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Timika, Mimika District, 1977–87:
Gold Mine Security and Sexual Violence
The conflict in the mining area in Timika has continued since this area was first opened for mining in 1967.
Women became victims as the result of military operations waged to “secure” the mining location. In 1977
the army carried out a counter-attack on a community thought to have sabotaged P.T. Freeport’s
infrastructure. 27 The Documentation Team interviewed a woman who was a victim of rape in 1977. This
mother had just given birth a week earlier and was working in her field when three oyame [non-Papuan]
soldiers raped her, beat her with their guns until she became unconscious, and threw her into a drainage
ditch. She suffered back pain, suffered vaginal bleeding for five months, and can no longer work hard.
Ironically, this woman became a victim again during the tribal war in Timika in 2003. She lost her livestock
and her furniture was confiscated, so was forced to move to a new place. Concerning the rape experienced
more than 30 years ago, the victim said, “I want [the perpetrator] to pay [fines] and apologize to all my
children and grandchildren, so they can be free to associate with others without suffering any more insults.
All this time people have talked [about this incident], so they are ashamed.” 28
The military operation brought the army to villages around Timika where women who tended their
garderns were very vulnerable to army violence. A mother remembered her suffering in 1984 when soldiers
were on duty in her village. One day, she and her child went to the field. When their path crossed that of
the army, they were caught. Soldiers forced the mother to satisfy their lust. Because she refused, the soldiers
beat and kicked her son, and threatened to shoot him. Because he was threatened with death, the son asked
his mother to just obey the soldiers. He pleaded repeatedly with his mother who was also afraid her son
would die. In the end, the woman was raped. After that, the boy and his mother were released. 29
The military operation known as Operation Split Rattan by the Tribuana troops took place in the Timika
area around the years 1985-95. A twelve-year-old Amungme girl became the victim of continual sexual
violence. According to the informant, a patrol came to this girl’s house where she lived with an older sibling
and her parents. When the soldiers saw the victim, they invited her to go to their post. Because she refused,
one of them held her by force, tore her clothes, and raped her in front of her parents. Soldiers took turns
raping the victim. As a result of the rapes she became pregnant and gave birth to a child. After there was a
turnover of troops in the village, this girl again became the target of rape, and this continued for five troop
turnovers. In the end this victim had five children. 30
Jayapura District, 1984–93:
Military Operation with Torture and Sexual Violence
From 1984–93 a security operation conducted in the Pantai Timur region of Jayapura District, from
Bonggo to Sarmi, was related to several incidents of seething violence in Jayapura. 31 The first event was the
arrest (November 1983) and assassination (April 1984) of Arnold Ap, a humanist who was also a composer
and popular radio broadcaster, which then resulted in the displacement of people who were frightened.
The second event was the pursuit of a former member of Company 171 Brimob Papua, Awom Eliezer,
27 Sem Karoba, Papua Menggugat: Teori Politik Otonomisasi NKRI di Papua Barat; Bagian Kesatu: Seputar Arti Otonomi
dan Politisasinya [Papua Contests its Status: Political Theory of the Autonomization of the Republic of Indonesia in West
Papua; Part I: Concerning the Mearning of Autonomy and its Politization] (Yogyakarta: Watch Papua and Galang Press, 2005),
13.
28 MIM06 narrative.
29 MIM19 narrative.
30 MIM09 case as told by a witness.
31 Today this region has become a separate district, Sarmi District.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 21