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Activists urge Jakarta to involve victims in addressing human rights cases in Papua
Tabloid JUBI – April 29, 2016
"If the government has their own interpretation on human rights violations in Papua, it would be better for Papuans to solve their own problems according to their customs," said Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, a few days ago.
He said he was disappointed because according to him, most central government officials were merely revealing the interpretation on the definition of human rights violations of their own during a meeting attended by the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian Police Chief, Military Commander and government officials of Papua and Papua Barat provinces as well as the human rights activists in Jakarta on Thursday last week
Attempts to settle human rights cases in Papua were revived after Luhut visited Papua in February. At that time he mentioned the government has been recording the sixteen cases of human rights violations in Papua. Then followed by Papua Police to initiate a limited discussion with the Civil Society Organizations, representatives of church and university and human rights defenders to make documentation on human rights on 15, 18 and 19 April 2016. But most of CSO activists and human rights defenders refused to attend the meeting.
Involvement of victims
Human rights lawyer and John Humphrey Freedom Award 2005 winner Yan Christian Warinusi questioned the purpose of the meeting.
"It is not in line with the legal and human rights logics if Papua Police as well as Cenderawasih VII Regional Military Command, who have been accused of being perpetrators, are now busy collecting data on human rights violations in Papua," he said to BeritaBenar on Wednesday, 27 April 2016.
Some human rights activists in Papua who interviewed in the same day also said the similar statement. Coordinator of Bersatu Untuk Kebenaran (BUK/Unite for Truth) Peneas Lokbere who organized the human rights victims in Papua since 2003 also questioned the government's concern to solve the human rights cases.
"Is it to prove the seriousness of government in resolving the human rights cases or is it the State's alibi to clean its hand over the conflict in Papua? Who would get benefit with this agenda? We don't want being trapped," he said.
Lokbere stressed the settlement of human rights cases in Papua could not ignore the victims. According to him, in every process of human rights settlement, the rights of victims should be considered as main priority.
Three cases
Secretary of Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Office, Frits Ramandey said the three days meeting has recommended three cases to be solved by the government within this year, namely Wasior, Wamena and Paniai cases.
Based on data issued by the coalition for Papua human rights violation, Wasir case was triggered by the deaths of five Mobile Brigade personnel and a resident in 2001, while perpetrators took away six guns. In chasing the perpetrators, four residents were killed, 39 were tortured and five was missing.
While Wamena bloody cases was started from the robbery of district military arsenal in 2003. Two military personnel were killed, and a number of local residents were killed in the sweeping and chasing of perpetrators.
And the last case of Pania was occurred in December 2014 which killed four teenagers and dozens of civilians were injured. "Wamena and Wasior cases have taken to the Attorney General, while the ad hoc team for Paniai case was already formed. During the three days meeting we endorsed the three cases to be solved by the government before we move to talk about another case," said Ramandey.
Yap Thiam Hien 2009 winner Pastor John Jonga admitted the government has done a positive effort, but he didn't agree with the method. "The time is too short. It could be more serious. The human rights issues in Papua could not be solved within one or two days by merely one or two groups," he said.
"It should be questioned whether the State did it for showing to the world that Indonesia is currently fighting, protecting and respecting the human rights in Papua," he added.
Indonesian Human Rights commissionaire Otto Nur Abdullah thought what was done by the government is a positive thing. According to him, it was a breakthrough done by the government because it involved many parties. "We just need to follow the government's intention. It could be like buying a problem. At the end, the party who could determine whether it is the human rights violation or not is the Human Rights Commission," he said. (Victor Mambor/rom)
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