Tuesday, July 4, 2023

1) Court rejects Papua governor Enembe’s objections but suspends proceedings over his poor health

 

2) Komnas HAM calls on govt to speed up negotiations for pilot’s release
3) KontraS Records 622 Police Brutality Cases in Indonesia in the Past Year  
4) Integrity survey, campaign to support corruption-free Papua: govt  
  5) West Papua Police to deploy special troops for 2024 elections  


-----------------------------------------------

1) Court rejects Papua governor Enembe’s objections but suspends proceedings over his poor health
 By APR editor -  July 5, 2023

SPECIAL REPORT: By Yamin Kogoya

An Indonesian court hearing was held at Tipikor Court, Jakarta, last week when suspended Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe was arraigned before a panel of judges on allegations of bribery and gratification over the Papua provincial infrastructure project.

The panel of judges refused Enembe’s exception, or memorandum of objection, to the charges after finding sufficient evidence to reject the governor’s arguments.

However, given the governor’s ill health, the judges ruled to prioritise his health and grant his request to suspend proceedings until he is medically fit to stand trial.

The governor’s request to have his son’s Melbourne-based university student bank account unblocked to continue his studies was not granted, and his legal case is pending.

The following three points were determined by the judges last Monday week (24 June 2023):

1. Granted the access request of the defendant/the defendant’s legal advisory team;
2. Ordered the Public Prosecutor at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to object to the detention of Lukas Enembe from 26 June to 9 July 2023; and
3. Ordered the Public Prosecutor at the commission to report on the progress of the defendant’s health to court.

Abandoned in Indonesia’s military hospital
Governor Lukas Enembe is now being held in Indonesia’s military hospital (Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital) in Jakarta.

The governor repeatedly informed the Indonesian authorities that he was in need of medical treatment and needed to be monitored in Singapore by his regular medical specialists. These requests, however, have been rejected to date.

Psychologically, his treatment in Singapore is completely different from that in Jakarta. The governor is constantly being monitored by KPK, treated by KPK’s appointed doctors in military-controlled hospitals.

It is highly unlikely that these environments are ideal for his recovery. The hospital where he is currently being held is named after a national hero of Indonesia, Gatot Soebroto.

In 1819, the hospital was established as the main hospital for the Indonesian Army. The hospital also provides limited services for civilians. Papua’s governor, the head of the Papuan tribes, is now being held in this military hospital.

The governor’s family complains about the ongoing inhumane treatment.

The governor’s family admits that it was difficult for them to care for him while he was abandoned at Gatot Subroto Army Central Hospital, as determined by a panel of judges from the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor).

Restrictions imposed
Governor Enembe’s family said the detention officers imposed restrictions on them.

Elius Enembe, the governor’s brother, and family spokesperson, said: “KPK Detention Centre regulations allow us to visit Mr Lukas only on Mondays. It was only for two hours.”

According to Elius, the family feels that two hours of treatment a week are not adequate and not optimal for treatment, reports Odiyaiwuu.com.

Governor Enembe is currently under the custody of the judicial system, not KPK. Thus it is the judge, and not the KPK, who has the authority to determine when and how long the family is allowed to visit Enembe.

“But why are we restricted by KPK detention officers now?” Elius said.

Even in the courtroom, the judge explained that Mr Lukas’ treatment at the hospital follows standard hospital operating procedures and not KPK detention procedures.

Moreover, the KPK prosecutor was present in the courtroom and was able to hear the judge’s statement that Lukas Enembe’s delivery followed hospital procedures, not those at the KPK detention facility.

Family objections
Because of this, Elius said, the family strongly objected to the restrictions placed by KPK detention officers on the days and hours of Enembe’s visit.

According to Elius, Lukas Enembe’s ongoing trial would undoubtedly be a unique legal cases both in Indonesia and internationally.

Lukas Enembe, who suffers from various serious health conditions, such as chronic kidney disease — stage 5, suffered four strokes, and has hepatitis, and is being abandoned at Gatot Soebroto Hospital. His physical condition is very poor, and his legs are swollen.

