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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Papuan human rights activist Yan Christian Warinussy asked President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo to avoid setting aside human rights violations in Papua for the sake of the upcoming 2019 Presidential Election.
“I highly urge President Jokowi through his [state ministers] to push for an to human rights violation cases in Papua that have long existed and has never been legally settled,” said Yan in a press statement in Manokwari, West Papua on Tuesday, July 31.
According to the man who received the John Humphrey Freedom Award in 2005, there has been three major cases that arises upon mentioning human rights protection in Papua. The first is the Wasior case in 2001, Wamena case in 2003, and the Enarotali-Paniai in 2014.
“I would like to state that the three cases are considered severe human rights violations according to Article 7, Article 8, and Article 9 of Law No. 26/2000 on human rights,” said Yan.
The Wasior case in June 31, 2001, was sparked by the killing of five police mobile brigade (Brimob) members and one civilian at the Vatika Papuana Perkasa.
Authorities that were hunting the suspects had allegedly conducted violations including torture, murder, and abduction.
Meanwhile, the Wamena case in April of 2003 is when authorities swept 25 villages following a break-in of a military base weapons warehouse where two Armed Forces (TNI) members were killed. This caused the death of nine civilians and injured 38 people. The latest case happened in 2014 where five were killed.
Yan urged for these three cases to be solved accordingly by Jokowi’s administration and said he would take it to the International Human Rights court if it does not.
HANS ARNOLD KAPISA
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2) NZ govt MP calls for West Papua issue to go to UN
1:25 pm today
A New Zealand government MP says the issue of West Papuan self-determination should be heard at the United Nations.
New Zealand Labour Party MP Louisa Wall at the launch of Maire Leadbeater's book 'See No Evil: New Zealand's betrayal of the people of West Papua' Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
Louisa Wall made the comment at the launch of a new book examining New Zealand's position on West Papua.
In her book See No Evil: New Zealand's betrayal of the people of West Papua, author Maire Leadbeater criticises successive governments for failing to support Papuan rights.
Ms Wall said the book offers telling insights on how Papuans had no say in their homeland's incorporation into Indonesia in the 1960s.
She said there is support within the ruling Labour Party caucus, as well as the Māori and Pacific caucuses, to help Papuans get a fair self-determination vote.
"The pathway forward really is - is there an appetite and a priority to redress an historical wrong? There are growing numbers of us that have become aware and do support the call for a free vote. I supported the call to add west papua back on to the [UN] decolonisation list.”
Author Maire Leadbeater (with niece on lap) surrounded by New Zealand MPs at the launch of her book 'See No Evil: New Zealand's betrayal of the people of West Papua'. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
Indonesia's government, however, said that the incorporation of the former territory of Dutch New Guinea into Indonesia was final.
It said this was formalised with 1969's so-called Act of Free Choice, in which around 1000 Papuans voted for Indonesia rule over independence.
However, this referendum is widely regarded as having been stage-managed.
The New Zealand prime minister and Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern reiterated the government's formal support for Indonesian control of Papua to Indonesia's predsident Joko Widodo during his state visit to New Zealand earlier this year.
However, Ms Wall and a number of government MPs consider West Papua's political status to be an unresolved issue of colonialism.
"We have to act on principles, and principles of justice and indigeneity," she said, conceding that the number of MPs pushing this issue were not currently a majority.
"I believe in self-determination, I believe in indigenous rights. This is a right of the West Papuan indigenous peoples to re-litigate something that has been highlighted, actually was done in an unjust and unfair way.”
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