Hundreds of indigenous Papuans followed a lively funeral procession in Jayapura for the late former Papua governor Lukas Enembe, who died on Dec 26, 2023, after months of confinement and medical treatment. - Antara
JAKARTA: A clash broke out on Thursday (Dec 28) during a funeral procession for the influential former Papua governor Lukas Enembe in the provincial capital Jayapura, with protesters throwing stones and injuring officials, including the interim governor.
Acting Papua governor Ridwan Rumasukun was rushed to the hospital to receive medical treatment after being hit by a rock thrown at him while he was escorting Lukas’ remains.
Jayapura Police chief Sr Comr Victor Mackbon said that the caretaker governor was slowly recovering from his head injury, which had required stitches.
The head of the Papua Development Planning Board, Yohanes Walilo, expressed his regret over the incident and said it was “beyond the responsibility of the authorities”.
“As indigenous Papuans, we must uphold Papuan values and culture by respecting one another, especially in times of mourning such as this,” he was quoted by state news agency Antara on Thursday.
CNN Indonesia reported that a police officer and member of the military were also hospitalised for wounds sustained during the riot.
Lukas, one of the most influential Papuan figures in the history of the region, died on Tuesday at the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital (RSPAD) in Jakarta, after receiving extensive medical treatment for his illness. He was diagnosed with kidney failure after being placed under investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and standing trial for bribery and accepting gratuities.
Authorities detained him in January. Lukas has been in and out of hospital since his trial in June, and was admitted to intensive care in October.
The Jakarta Corruption Court found him guilty that month for accepting Rp 17.7 billion (US$1.15 million) in bribes in exchange for favouring certain companies on several procurement projects in Papua between 2013 and 2022.
He had undergone dialysis treatment three times a week at the army hospital before he passed away. He was 56.
After news broke of his death, the provincial administration invited ordinary Papuans to participate in a series of funeral processions as a tribute to the former governor.
Lukas’ remains arrived at Sentani Airport early on Thursday, with plans for him to lie in state at the Sentani Evangelical High School of Theology (STAKIN Sentani) before his burial at the grounds of his private residence in Koya Tengah village in Muara Tami district.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police had jointly deployed some 2,000 personnel across the regency and the city of Jayapura to safeguard the procession, but a riot broke out when the remains were being transported to the funeral home, resulting in damage to nearby office and hotel buildings, food stalls and homes.
Yohanes, of the local planning board, expressed his hope that similar incidents would not recur and that the remains of the late governor could be delivered in peace.
“We must uphold the reputation and work that Pak Lukas has done [by] not taking any actions that may taint his good name and that of his family,” he asserted.
At the height of his popularity, the Democratic Party politician was one of Papua’s most powerful men. He commanded the respect of all indigenous Papuans, at times at the behest of an Indonesian security apparatus bent on snuffing out guerilla secessionists.
A former regent of Puncak Jaya, Lukas was elected as the governor of Papua in 2013 and won reelection in 2018, securing the support of nine political parties and beating rivals John Wempi Wetipo and Hebel Melkias Suwae.
Prior to his death, Lukas was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rp 500 million. The sentence was extended to 10 years and Rp 1 billion earlier this month, but his death meant that the court order was rescinded, according to the KPK. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
