{"id":323647,"date":"2021-09-24T01:02:03","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T01:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=63968"},"modified":"2021-09-24T01:02:03","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T01:02:03","slug":"wenda-blames-nurses-death-on-indonesian-military-crackdown-for-papuan-mining-palm-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/09\/24\/wenda-blames-nurses-death-on-indonesian-military-crackdown-for-papuan-mining-palm-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"Wenda blames nurse\u2019s death on Indonesian military crackdown for Papuan mining, palm oil"},"content":{"rendered":"
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk<\/em><\/p>\n The United Liberation Movement of West Papua has blamed the Indonesian military over the attack at a hospital in Kiwirok, near the Papua New Guinean border, in which a nurse was killed.<\/p>\n Interim president Benny Wenda of the ULMWP has issued a statement in response to accusations by the Indonesian authorities against the West Papuan army, saying that the upsurge in violence is because of the militarisation of the region to protect business and a “destroy them” policy directive from Jakarta against West Papuan resistance.<\/p>\n Indonesia has accused the West Papuan army of attacking the hospital<\/a> and killing nurse Gabriella Meliani in Kiwirok.<\/p>\n But Wenda claimed, according to sources he has spoken to, the clash was started by an Indonesian migrant doctor threatening people with a pistol.<\/p>\n “This triggered a West Papua Army investigation. A nurse fled from the scene and fell down a slope, fatally injuring herself,” said Wenda.<\/p>\n Indonesia had deployed more than 21,000 new troops since December 2018, displacing tens of thousands<\/a> of civilians from Nduga, Intan Jaya, Puncak Jaya and Sorong.<\/p>\n Not keeping Papuans safe<\/strong> “The Indonesian government is creating violence and chaos to feed these troops. As the head of the Indonesian Parliament, Bambang Soesatyo, ordered, \u2018destroy them first.<\/a> We will discuss human rights matters later\u2019.<\/p>\n\n
\n“These troops are not there to defend Indonesia\u2019s \u2018sovereignty\u2019 or keep my people safe; they are there to protect illegal mining operations<\/a>, to defend the palm oil plantations that are destroying our rainforest, and to help build the Trans-Papua Highway that will be used for Indonesian business \u2013 not for the people of West Papua,” Wenda said.<\/p>\n