Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Amnesty International: Indonesian Security Forces to Blame for Unlawful
Killings

by VOA News

   Amnesty International says Indonesian security forces are responsible
   for unlawfully killing as many as 95 people in the Papua territory
   since 2010.

   According to the report issued Monday by the human rights advocacy
   group, many of the victims were political activists who took part in
   raising the "Morning Star" flag, which symbolizes the territory's
   independence movement; others were killed while taking part in
   peaceful, non-political demonstrations. Many of the killings were the
   result of unnecessary or excessive use of force.

   Amnesty says none of the unlawful killings has been subject to an
   independent criminal investigation. The report slammed President Joko
   Widodo for failing to live up to his promise to improve the human
   rights situation on Papua when he took office in 2014.

   The report is the culmination of two years of interviews with victims'
   families, witnesses and political activists.

   "The culture of impunity within the security forces must change, and
   those responsible for past deaths held to account," said Usman Hamid,
   Amnesty Indonesia executive director.

   Jakarta has ruled Papua, located on the western half of New Guinea
   island, since annexing it in the late 1960s after decades under Dutch
   rule.