Jayapura, Jubi – Rev. Benny Giay, the Moderator of the Papua Council of Churches, paid a visit to the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office in Jayapura City on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. His purpose was to request that the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office refrain from appealing the verdict of the Jayapura District Court in the treason case against Viktor Yeimo.
Giay was received by a prosecutor and they engaged in a discussion regarding the court decision concerning Viktor Yeimo, the International Spokesperson of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB)
According to Giay, the meeting lasted approximately 90 minutes. He mentioned that he handed over a letter from the Papuan Council of Churches to the head of the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office during the meeting. Giay emphasized that the Jayapura District Court had acquitted Viktor Yeimo of treason charges, and he appealed to the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office not to challenge the verdict.
“When we met at the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, the meeting went smoothly. We have submitted a letter requesting the cessation of appeal actions by the High Prosecutor’s Office,” Giay stated in an interview with Jubi.
Viktor Yeimo’s case pertained to his alleged involvement in the Papuan anti-racism protest, which aimed to denounce the racial insults directed at Papuan students in Surabaya on August 16, 2019. The case was reviewed by a panel of judges led by chief judge Mathius and accompanied by member judges Andi Asmuruf and Linn Carol Hamadi.
On February 21, 2021, the Public Prosecutor charged Viktor Yeimo with treason for playing a leading role in the demonstrations that occurred in Jayapura City on August 19 and 29, 2019. In the initial indictment, Yeimo faced charges of conspiracy, incitement, and active participation in treason, as specified under Article 106 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
In the second indictment, Yeimo faced charges of conspiring to commit treason, as outlined in Article 110 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code. The third indictment accuses Yeimo of encouraging, commanding, or participating in acts that provide opportunities for treason, as stated in Article 110, paragraph (2). Lastly, in the fourth indictment, Yeimo is charged with incitement, either verbally or in writing, to commit criminal acts, engage in violence against public authorities, or disregard legal provisions or official orders, as specified in Article 160 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
On April 27, 2023, Viktor Yeimo was convicted of treason under the first count of Article 106 by the public prosecutor. The prosecutor recommended a 3-year prison sentence for Viktor Yeimo.
However, in the verdict announced on May 5, 2023, the Panel of Judges concluded that the four charges brought by the public prosecutor against Viktor Yeimo were not substantiated.
Instead, the Panel of Judges found Yeimo guilty of violating Article 155 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to eight months of imprisonment.
However, the verdict against Viktor Yeimo was based on an article that had been invalidated by the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court Decision No. 6/PUU-V/2007, announced on July 17, 2007, declared Articles 154 and 155 of the Criminal Code unconstitutional, rendering them legally void.
Recently on May 12, the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office filed an appeal against the decision made by the Jayapura District Court. The appeal was submitted by public prosecutor Yanuar Fihawiano.
The Papua Council of Churches perceives the appeal as an indication of the state’s attempt to perpetuate racism against the indigenous Papuans. “There is an intention by the state to perpetuate racism against indigenous Papuans,” Giay said.
He demanded the Papua High Prosecutor’s Office to respect the rights of Papuans, including Viktor Yeimo, to express their opposition to racial discrimination against Papuans.
“Viktor Yeimo is a victim of a system that neglects the human rights of Papuans,” said Giay. (*)
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) general Dudung Abdurachman on Monday stated that armed criminal groups in Papua are merely groups of people abusing the benefits of the central government’s specific funds for the region without meaningful political activities.
In an interview with Tempo on May 15, Dudung strongly believes that 90 percent of Papuans are loyal to the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia or NKRI, with only a minority supporting the so-called armed criminal groups, which in most cases also refers to separatist groups.
“They are only criminals, just a means for a source of livelihood. I can guarantee their political activities are restricted as outsiders fail to respond to them,” said the Army general at the Army Main Headquarters in Central Jakarta. “Now they are starting to adapt their ways to attract foreign responses. One of them is through hostage situations.”
He categorized these groups as unemployed people with tendencies to blackmail contractors establishing projects in Papua.
“Every time there are projects there, contractors will get attacked if the groups are not given some money. But [contractors] are safe if they do,” the military general claimed.
According to Dudung, Indonesian military manpower is able to eradicate the KKB with the existing main weaponry system (alutsista) as he believes the separatists barely exceed 200 people in number.
