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EU Parliament should challenge Papua abuses: HRW
Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014
"The European Parliament's hearing on Papua should spotlight the serious human rights challenges and the Indonesian government's needed reforms," said HRW deputy Asia director Phelim Kine in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.
"Indonesia should realize that abuses by state security forces are a recipe for instability and lawlessness."
The hearing of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights on West Papua and Papua is scheduled for Jan. 23 in Brussels.
HRW has long urged the Indonesian government to address widespread abuses in Papua by, among others things, allowing international media, non-governmental groups, diplomats and aid agencies access to the two provinces to report on rights abuses by all sides.
"By keeping Papua closed off from the rest of the world, the Indonesian government is fostering impunity among military forces and resentment among Papuans," the HRW said.
The rights group has also urged the government to permit access to Papua and West Papua and to issue standing invitations to visit for United Nations human rights experts, including the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression.
"The performance of recent military tribunals in Papua and the failure to bring those implicated in serious abuses to justice should also be investigated," it said, while urging the release of all political prisoners in Papua who were being held for the peaceful expression of their political views, including the activist Filep Karma.
All laws in Papua that permit criminal prosecutions for the peaceful exercise of political expression, association, and assembly, including the regulation prohibiting the flying of the Papuan Morning Star flag should be reviewed and amended as well, HRW said. (ebf)
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