December 28, 2020
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Military Police have named nine soldiers suspects in a case pertaining to the killing of two Hitadipa villagers in Intan Jaya regency, Papua.
The soldiers are suspected of torturing two civilians identified as Luther Zanambani and Apinus Zanambani to death and burning their bodies to hide their crime, Military Police commander Let. Gen. Dodik Widjanarko said. To hide the evidence, the victims’ bodies were burned and the ashes were disposed of in the Julai River in Sugapa district, Dodik said as reported by tempo.co on Wednesday.
He said personnel of Infantry Battalion (Yonif) PR433/JS arrested Luther and Apinus on April 21, on suspicion of being members of a Papuan armed group.
Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Nefra Firdaus confirmed the death of the Papuan-born general the same day.
“He died of an illness at the RSPAD at 1.40 p.m.,” Nefra said as quoted by
tribunnews.com.
His cause of death has yet to be confirmed, particularly whether it was due to COVID-19.
Nefra said Herman’s body is to be transported back to Jayapura, Papua, where he is to be buried at the Kesuma Trikora Waena heroes cemetery on Wednesday.
Herman had only begun serving as the Army’s deputy chief of staff on Nov. 18, following an Indonesian Military Commander decree on staff rotation. Before his most recent promotion, Herman served as commander of the XVII/Cendrawasih Military Command in Papua.