He is the only defendant who has appeared before the court barefoot and wearing training pants. As well as being the only defendant accompanied by a lawyer in the defendant’s seat, he was also the only defendant whose defence memorandum was not read by himself or by a lawyer.

Governor Lukas Enembe has difficulty speaking after suffering the strokes and needs to use the bathroom frequently.

“This will undoubtedly be a historical record in itself, a citizen of this country [with senior official roles] . . .  ranging from the Deputy Regent of Puncak to the two-term Governor of Papua, and yet has been treated as a criminal,” said Enembe’s younger brother in Jakarta, reports Kompas.com.

KPK continues to issue new accusations and allegations, which are being widely reported by Indonesia’s national media.

Case takes new turn
The corruption case against Governor Lukas Enembe, however, took a new turn when allegations of misappropriation of the Papuan Regional Budget (APBD) funds emerged, according to Busnis.com.

The governor’s senior lawyer, Professor O C Kaligis, challenged KPK’s new allegations as “tendentious and misleading”, reports Innews.co.

KPK is now investigating a massive sport, cultural, and recreational complex built under Lukas Enembe’s administration and named the Lukas Enembe Stadium.

The governor has only been given until July 6 to get some treatment for his deteriorating health.

There is an element of brutality, savagery, and mercilessness in Jakarta’s treatment of this Papuan leader.

The once highly acclaimed Papuan tribal chief, governor, and leader not just of his people, but of Indonesians and Melanesian as well many people, is being locked up and tortured in Jakarta as if he is a “dangerous terrorist’.

As his family, Papuans, lawyers, and he himself have warned, if he dies the KPK would be responsible for his death.

Yamin Kogoya is a West Papuan academic/activist who has a Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from the Australian National University and who contributes to Asia Pacific Report. From the Lani tribe in the Papuan Highlands, he is currently living in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

——————————————



2) Komnas HAM calls on govt to speed up negotiations for pilot’s release

Dio Suhenda (The Jakarta Post) 
PREMIUM Jakarta   ●   Tue, July 4, 2023 

As the standoff between the government and Papuan separatists over the release of New Zealand pilot Philip Merhtens continues, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged officials to quickly appoint a negotiator to move the process forward. Merhtens, who works for frontier airline Susi Air, was abducted by the West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB), an affiliate of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), in February following a routine flight to Nduga regency, Papuan Highlands province. 

In the five months Merhtens has been held hostage, the government has claimed to be prioritizing peaceful negotiation, although this has not prevented skirmishes between security forces and the TPNPB from breaking out over the past months. 

Amid the stalled negotiations, Komnas HAM Papua office head Frits Ramandey said he had spoken with TPNPB leader Egianus Kogoya regarding Mehrtens’ condition. “Thus far, Egianus is still honoring the humanitarian treatment of the hostage,” Frits said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.id, adding that Merhtens was still healthy. 

Frits went on to say that while the Komnas HAM’s Papua office would maintain communication with the TPNPB, it also urged the government to quickly appoint a negotiator, particularly since the TPNPB had appointed its own negotiator to engage with the government. “Talks between negotiators are only the initial stages. During the talks, [hopefully] the terms [of Merhtens’ release] can be agreed upon by both parties," said Frits. “Philip's rescue is very important for the safety of the people in Nduga. 

If it goes awry, it will trigger conflict between the group and the security forces.” 

 President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reiterated the government’s preference for a peaceful solution on Monday, but appeared to acknowledge potential alternatives. “We will keep trying to negotiate. Actually, there are a lot of [options] we can take, but I can't talk about it publicly,” Jokowi said just before jetting off to Australia to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. 

