Saturday 9 August 2008

Reports from Wamena this afternoon state that there has been a fatal shooting at an event to celebrate UN Indigenous Peoples Day.  Reports say that rally event involves 20,000 local people.

The man who was shot is identified as Mr Opinus Tabuni, age 35.   Mr Tabuni is said to have been shot in chest and killed after Indonesian security forces fired into the crowd at about 3.45 pm today. 

Mr Tabuni is said to have been an organiser for the Tribal Council in the Wamena region (Lapago) and appears to have been coordianting the event.

The demonstrators have raised four flags.  These are the United Nations flag, the Indonesian flag, the West Papuan Morning Star flag and the SOS emergency flag.

The demonstrators are said to be refusing to move from the site of the demonstration until there is now International intervention in West Papua.

For further information about the demonstration is available from contacts in Wamena.

-   Markus  Haluk,  Lapago Tribal Council member, +62 852 44442502
 
-  Agus Alua,  Chairman, Papuan Peoples Assembly (MRP)  +62 816 43333084

and

Paula Makabory,  Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights on  +61 402547517  in Australia.

Matthew Jamieson
Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights
PO Box 1805, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Australia
matthew@hr.minihub.org
tel +61(0) 418291998