Source: Asian Human Rights Commission

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the death of Danny Kogoya, regional commander of the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM), in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. The cause of death was reported to be liver failure due to the presence of unusual chemical substances in his body. A Vanimo court has classified his death as a case of murder and called for an autopsy. However, the Indonesian state authorities intervened and prevented an autopsy from taking place, raising the suspicion of their involvement in Danny Kogoya's death.

CASE NARRATIVE

According to the family of Danny Kogoya and several West Papuan activists, Danny passed away on Sunday, 15 December, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. Danny Kogoya arrived in Vanimo in October 2013. Danny was receiving medical treatment in Vanimo General Hospital for his right leg which was amputated without his consent by the doctors of a police hospital in Bhayangkara Kotaraja, Papua, Indonesia. His leg was amputated after he was shot by Indonesian security forces at the time of his arrest on 2 September 2012. During his time at the police hospital, Danny was not permitted to receive visits from his family. 

Danny was later released, as his detention period had run out, and stayed in Kamp Victoria at the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. He later fled to Papua New Guinea, out of fear of being re-arrested.

Apart from medical treatment for his amputated leg, the doctors in Vanimo also tried to identify the cause of the swelling in some parts of Danny's body. He had his blood checked four times by the hospital, which results are claimed by the doctors to be 'complicated'. The medical report was given to the family following Danny's death on 15 December 2013.

On 17 December 2013, Danny's family requested the Vanimo Court House to give permission to bring Danny's body back to Indonesia so he could be buried in West Papua. In submitting the request, the family attached Danny's medical report issued by the Vanimo General Hospital. After seeing the document, the Court concluded that Danny's death should be treated as a murder. The medical report stated that Danny was suffering from liver failure, brought on by the presence of unusual chemicals in his body. A doctor at Vanimo General Hospital alleged that these chemical substances were put in Danny's body when he was held at Vanimo General Hospital. At 1 p.m. on 17 December 2013, the Court issued an order calling for an autopsy.

A relative of Danny Kogoya was with the specialist doctor when the autopsy was about to take place at 3 p.m. on the same day. At the same time, four individuals met with the management of the hospital and prevented the autopsy from taking place. Two of the four were identified as staff of the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo, one of whom was known as Bapak Hari. The identity of the other two individuals is yet to be verified as is the institution they represent.

Consulate staff did not provide any reason to cancel the autopsy. Danny's family was told that it was done 'for your sake and ours' ('biar sama-sama enak dari pihak kalian dan pihak kami')

On 19 December 2013, the Indonesian Consulate General held a meeting with the Governor of Saundaun province of Papua New Guinea but the topic of the meeting is not known. On 22 December 2013, a meeting was held between the representative of Danny's family, members of the consulate and the Papua New Guinea local authorities. The Indonesian consulate agreed to the autopsy, but emphasised that it should be done no later than Monday, 23 December 2013.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Danny Kogoya was the Jayapura regional commander of the OPM, an organisation campaigning for West Papua's political independence from Indonesia. He was arrested by Indonesian security forces on 2 September 2012. He was blamed for several attacks, one of which took place in Nafri in 2011. Danny reportedly confessed to being responsible for these attacks, yet his lawyer in an interview mentioned to TAPOL that Danny was forced to confess.

Both the constitutions of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea guarantee the right to life to everyone. According to international law, the right to life entails the obligations of the state not only to refrain from arbitrarily taking the life of individuals, but also to conduct investigations into the unnatural deaths of individuals. By obstructing the investigation of the death of Danny Kogoya, Indonesia has violated its own constitution and its international human rights obligation.

Coupled with the presence of unusual chemical substances in Danny Kogoya's body and a Vanimo doctor's statement that such material was put there while Danny was in the police hospital in Jayapura, Indonesia's interference in the investigation raised the allegation that Danny Kogoya had been slowly poisoned to death by the Indonesian state authorities. Previously, the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (Badan Intelijen Negara, BIN) was involved in the murder of Said Munir Thalib, an Indonesian human rights activist, who was poisoned with arsenic on a flight to Amsterdam in 2004.

SUGGESTED ACTION

Please write to the Indonesian authorities listed below, urging them to refrain from obstructing the criminal investigation called by the Vanimo Court House. Please write to the relevant authorities in Papua New Guinea, encouraging them to conduct a criminal investigation into the death of Danny Kogoya, in accordance with its law and international human rights standards.