Jokowi is expected to be in Jayapura, Papua, on Thursday, to attend the Papua Street Festival. Read also: 

At least one TNI soldier killed in New Zealand pilot rescue operation 

OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom told Tempo on Tuesday that the groups “welcomed the wise gesture of Jokowi that shows willingness to engage in dialogue with us”. Sebby said he had also advised Egianus against executing the hostage. The TPNPB initially demanded that Jakarta recognize Papuan independence in return for Mehrtens’ release. 

But reports emerged this week that the TPNPB would settle for a ransom of Rp 5 billion (US$332,000), which Sebby has denied. Responding to the demand, Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo said earlier this week that the Papua administration was working to prepare the ransom money. 

But contrary to Komnas HAM’s report, Ignatius claimed the TPNPB had been unwilling to negotiate. “[They] requested Rp 5 billion, and later, during the negotiation process, [we] will see how much we can afford, but Egianus’ militia hasn’t yet been willing to negotiate with us,” Ignatius said, as quoted by Kompas.com.


--------------------------------

3) KontraS Records 622 Police Brutality Cases in Indonesia in the Past Year  
Translator Non Koresponden 
Editor Laila Afifa 
4 July 2023 19:34 WIB

TEMPO.COJakarta - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence or KontraS recorded 622 cases of violence involving police members in the July 2022-June 2023 period. They issued a report on the 77th anniversary of The National Police as a form of criticism towards the police's performance regarding human rights.

Fatia Maulidiyanti, KontraS Coordinator, stated that this report is a form of KontraS participation in the Security Sector Reform, especially the police reform. "This is in line with the mandate of reformation, as well as an effort to urge the National Police (Polri) to improve the institution in accordance with the standard of human rights and democracy," said Fatia in a written statement, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

The 622 recorded cases include 58 cases of police violence, 46 cases of arbitrary arrest, and 13 cases of tear gas incidents, some of which with casualties, as was the Kanjuruhan Incident back in October 2022. "It is an irony that the supposed protectors of civilians became the perpetrators," she said.

KontraS also noted 29 cases of extrajudicial killing which killed 41 people. Most of the recorded cases were of shootings. KontraS saw the authorization of the police to use firearms caused a violation of the right to life. They also recorded wrongful arrests along with torture that happened for the past year. "It needs to be underlined that the right to life and right not to be tortured are non-derogable rights," Fatia emphasized.

Fatia added that extrajudicial killings and torture are proof that the police are actors in human rights violations in Indonesia. From July 2020 until June 2023, various repressions towards civilians also occurred. At least 52 recorded cases of violence against protestors happened and injured 126 people with 207 arrested.

Civil repression is also specifically experienced by those who are struggling to protect their living space against the exploration and exploitation by corporations. Fatia said that the police who were supposed to protect these people instead turned their back on them. The native Papuans are amongst them. The significant numbers of police deployed to Papua throughout July 2020-June 2023 were in line with the number of repressions and human rights violations in Papua. "The Police seem to fail in appearing friendly and instead 'contributes' to the violence happening in Papua," Fatia added.

At the end of 2022, the public was shocked by some "viral" incidents involving the police, causing a decline in the public trust in the institution. Apart from the murder of Brigadier Yosua Hutabarat by Ferdy Sambo and others, the cases include the Kanjuruhan incident which killed 135 people, and the involvement of some high-ranked police officials in the narcotics scheme. 

National Police Ethics Panel tribunal even failed to put a stop to these violations. According to KontraS, this proves how normalized the culture of violence and deviation is by some of the members of the institution.

Fatia stated that this anniversary could be a momentum to wake up the institution, reminding the police there is a lot to be evaluated and fixed. "The civilians want their democratic police institution back," she added. KontraS stressed that a concrete and comprehensive improvement is immediately needed. Along with that, law enforcement, maintaining security, and public service by the national police need to improve in accordance with human rights standards. 

EKA YUDHA SAPUTRA / NAJLA NUR FAUZIYAH (Translator)

------------------------------------

4) Integrity survey, campaign to support corruption-free Papua: govt  
1 hour ago

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - The Papua provincial government expresses hope for a corruption-free Papua through anti-corruption campaigns and the Integrity Assessment Survey (SPI).

