charged with rebellion and speadind hatred but not with assault.
• Nico Rumpaidus, Forty-five, he was present when the flag used in the
demonstration was made. He was charged like Costan Karma with violating
Emergency Law Number 12/1951.

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