The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 08/22/2011 9:43 PM
Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group, put the plight of Papuan political prisoner, Kimanus Wenda, under the spotlight in a recent statement.
According to Amnesty, Kimanus is suffering from a stomach tumor and “is in urgent need of medical care”.
“He has a tumor in his stomach and is constantly vomiting,” according to a press statement sent by Amnesty to The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
The doctors at Nabire prison – where he is detained -- have confirmed that Kimanus needs an operation. However, Kimanus needs to be transferred to Jayapura because Nabire lacks the necessary medical facilities.
“His family and lawyer have requested that he be transferred to Jayapura, but the Nabire prison authorities have refused to cover the costs of his transportation and medical treatment,” the statement read.
This is contrary to the government’s regulation on prisoners’ rights, which outlines that all medical costs for the treatment of a prisoner at a hospital will be covered by the state.
Amnesty also pointed out that this was not the first time Kimanus has suffered from ill-treatment “in detention in the past”. He was “ill-treated” by military officers during his arrest and interrogation in April 2003.
“On the 25th May 2011, Kimanus Wenda was beaten by prison guards after he and another political prisoner, Linus Heluka, attempted to file a complaint about a prison officer, who had insulted a Papuan prisoner,” Amnesty wrote.
di 23 aug 2011 - 2:46