However, he acknowledged that there are indeed difficulties in eradicating armed criminal groups, including domination of local demographics and geography. Dudung also claims the KKB often used human shields by mingling with children and women to avoid being chased by the authorities.
Due to the aforementioned tactics, Dudung said, the joint military and police forces specifically tasked in Papua are extremely careful not to cause innocent casualties.
He said the problem involving armed criminal groups has to be handled with a security approach, which is currently in use he deemed acceptable. However, he said the KKB issue is more than just a security issue and asserted that conflicts in Papua would not be immediately resolved after the armed criminal groups disappeared.
"Papua is not just a matter of the TNI and Polri. It’s a national problem," he said.
The Army general claims he once urged the vice president to involve every aspect within the government to help solve the rooted conflicts in Papua and even suggested the constant deadly battles between Indonesian authorities and armed criminal groups must be ended.
“The death toll from the conflicts that constantly reoccur. Deaths are on both sides. [The armed group’s] families mourn the deaths of their loved ones, so are we [mourning security forces killed in action],” he said.
Dudung claims soldiers have always reached rural Papuan villages to look after the welfare of local Papuans in remote areas but said these locations remain untouched by other government Ministries. He also claims that his men often provide locals with seeds or books and stationery despite not having the budget for such humanitarian acts.
"The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, and the Ministry of Agriculture should be involved. Everyone should be involved,” said Dudung.
EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA | ABDUL MANAN | SETRI YASRA | IWAN KURNIAWAN | ANTON APRIANTO
Editor's Choice: Police Arrest Alleged Leader of Armed Criminal Group in Highland Papua
Jayapura, Jubi – Rully Nere, a renowned soccer icon from Papua, expressed optimism about the positive impact of the Papua Football Academy (PFA) based at Mimika Sport Complex in Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province. According to him, the soccer academy signifies a fresh ray of hope for Papuan soccer.
The former gold medalist in soccer at the 1987 Southeast Asian Games highlighted that the PFA has enhanced opportunities for young Papuan players to engage in soccer training. He mentioned that the talent search program has expanded its reach to seven regions this year, a significant increase from the previous year’s coverage of only three regions.
According to Nere, Papuan individuals possess immense potential in terms of soccer talent. “The opportunity to be part of the Papua Football Academy offers a new and improved prospect for both Papuan and Indonesian soccer,” he emphasized.
He expressed his positive views on the PFA Talent Search 2023, stating that it is an extremely beneficial initiative. He observed the enthusiastic response from children in Jayapura during the selection process.
Nere further mentioned that this enthusiasm among the children was largely driven by the encouraging news they had heard about the PFA, which has been operating in Papua for the past year.
Alongside Rully Nere, two renowned Persipura FC figures Chris Yarangga and Ricardo Salampessy also witnessed the PFA Talent Search 2023 selection process in Jayapura.
Following the successful completion of the selection process in Timika, which served as the inaugural location for PFA Talent Search 2023, the Academy under PT Freeport Indonesia extended its search for football talents in Nabire and Jayapura.
In its second year, PFA Talent Search was conducted in seven locations, namely Timika, Jayapura, Nabire, Merauke, Waropen, Serui, and Biak Numfor.
The simultaneous PFA Talent Search events in Nabire and Jayapura occurred from May 19 to 21, 2023. Wolfgang Pikal, the Director of PFA, led the Talent Search team in Jayapura, while the head coach of PFA, Ardiles Rumbiak, oversaw the selection process in Nabire. The Mandala Stadium in Jayapura served as the venue for the Jayapura selection, while the Sapta Marga Nabire Kodim Field hosted the Nabire selection.
Wolfgang Pikal expressed that Jayapura remains a central hub for the development of youth football in Papua. He noted that this year’s PFA Talent Search in Jayapura received a more positive response, with 224 participants compared to 137 children in the previous year’s selection.
He extended his gratitude to the Provincial Association and the local committee in Jayapura for their assistance. “Their valuable support ensures the smooth execution of the PFA Talent Search,” he said.
In total, the participants in the PFA Talent Search 2023 reached 577 children, comprising 173 in Timika, 180 in Nabire, and 224 in Jayapura. (*)
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