West Papuan man forced to rape his fiancée by Indonesian marines

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney) Media release 23 May 2008
A report received from the KPKC Synod GKI (Protestant Church) in West Papua documents how a West Papuan man , Alex Wanda (aged 26) was forced to rape his fiancée, Helen Wali (aged 25 ) by 8 Indonesian Naval marines in Hamadi, Jayapura. The naval personal also photographed the forced rape on their mobile phones and abused Helen Wali, squeezing her breasts and touching her genitals.
The incident occurred in the area of the Headquarters Unit of the Eastern Indonesian Navy’s Regional Base X, Papua, Jayapura, on Sunday the 18 May 2008.
In his testimony to the KPKC (on Wednesday 21 May) Alex Wanda reported that he and his fiancee Helen were relaxing at the beach in the Hamadi Recreational reserve when (shortly after they had arrived) Alex saw eight Naval personnel jump over the fence that surrounded the troops barracks. The Naval marines approached Alex and Helen and assaulted them. Five of the Marines dragged Alex away from Helen while the other three grabbed Helen.
The marines then ordered Alex to have sexual intercourse with Helen but he refused. The marines then threatened Alex and Helen, shouting at them that “if you do not want to do sexual intercourse in this place (in the scene), then we will strip you both to the skin and we will escort you to the Navy Headquarters guard post”.
Alex again refused and he was hit on the back of his head hard with a piece of hard wood by the marines. Another marine grabbed the necklace he was wearing tightening it around his neck and threatening to cut his throat.
In fear for their lives, Helen was stripped by the marines and forced to lay down on the sand. The other marines the pushed Alex hard on his back and forced him to lie on the top of Helen’s naked body. The marines grabbed her legs and forced them apart then made Alex under threat to rape his girlfriend. After the first rape, Alex was threatened and forced to rape his fiancée a second time while the marines squeezed Helen’s breast and touched her genitals. They also took photos and filmed using their mobile camera phones
Alex and Helen were then taken naked to the seawater and submerged in the water for 30 minutes. They were then told to go home. But Alex went directly to the Navy’s Headquarters guard post and reported what occurred. However, he received no response from the Navy guards and the Navy still denies that its members were involved. Alex told them that he saw the eight personnel jumped over the fence wall from 17meters distance, although Alex could not recognize the faces of the marines as they covered their faces with their marine troops special character T-Shirt (T-Shirt with Navy/Marines’ symbol or logo).
Because the navy refused to accept responsibility that their personal were involved in the incident, on Wednesday morning 21/5/2008, 100 people demonstrated in front of the Navy Headquarters Gate, demanding that the eight Navy personnel should be charged (by law).
This is not the first time that this type of incident has been committed by military personal , but because of fear and embarrassment by the parents of the victims the incidents go unreported.
Similar incidents were also reported in the West Coast, Sarmi, Papua in 1992, where Papuan people were forced to have sexual intercourse while the Indonesian Military looked on.
[Report translated by Paula Makbory ELSHAM-in Australia. Info. Paula Makbory Mob. + 61. (0)402547517]

AWPA (Sydney)
Joe Collins +61 (0)4077 857 97