Dogiyai, Jubi – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) held a meeting with Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, to discuss the Walesi case in Wamena and the 2021 Maybrat displaced people.
Komnas HAM Commissioner Anis Hidayah highlighted that their monitoring, conducted between July 25-28, 2023 across several areas including Maybrat, Sorong, South Sorong, Aimas, revealed discrepancies of data between the local government, police, and civil society organizations related to displaced people statistics.
The second issue raised by Hidayah was the tragic death toll among Maybrat displaced people during their evacuation from 2021 to 2023, amounting to approximately 138 individuals. She also emphasized the dire living conditions of vulnerable groups among the displaced people, including women, children, and the elderly, who lacked suitable housing, faced deteriorating health conditions, and struggled to access education or maintain their daily livelihoods.
Hidayah further noted the emotional toll on these people, who had not been able to return to their homes since 2021, preventing them from celebrating Christmas with their families due to concerns about security.
Komnas HAM urged the Minister of Home Affairs to collaborate with the Acting Governor of Southwest Papua and the Regent of Maybrat, along with neighboring districts housing displaced people, to expedite assistance and find solutions.
The primary goal is to enable refugees to return home for Christmas 2023 while ensuring their security. Anis Hidayah expressed hope that the Minister would take prompt action in response to these concerns.
Earlier in January 2023, the Acting Governor of Southwest Papua, Muhammad Musa’ad, had committed to working with various local leaders to send the displaced people back to their Maybrat hometowns.
Jayapura, Jubi – Indigenous Papuans’ traditional rights have been safeguarded through a Special Regional Regulation or Perdasus, as mandated by special autonomy. However, the application of these regulations faces numerous challenges, notably a lack of public awareness on the part of the PapuaProvincial Government.
Yonas Alfons Nusi, the spokesperson for the Special Group of the Papua Legislative Council, shared during an interview in Jayapura City on Thursday (12/12/2023) that his party has been working to understand the current challenges faced by the Papuan people, particularly concerning the protection of indigenous customary rights.
Nusi emphasized that the implementation of Perdasus doesn’t happen instantly; it requires a comprehensive process. This process involves the government taking the lead in educating the public about Perdasus. He stressed the need for the government to be actively providing information related to these regulations.
Nusi added that Perdasus encompasses more than just land-related matters.
Earlier, Mamta Tabi and Piter Kwano, members of the Special Group, shared similar concerns in a conversation with Jubi on Monday (9/10/2023). Kwano highlighted that while regulations concerning lakes, rivers, or other aspects of daily life might receive a positive response from the Central Government, those related to land, often entangled with politics, are more likely to be rejected.
Kwano concluded by urging fellow Papuans not to sell their land, as it often results in migrants purchasing and developing it, leading to the loss of their own identity and resources.
In late July 2023, the Special Group of the Papua Legislative Council, representing five customary areas, conducted public campaigns for three Provincial Regulations (Perdasi) related to indigenous peoples. These regulations covered topics such as the protection and development of local food, recognition and protection of indigenous peoples in PapuaProvince, and the protection and empowerment of fish farmers among indigenous peoples. (*)
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