The experts called for urgent humanitarian access to the region, and urged the Indonesian Government to conduct full and independent investigations into abuses against the indigenous peoples.
The experts called for urgent humanitarian access to the region, and urged the Indonesian Government to conduct full and independent investigations into abuses against the indigenous peoples.
"Between April and November 2021, we have received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, including of young children, enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment and the forced displacement of at least 5,000 indigenous Papuans by security forces," the experts said.
They said estimates put the overall number of displaced, since the escalation of violence in December 2018, at between 60,000 to 100,000 people.
"The majority of IDPs in West Papua have not returned to their homes due to the heavy security force presence and ongoing armed clashes in the conflict areas," the experts said. "Some IDPs live in temporary shelters or stay with relatives. Thousands of displaced villagers have fled to the forests where they are exposed to the harsh climate in the highlands without access to food, healthcare, and education facilities."
Apart from ad hoc aid deliveries, humanitarian relief agencies, including the Red Cross, have had limited or no access to the IDPs, they said. "We are particularly disturbed by reports that humanitarian aid to displaced Papuans is being obstructed by the authorities," the experts added.
"Severe malnutrition has been reported in some areas with lack of access to adequate and timely food and health services. In several incidents church workers have been prevented by security forces from visiting villages where IDPs are seeking shelter.
"Unrestricted humanitarian access should be provided immediately to all areas where indigenous Papuans are currently located after being internally displaced. Durable solutions must be sought."
Since late 2018, the experts have written to the Indonesian Government on a dozen occasions** about numerous alleged incidents. "These cases may represent the tip of the iceberg given that access to the region is severely restricted making it difficult to monitor events on the ground," they said.
They said the security situation in highland Papua had dramatically deteriorated since the killing of a high-ranking military officer by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN PB) in West Papua on 26 April 2021. The experts pointed to the shooting of two children, aged 2 and 6, on 26 October when bullets pierced their respective homes during a firefight. The 2-year-old later died.
"Urgent action is needed to end ongoing human rights violations against indigenous Papuans," the experts said, adding independent monitors and journalists must be allowed access to the region.
"Steps should include ensuring all alleged violations receive thorough, prompt and impartial investigations. Investigations must be aimed at ensuring those responsible, including superior officers where relevant, are brought to justice. Crucially lessons must be learned to prevent future violations."
The experts have again raised their concerns with the Government and they acknowledge the Government sent a reply to the allegations letter AL IDN 11/2021
JAKARTA, March 2 (Reuters) - Indonesian has dismissed a call by United Nations human rights experts for independent investigations into reports of "shocking abuses" against indigenous Papuans, saying that the Southeast Asian nation has already tackled the accusations.
Separatists have waged a low-level campaign for independence in the resource-rich region for decades, saying a 1969 vote overseen by the United Nations that brought the former Dutch colony under Indonesian control was illegitimate.
In a statement on Tuesday, three independent U.N. experts said that between April and November 2021 they had received allegations that indicated several instances of extrajudicial killings, including young children, enforced disappearance, torture and enforced displacement of at least 5,000 Papuans.
The statement from the U.N. experts cited estimates that 60,000 to 100,000 people had been internally displaced in Papua since an escalation of violence in December 2018.
"Thousands of displaced villagers have fled to the forests where they are exposed to the harsh climate in the highlands without access to food, healthcare and education facilities," said the experts.
In a letter sent to Indonesia's government on Dec. 27, the experts also highlighted increasing violence since 2021 and said there has been a "surge" in raids to capture armed separatists that led to arbitrary arrests and detentions.
One of the cases cited was that of a two-year old who died after a gunfight, though separatists and security forces had differing accounts as to how the child died. read more
Citing reports that aid to displaced Papuans was being obstructed, the experts called for humanitarian access and for independent monitors and journalists to be allowed access.
"The experts called for urgent humanitarian access to the region, and urged the Indonesian government to conduct full and independent investigations into abuses against the indigenous peoples."
Describing the U.N. experts' statement as "biased", Indonesia's permanent mission to Geneva in a statement said the news release disregarded "verifiable data and information" that has already been submitted by Indonesia on the same allegations.
It denied authorities had obstructed aid or carried out forced displacements and said people had been displaced due to a range of factors including natural disasters and tribal conflict.
The statement said security forces needed to be deployed in some areas because of attacks against civilians by "armed criminal groups."
Reporting by Stanley Widianto Editing by Ed Davies and Michael Perry
- An area nearly the size of Belgium will be cleared in Indonesia’s Papua province to grow food crops under a government program.
- A new analysis shows that this conversion alone could result in the release of 616 million metric tons of greenhouse gases — a third of what Indonesia as a whole currently emits in a year, or the same as Australia’s annual emissions.
- A government official says the program will try to minimize the area of forest required for the plantations and will prioritize the use of already degraded areas.
- But plans for how much forest will have be cleared remain vague, prompting a call for the government to reconsider the food crop program in light of its potential harms.
JAKARTA — A plan to clear forests in Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua for food crops will release as much greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as Australia emits in an entire year, according to a new analysis.
This will spell disaster for Indonesia’s commitments to tackling climate change by reducing emissions from the forestry and land-use sector, say researchers from Pusaka, the nonprofit that carried out the analysis…………….
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