By Konradus Epa
10/22/10 Papau New Guinea (UCAN) – The video showing indigenous Papuans being tortured by military An Indonesian Protestant leader has condemned torture of indigenous Papuans, shown in a video posted on YouTube last week. “The case (torture) is a human rights violation,” said Protestant Reverend Karel Ph. Erari, co-chairman of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI). The four-minute video was uploaded to the video sharing site last week but was later removed. It can now be accessed at the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) website. AHRC says the video was recorded in West Papua. It shows uniformed soldiers severely abusing indigenous Papuans. Reports say soldiers alost once a month run “sweeping operations” in which they burn houses, kill livestock, arrest and intimidate Papuans, who they regard as separatists. Reverend Karel has proposed a fact-finding team be formed to investigate the reports of violence. “This is only one of the numerous cases involving the Papua military reported to us,” said Wong Kai Shing, AHRC’s executive director in a press release issued on Oct. 17.
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