1) AGO appoints 34 prosecutors in Paniai case

2) Collaboration important for expediting Papua's development: KSP  

3) Amnesty says police forced Papuans to cut hair and beards in Intan Jaya

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https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2022/05/31/ago-appoints-34-prosecutors-in-paniai-case.html

1) AGO appoints 34 prosecutors in Paniai case

Nur Janti (The Jakarta Post) 

PREMIUM Jakarta   ●   Tue, May 31, 2022 

The Attorney General’s Office has appointed a team of 34 attorneys as public prosecutors to draft an indictment in human rights violations that occurred in Paniai, Papua.

 “The public prosecutor will immediately draw up an indictment and hand over the case to the Human Rights Court at the Makassar District Court," AGO spokesperson Ketut Sumedana said in a statement as quoted by Kompas.  Last month, the AGO named an Indonesian Military (TNI) retiree -- identified only by the initials IS -- who was a liaison officer for the Paniai Military Command (Kodim), as a suspect in the Paniai case . 

The incident, also referred to as Bloody Paniai, occurred when security forces opened fire on a crowd of demonstrators during a protest in Paniai regency on Dec. 8, 2014. Five people, including four high school students, were killed during the incident, and 21 other civilians were injured. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has said that the incident constituted a “gross human rights violation.” 

In a preliminary investigation, the commission found that TNI soldiers had committed “gross human rights violations” by killing and persecuting civilians. The report was handed over to the AGO in February 2020.

 In the same year AGO returned the report twice to Komnas HAM, on March 19 and May 20, for “not meeting the formal and material requirements", hindering the case handling. Political will Komnas HAM believes that the resolution of gross human rights violation cases depends on the government's commitment, observing that the sluggish handling ended after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo ordered his administration to work on the Paniai case. 

In his speech to commemorate International Human Rights Day last year, Jokowi said the government was committed to resolving cases of gross human rights violations, including the Paniai case, and bringing any perpetrators to justice. 

“The resolution of cases depends on the government's political will to provide justice to victims of gross human rights violations,” Komnas HAM chairman Ahmad Taufan Damanik told a press conference on Monday. Taufan said after the AGO returned the Paniai dossier, Komnas HAM persuaded the government to speed up the resolution of the Paniai case. 

The commission repeatedly held meetings with the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD, State Secretary Pratikno and Attorney General ST Burhanuddin. They also have written twice to Jokowi providing options for resolving past human rights abuses. Komnas HAM hopes that the Supreme Court will appoint judges who are capable of resolving human rights issues.

 Commissioner Sandrayati Moniaga expected that the appointed judge for the Paniai case trial would maintain their independence. "The recruited judges should have a passion for resolving cases of human rights abuse so they can dig deeper into this matter [...] So far, only one suspect has been named. Now this is the challenge," Sandrayanti said. Taufan also hopes that the trial will bring justice to the victims and punish the perpetrators.

 So far, only three cases of gross human rights violations have been tried in the country, namely the cases of East Timor, Abepura and Tanjung Priok. 

But none of the perpetrators were punished. "Many justices have not been served, many perpetrators have not been punished. Impunity has become a portrait of our lawlessness," he said.

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/231757/collaboration-important-for-expediting-papuas-development-ksp

2) Collaboration important for expediting Papua's development: KSP  

10 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Moeldoko assessed that all parties need to collaborate to accelerate development of Papua.

“I myself want Papua's development to leap. The development of education, health, and others must be strengthened because the President (President Joko Widodo) is concerned about this. For that, we need collaboration from all parties," Moeldoko noted upon arrival at the Manuhua Air Force Base, Biak Numfor, Papua, on Monday, for a working visit.

Moeldoko's visit was a follow-up to President Joko Widodo's meeting with District Head of Biak Numfor, Herry Ario Naap, on May 20, 2022.

"My visit today is an instruction from the president to directly see Biak's big potential geopolitically and economically. Since the beginning, the KSP has been consistent in overseeing the development of Papua, especially Biak," he noted in a statement.

