Four Indonesian soldiers sentenced for abusing Papuans

Four Indonesian soldiers sentenced for abusing Papuans

2010-11-11 21:35:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Four Indonesian soldiers on Thursday were sentenced from five to seven months in prison after a video showed them torturing locals from the eastern island of Papua, an Indonesian military court said.

According to court files, the soldiers detained a group of Papuans, and during a subsequent questioning regarding possible weapons, the soldiers began kicking their heads and backs. The soldiers also used their helmets as weapons, striking the group on their heads.

Three soldiers were sentenced to five months, while their platoon commander was given a seven-month prison term. Both sentences were higher than the recommended three-month prison term, according to the Indonesian military court.

"Today the Papua military court has sentenced four personnel to jail for committing abuse to civilians," Lieutenant Colonel Susilo, a spokesman for the Papua military command, said.

The trial comes after a video that began appearing on several websites in mid-October, stirred international media outlets and outraged communities around the world, after initially being uploaded by the Asian Human Rights Commission, which is based in Hong Kong.

The leaked video showed low-quality footage of six men in military uniforms torturing two Papuan villagers by burning their genitals, threatening them with guns, placing knives in their faces and necks, and even using a cigar as a weapon or threat. Even though it had been claimed that they belonged to separatist groups, locals said they were only villagers from the region.

During the 10-minute video, which even made its way on to YouTube before being taken down, the soldiers are violently questioning the men about their connection with rebel groups as they are constantly kicked and abused.

The incident reportedly occurred last May, in the Punjak Jaya region of Papua. A strong military presence has been established in the eastern region as separatist insurgency has developed for decades.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-11