Kate LambAgustinus Costa
3 minute read
JAKARTA, July 28 (Reuters) - The Indonesian government has apologised for the actions of two military officers it said used "excessive force" to pin down the head of a deaf, indigenous Papuan man after a video of the incident was widely shared online.
Tensions have long simmered between Indonesian security forces and the indigenous people of Papua, a remote and resource-rich region that was bought under Indonesian control after a controversial but U.N.-sanctioned vote in 1969.
The video, shot in the Papuan town of Merauke on Monday, shows an altercation between the man, Steven Yadohamang, and a food stall owner that was broken up by two uniformed air force officers.