Papuan Student Activist Allegedly Poisoned

Wednesday, 30 November, 2011


TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Papuan student, Carly Wilson Takimai, 23, died on Monday night at Tebet Hospital, Jakarta, under suspicious circumstances.


His friend, Oktovianus Togau, said Carly was the leader of the group of students who complained to the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) following a raid on their rented house by military and police personnel.


“We think he died because he was poisoned,” Togau said yesterday. “We don’t know what and where he ate,” he added.


He said Carly was hanging out with his roommates on Monday morning in Tebet area. On November 11, his rented house was searched by the police as it was allegedly related to the Free Papua Organization’s 50 year anniversary event.


“He was alone in the house,” said Togau. When he came back to the house, his friends said Carly was rambling as if he was possessed.


Two hours later, Carly was brought to Tebet Hospital and was taken back home in the afternoon as he got better. At night, his condition worsened. His mouth was foaming and he was taken back to the hospital. However, he did not survive.


The police denied that Carly was poisoned. “He had stomachache,” said the Tebet Police chief, Comm. Suyatno, adding that only the doctor could conclude the cause of his death. He also denied that the police impeded Carly’s autopsy, reasoning that Carly’s family did not allow it.


Previously, Togau accused the police of impeding the autopsy. “They suggested not conducting autopsy,” he said.


He also assumed the police instructed the hospital to ignore autopsy requests from Carly’s friends, who later took the body to St. Carolus Hospital. “We’re waiting for the autopsy here,” he said.


(did he have the Morning Star flag in his pocket perhaps?) siK.