TNI answers the issue of buying and selling rifles in the case of mutilation of Papuans

The Army Military Police Center (Puspomad) will investigate indications of buying and selling weapons in the case of mutilating civilians in Pigapu Village, East Mimika District, Mimika Regency, which involved six members of the TNI.

Komnas HAM revealed indications of buying and selling weapons in the case of mutilating civilians in Pigapu Village, East Mimika District, Mimika Regency, Papua which involved six members of the Indonesian Army. The Army Military Police Center (Puspomad) will investigate the allegations.

"It must be investigated," said Danpuspomad Lieutenant General Chandra Sukotjo when contacted by detikcom, Sunday (05/09).

Chandra asserted that the case involving six members of the Indonesian Army was purely a criminal act. For that, against the six, said Chandra, a legal process was carried out.

"In the TNI there is no ethics trial. This case is purely criminal, so it is handled legally," he said.

Chandra said later the six would be processed in the Military Court. He said that later the Military Court would determine additional sentences for the six suspects.

"Dismissal is part of the sentence handed down by the Military Court, it is an additional punishment," he said.

Allegations of buying and selling guns need to be investigated

Previously, the Commissioner of Komnas HAM, Choirul Anam, assessed that the alleged indication of buying and selling weapons needed to be investigated in this case. According to him, the TNI AD needs to prioritize indications of buying and selling these weapons.

"The most important thing outside this context (citizen mutilation) is if it's true, for example, there are reports related to bringing money, he said, for buying and selling weapons, this issue is a significant issue," Anam told reporters, Wednesday (31/08).

"So, yes, we really hope that apart from this case it will be clear and so on, if there are questions about buying and selling weapons and so on, we ask that it be prioritized," he added.

Anam hopes that the TNI AD can solve the problem of buying and selling weapons. He said there would be no peace, if the sale and purchase of weapons still took place anywhere.

"We want Papua to be peaceful, we want Papua to be free from violence, we want Papua to be prosperous and so on," said Anam.

"But it's impossible to materialize because weapons can still be traded and that happens anywhere, so in other parts of the world there can be no peace, if there is still buying and selling of weapons," he added.

6 members of the Indonesian Army become suspects

Previously, a resident of Timika, Mimika Regency, Papua, became a victim of a sadistic murder. Six members of the TNI AD have been named as suspects. They have all been detained for the next 20 days for examination and investigation.

The Head of the Information Service of the Indonesian Army (Kadispenad) Brigadier General Tatang Subarna explained that the investigation team from the Military Police has now conducted an examination and investigation of 6 elements of the TNI AD soldiers. They are suspects in the murder case of four residents in Mimika Regency, Papua.

Tatang said that the investigation team from the Military Police had temporarily detained the suspects for 20 days. This is done to facilitate the purposes of examination and investigation.

"Currently the suspects are being held in the Mimika Subdenpom XVII/C detention room starting from Sunday, August 28, 2022," he said in a written statement at the Army Headquarters, Tuesday (30/08).

Tatang added that there were 6 suspects in total, consisting of one major, one captain, one praka, and three pratu. All of them were from the Brigif 20/IJK/3 Kostrad unit.

SOURCE: https://www.dw.com/id/tni-response-isu-jual-beli-senpi-di-case-mutilasi-warga-papua/a-63017843