Indonesia’s military arrests 13 elite soldiers who are accused of torture

Indonesia’s military said Monday it has arrested 13 elite troops accused of involvement in a video showing the torture of an indigenous Papua man believed to be a member of a separatist group.
The video that emerged in recent days on social media shows men who appear to be soldiers kicking, beating and dunking the man in a barrel of water.
“This is a violation of the law and we will act according to the applicable laws and regulations,” army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Kristomei Sianturi told a news conference, adding: “This is what we regret, that the Indonesian military or Indonesian army never taught, never approved any violence in asking for information.”
Sianturi said the incident occurred at a post for the border security task force in Puncak, a mountainous district of Central Papua province, on Feb. 3.
At least five men are seen in the video beating a man, taunting him with racist slurs and slicing into his back with a machete.
Sianturi said all 13 suspects had been detained at the military police’s maximum security detention center in West Java for further investigation.