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Papuan leader back behind bars
August 25, 2005
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura
Yusak Pakage, a Papuan leader sentenced to 10 years in jail for treason,
escaped a Jayapura jail on Wednesday, but was recaptured a few hours
later.
The 26-year-old Yusak left his cell at 6.30 a.m. in order to fetch a book
from his house, which is located some 200 meters from the prison. After
getting permission from a prison official, a prison guard escorted Yusak
to his house, but on the way the young leader suddenly ran away and headed
into the office of non-governmental organization (NGO) Elsham Papua for
protection, said the prison warden, K. Rumboirusi.
Yusak escaped the prison after he protested the extension of an arrest
warrant issued by the Supreme Court to keep him imprisoned. He argued that
the letter was illegal because it was not signed by the official whose
name was printed on the letter, namely Mariana Sutadi, the deputy chief of
the Supreme Court. "The letter was invalid. It has the name of an official
and a Supreme Court stamp on it, but it was never signed by the Supreme
Court official," said Yusak. The letter was only signed by Suparno, the
chief of the crime directorate at the Supreme Court and Tukijan, a clerk
at the Jayapura district court.
Yusak was detained after he was sentenced by the Jayapura district court
to 10 years in prison for state treason in May this year. His lawyers
filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning that the Supreme Court had
to produce a detention letter to keep Yusak in jail, pending the Supreme
Court producing a decision on the appeal. The detention period had been
extended several times and the latest extension was on Aug. 23.
However, the latest extension letter was controversial and had been deemed
illegal. "I am willing to return to prison if the court and prosecution
official explains the flaws in this controversial letter," said Yusak.
Yusak was returned to prison in the afternoon after he was picked up by
the Jayapura Prison warden and the chief of Abepura police subprecinct,
Adj. Comr. Robert Suweni.
Yusak, along with his accomplice, Philep Karma, were prosecuted and
received 10 years jail each after they were found guilty of holding a
separatist meeting at the Cenderawasih University last year to discuss
preparations to commemorate Papua Independence Day on Dec. 1.
The two not only organized that meeting, but had also organized the Papua
independence commemoration on Dec. 1 last year at the Trikora field,
Abepura.
Note van de webmaster:
10 jaar voor het organiseren van een meeting en
herdenking van de onafhankelijkheid!!!!!
Voor die straf moet je in Nederland zo ongeveer een school uitgemoord
hebben.
Wie durft er nog te zeggen dat het goed gaat met West-Papua
onder Indonesisch bewind?
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