Scott Mitchell
AUCKLAND (Vice News/Pacific Media Watch): Indonesian troops have opened fire in West Papua and killed five civilians during protests, as Indonesia faces growing pressure over its occupation of the Melanesian region.
The exact events that led to the deaths on Monday are difficult to trace, especially given media censorship and inconsistent reporting inside West Papua.
It has been established that the shootings occurred in Paniai regency, where locals gathered to demonstrate at Karel Gobay Square. At least five people were reported dead, with at least 12 wounded.
Local media quoted community leaders claiming that the unrest was provoked by the beating of a 12-year-old boy on Sunday night, while military spokesperson Rikas Hidayatullah claimed it was a political demonstration against the Electoral Commission.
The crowd “ran amok,” according to Hidayatullah, who added that the incident happened after the “police asked the military to help them”.
Activists for West Papuan independence began circulating a number of horrific pictures, that they claimed were taken at the scene of the shootings, on blogs and Twitter.
Full story, massacre images on Pacific Scoop and PMC Online here
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Pacific Media Watch
