Pressure is mounting on Indonesia to curb the growing violence in the Papua region after police killed a Papuan leader.
Mako Tabuni, the chairman of the National Committee of West Papua, was shot after he resisted arrest in what the Indonesian human rights watchdog Imparsial calls a violation of police procedure.
Johnny Blades reports
"Calls for Jakarta to place some restraint on security forces in Papua were already intensifying before Thursday's killing of Mako Tabuni. Up to 17 Papuans were killed and dozens of homes destroyed in last week's rampage by soldiers in Wamena. Dozens of shootings this month alone by what police call 'unidentified gunmen' continue to plague the Papuan capital Jayapura. International human rights groups say the military is the main cause of ongoing rights abuses and have urged Indonesia to allow foreign media and NGOs access to the region. In the wake of the Tabuni killing, Papuan church and tribal leaders have urged their people to maintain calm, fearing that a violent reaction will give security forces an excuse to increase hostilities."