Moeldoko drew attention to four strategic agendas of President Joko Widodo to accelerate the development of Papua, especially in the Seireri customary area, which includes Biak Numfor District, Supiori District, Yapen Islands District, and Waropen District.

The four agendas are development of the fishery potential along with supporting infrastructure, the construction of a spaceport, local economic development, and the 2023 Cendrawasih Bay Sail international event.

The KSP head stressed the importance of collaboration among all parties from the central government, regional governments, ranks of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) and also the community to realize the acceleration of development in Papua, especially on Biak Island.

On that occasion, he also reminded the regional government to utilize the special autonomy fund to improve the welfare of Papua's residents.

"Do not feel alone because a third of our work in the central (government) is for Papua," he remarked.

Related news: Government builds micro hydro power plant in Mt Arfak , Papua
Related news: BI supports Raja Ampat's MSMEs, ecotourism development
Related news: MRP supports establishment of new autonomous regions in Papua  

Reporter: Indra A, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati

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http://www.indoleft.org/news/2022-05-27/amnesty-says-police-forced-papuans-to-cut-hair-and-beards-in-intan-jaya.html

3) Amnesty says police forced Papuans to cut hair and beards in Intan Jaya

CNN Indonesia – May 27, 2022

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has revealed that police officers forced a number of residents of Intan Jaya regency in Papua to cut their hair and beards because they were seen as the characteristics of armed group members.

Amnesty researcher Ari Pramuditya said that this was discovered based on interviews with Intan Jaya residents while conducting research on the situation at the planned Wabu Block gold mine.

Pramuditya said that he conveyed these findings directly to Papua governor Lukas Enembe at the Papua Provincial Government Liaison Office in South Jakarta.

"In the case of several of these people they were even forced to take on a certain appearance, they were forced to cut their hair, cut their beards, because according to police these are characteristics of certain armed criminal groups", said Pramuditya on Friday May 27.

In addition to this, Amnesty's findings also showed that the daily lives and activates of Intan Jaya communities such as shopping, gardening and visiting other villages is being restricted by police.

"[Because] they are suspected of being members of armed groups", said Pramuditya.

Pramuditya also reported that there was an internal refugee crisis in Intan Jaya as a results of the escalation in armed conflicts involving the Indonesian military.

Intan Jaya indigenous people have been seeking shelter in the forests and other nearby areas such as Nabire and Mimika. Local people have even been building temporary homes in the forests which they use as shelter when armed conflicts escalate.

"They are afraid to return to their areas, to their homes, because they will be suspected of being members of certain armed criminal groups", said Pramuditya.

Based on the findings of human rights violations in Intan Jaya, Amnesty is recommending that the government stop the licensing process for mining in the Wabu Block until the situation returns to normal.

"One of the recommendations we are strongly emphasising is to postpone issuing [mining] licenses in Wabu Block at least until the security situation returns to normal", said Pramuditya.

CNN Indonesia has tried to contact TNI Information Centre Director (Kapuspen) Major General Prantara Santosa to confirm the report but as of this article being published has yet to receive a response.

The planned mining project in the Wabu Block become the focus of public attention after it was criticised by environmental and traditional community activists.

The company PT Freeport handed over the Wabu Block to the regional government in 2015. According to the latest data, the Wabu Block is estimated to hold 4.3 million ounces of gold with a value of US$14 billion.

Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid has been urging the government to halt the planned mining project at Wabu Block until there is consultation and agreement with all the traditional communities in Intan Jaya.

"In order to ensure the plan is halted until there is consultation and agreement from all the traditional communities in Intan Jaya", asserted Hamid during a press conference on Monday May 21. (iam/pmg)

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Temuan Amnesty: Aparat Paksa Warga Papua Potong Rambut dan Jenggot".]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20220527170313-12-801918/temuan-amnesty-aparat-paksa-warga-papua-potong-rambut-dan-jenggot

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