Pacific

Papua shooting a concern - Amnesty

10:29 am on 11 December 2014

Amnesty International says it's extremely concerned about reports that Indonesian security forces opened fire and killed at least five men, all students, in Paniai in Indonesia's Papua province.

Four men were killed and over a dozen injured when security forces, both police and military, allegedly opened fire on a crowd on Monday that was protesting at the Karel Gobai field located near the Paniai District Military Command.

A fifth man died from the bullet injuries a few hours later in hospital.

The crowd had reportedly gathered to protest against soldiers from the Special Team Battalion 753, who had allegedly beaten a child from Ipakije village the night before, who had to be hospitalised.

Amnesty International is calling for a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the killings and apparent excessive use of force by the Indonesian security forces.

It also says the findings of the investigation must be made public and those responsible, including persons with command responsibility, must be prosecuted in civilian courts in proceedings which meet international fair trial standards, without recourse to the death penalty.

Amnesty International says it believes far too many times, members of the security forces in Papua do not face prosecution or are just given a slap on the wrist for a range of human rights violations, including torture and other ill-treatment, unnecessary and excessive use of force and unlawful killings.