"Papua aims to increase awareness of corruption prevention through the SPI Anti-Corruption Campaign," stated Acting Governor of Papua Ridwan Rumasukun at the campaign's opening on Tuesday.

The campaign seeks to provide understanding and knowledge about corruption prevention, while SPI serves as a tool for assessing the integrity of institutions and agencies.

Rumasukun emphasized the campaign's role in building good governance and maintaining public trust in the government and state agencies.

He also expressed the expectation that the campaign would disseminate information, values, and principles related to corruption prevention across various aspects of life.

Furthermore, the anti-corruption campaign aims to foster a culture that rejects corruption and promotes clean, transparent, and accountable practices.

SPI serves as a survey to identify corruption risks and evaluate the progress of corruption prevention efforts by ministries, agencies, and regional governments.

Rumasukun explained the seven SPI indicators, which include transparency, human resource management, budget management, integrity in performing duties, trading in influence, management of goods and services procurement, and anti-corruption campaigns.

The SPI respondents consist of internal state agency employees, the public, and experts, as per Rumasukun.

To ensure objective assessments, SPI considers factors such as the number of complaint reports, data on corruption case handling by law enforcement officers, and the absence of any directions influencing the survey completion provided by related agencies.

Related news: Government urges caution in efforts to free hostage pilot in Papua
Related news: Scholarship funding in Papua now managed by local govts: official


Reporter: Ardiles L, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso


———————————————



  5) West Papua Police to deploy special troops for 2024 elections  
3rd July 2023

Manokwari, West Papua (ANTARA) - The Regional Police of West Papua will station special troops across all regions of West Papua Province and Southwest Papua Province in a bid to facilitate smooth implementation of the 2024 elections.

West Papua Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Tahi Monang Silitonga stated in Manokwari on Monday that the police will optimize all its potential to ensure that the festival of democracy in 2024 goes safely and peacefully.

"The National Police Chief has urged us to maximize the efforts to maintain security. As a follow-up to this instruction, we will prepare special troops that will be ready to move in the event of disruption," Silitonga remarked.

He affirmed that the police is committed to safeguarding the elections by creating a conducive situation, so that the people can exercise their voting rights.

In its efforts to maintain conduciveness and stability, the police will also involve traditional, public, religious, and youth figures, he stated.

"The police will exert all-out efforts to provide the finest services to the people," he stressed.

Chief Silitonga then confirmed that the West Papua Police will dispatch its personnel to regions to assist the local police in securing the 2024 elections.

This method will be applied as a measure to address the issue of personnel shortage at several resort police units, both in West Papua and Southwest Papua.

As a result, all polling stations, especially those in threat-prone locations, will be guarded by police officers.

"There will be no additional personnel from outside (of the two provinces). We will temporarily rotate our existing personnel," Silitonga noted.

Furthermore, the inspector general said that the police is always paying close attention to security developments for the public ahead of the elections.

In order to maintain public conduciveness, the police is striving to optimize the role of the Public Security and Order Supervising Officers (Bhabinkamtibmas), he noted.

Apart from providing education and dissemination of information to the public, Bhabinkabtibmas also has the role of collecting initial intelligence information on the field to be evaluated by local police.

"For the upcoming elections, they (Bhabinkamtibmas) will be provided with training courses, so they can collect all information," he noted.

In addition, the West Papua Police is currently conducting a study on the program called RW Police that aims to maintain public security and order in a very narrow residential scope.

"The study is aimed at providing us with information on how to make a significant impact on public security and order through the deployment of police personnel to remote areas. We are currently conducting a study to adjust to the geographical conditions in the two provinces," he stated.

Related news: KPU declares over 204 million voters in 2024 elections' electoral roll
Related news: West Papua Police prepare personnel to secure General Elections
Related news: Police readies measures to maintain public security in 2024 Elections
  

Reporter: Fransiskus Salu, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Sri Haryati

------------------------

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.