The AHRC, Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP), Franciscans International, TAPOL and West Papua Netzwerk have separately submitted letters of allegation to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, summary or arbitrary executions, calling for his intervention in this matter.

To support this appeal, please click here

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ....................,

INDONESIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Indonesia interferes in the investigation in the death of a West Papuan activist

Name of victim: Danny Kogoya
Names of alleged perpetrators: Staff of Indonesian consulate in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, one of which is identified as Bapak Hari
Date of incident: 17 December 2013 – present 
Place of incident: Vanimo, Papua New Guinea

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the suspicious death of Danny Kogoya, Jayapura regional commander of the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM). Danny Kogoya, a citizen of Papua province, Indonesia, died on the morning of 15 December 2013 in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. A medical report issued by the Vanimo General Hospital reveals that he died of liver failure brought on by the presence of unusual chemical substances in his body.

A relative of Danny Kogoya submitted his medical report to the Vanimo Court House. After seeing the document, they called for Danny's death to be treated as a murder case. On 17 December 2013, the Court issued an order calling for an autopsy. However, as the autopsy was about to be conducted in the afternoon of the same day, Indonesian state authorities intervened and had the autopsy postponed. This raised the suspicion that the Indonesian state authorities had been involved in the death of Danny Kogoya.

In September 2012, Danny Kogoya was shot in the right leg by Indonesian security forces. He was later taken to Bhayangkara Kotaraja police hospital where he received medical treatment for two weeks without being permitted to receive visits from his family. During his stay in the hospital, Danny had his right leg amputated without his or his family's consent. There is an allegation that the unusual chemical substances were put into his body at this time.

Both the constitutions of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea guarantee the right to life of everyone. According to international law, the right to life entails the obligations of the state not only to refrain from arbitrarily taking the life of individuals, but also to conduct investigations into the unnatural deaths of individuals. The order of the Vanimo Court House calling for an investigation and – as a part of it – an autopsy, is therefore in accordance with Papua New Guinea's constitution and international human rights obligations. Such initiatives should be respected by Indonesia which, as a member of the United Nations, has the obligation not to intervene with Papua New Guinea's sovereignty.

Given these circumstances, I am urging you to take all necessary measures to ensure that the Indonesian state authorities stop interfering in the investigation in the death of Danny Kogoya. The authorities in Papua New Guinea should be able to conduct an investigation in this case without interference from any party, and in accordance with the law and human rights principles. The right of Danny Kogoya's family to an independent medical expert, to conduct an autopsy, should also be respected and guaranteed.

I look forward to your immediate and positive response on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

----------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
President of the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No. 16
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3458 595
Fax: +62 21 3484 4759

2. Hon. Peter O'Neill, CMG, MP
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
Office of the Prime Minister
PO Parliament Haus (A4-11)
Waigani 131, NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Tel: +675 3277 316/311/313
Fax: +675 3277 490

3. Mr. Marty Natalegawa
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Jl. Pejambon No. 6
Jakarta Pusat 10110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 344 1508
Fax: +62 21 385 7316
E-mail: pengaduan.itjen@kemlu.go.id

4. Hon. Rimbink Pato, OBE, MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
Office of the Minister
P.O. Box 422
Waigani, NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Tel: +675 301 4206
Fax: +675 301 4103

5. Hon. Kerenga Kua, MP
Minister for Justice and Attorney General
Office of the Minister
PO Parliament Haus (B3-26)
Waigani 131, NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Tel: +675 3277 534/532, 325 4284
Fax: +675 323 3661
E-mail: Attorneygeneral@justice.gov.pg

6. Hon. Nixon Duban, MP
Minister for Police (Internal Security)
Office of the Minister
PO Parliament Haus (B4-6)
Waigani 131, NCD
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Tel: +675 3277 512/511, 3226 183
Fax: +675 3277 480

7. Ms. Harkristuti Harkrisnowo
Indonesian General Director of Human Rights
Ministry of Law and Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna Said Kav. 6–7
Kuningan, Jakarta 12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 525 3006, 525 3889
Fax: +62 21 525 3095

8. Ms. Siti Nur Laila
Chairperson of the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4-B
Jakarta 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 392 5227-30
Fax: +62 21 392 5227
E-mail: info@komnas.go.id

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme 
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)