According to the indictment, the soldiers accompanied a civilian convoy which was delivering food to the capital of Puncak Jaya district, Mulia. At some point, the soldiers took out two men and accused them of being members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM). They were then tortured and one of the two, Kinderman Gire, was killed by the soldiers after he had allegedly been trying to grab a rifle. The dead body was later dumped into a river.
The Papua Customary Council (DAP) has claimed that Kinderman was a local priest who had no connection to the OPM. It further emphasised that the military often uses suspicions of membership of the OPM as cover for military violence, torture and killings. Already in November, four soldiers were sentenced for torturing two civilians.
Jakarta Globe: Low-Ranking Soldiers Indicted Over Torture, Killing in Papua’s Puncak Jaya
Channel 6 News: Indonesian soldiers charged with torture after killing civilian
