 |
| Martinus Yohame. Photograph FWPC |
The senior West Papuan independence activist, Martinus Yohame, who went missing on August 20, was found dead on Monday.
His body was found floating inside a gunny sack by Nana island, with bullet injuries and his arms and legs tied up, reports Radio New Zealand.
“It’s very shocking that the body was found inside a gunny sack floating on the sea,” West Papua human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy told The Jakarta Post.
Yohame, chair of the West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) in the Sorong region, went missing hours after speaking at a press conference, where he condemned Indonesia's occupation of West Papua and led a local campaign against the presence of the Indonesian president, who was near by at the time, visiting islands of Raja Ampat.
Condemning the kidnapping and murder of Yohame, West Papuan activists have accused Indonesia's Special Forces, the Kopassus, of being responsible.
"This is a common form of torture and execution used by the Indonesian government in West Papua. 1000's of West Papuans have been murdered in this way over the last 50 years," said Free West Papua Campaign in a statement.
KNPB advocates West Papua's right to self-determination. See Papua's struggle for independence
See related articles:
French journalists arrested in Papua (16 Aug 2014)
Papuan activists killed by police (17 Dec 2012)
Protests against royal welcome for Indonesian president (31 Oct 2012)
Papuan separatist leader killed (14 Jun 2012)
Clashes as Papuans mark anniversary of independence declaration (01 Dec 2011)
Report accuses Indonesian police of brutality against Papuans (05 Nov 2011)
Security forces attack, as Papua declares independence (19 Oct 2011)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
