Indonesian police have acknowledged that officers terrorised a Papuan man with a live snake after a video of the incident circulated online showing the man screaming in fear and his interrogator laughing. Photo: Internet Source

Police in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region apologised but also attempted to justify the officers’ actions by saying the snake was not venomous and that they hadn’t resorted to beating the man, who was suspected of theft.

Human-rights lawyer Veronica Koman said yesterday that the interrogation methods were torture and violated police policies, as well as several laws. She said that it was only the latest of several reports of police and military using snakes to terrorise Papuan detainees and symptomatic of a culture of racism against indigenous Papuans.

Sam Lokon, a member of the West Papua National Committee, which advocates for independence from Indonesia, was put in a cell with a snake and also beaten after being arrested in January, Koman said.

Police indicated that the incident with the alleged thief happened recently during a crackdown on petty crime in Jayawijaya district.

The spread of the video had forced police into a “very rare” apology, Koman said, while also criticising the attempt to provide a justification.