Reporter
December 18, 2024 | 08:23 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has recorded 113 alleged human rights violations in Papua from January to December 16, 2024. Of these, 85 were related to armed conflicts and violence.
Komnas HAM Chairperson Atnike Nova Sigiro noted that the highest number of incidents occurred in April, May, June, November, and December. “December is only 16 days in, and there are already 10 cases,” she said during a press conference at the Komnas HAM office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
Out of the 85 violence and armed conflict events, 24 were shootouts, 4 were raids, 23 involved armed civilian group attacks on officials, 4 resulted in displacements, 8 involved destruction of property, and 34 involved attacks on civilians. Additionally, 6 cases of violence were attributed to law enforcement officers.
Intan Jaya Regency in Central Papua Province recorded the highest number of armed conflicts and violence with 22 cases, followed by Puncak Regency with 22 cases, Puncak Jaya Regency with 13 cases, and Paniai Regency with 12 cases. Yahukimo Regency in Papua Pegunungan Province experienced 10 cases, while Nduga Regency and Pegunungan Bintang Regency each recorded 7 cases.
“So the vulnerable areas, where conflicts and violence occur, are in Central Papua Province. According to media monitoring, the numbers are quite extreme compared to other provinces or areas in Papua,” said Atnike.
The recorded casualties from armed conflicts and violence included 61 deaths. The majority were civilians, with 32 fatalities, including two children and one foreign national. “So the majority of those killed were civilians,” she emphasized.
Armed civilian group members, military soldiers, and police officers also suffered casualties, with 14, 8, and 7 fatalities respectively.
Furthermore, 39 individuals were injured. This included 27 civilians, 10 military personnel, 5 police personnel, and 7 members of armed civilian groups.
In addition to deaths and injuries, seventeen people were victims of hostage-taking, primarily construction workers in the Papua region, according to Atnike.
This data from Komnas HAM aligns with previous findings by Komnas HAM Papua. In commemoration of World Human Rights Day on December 10, the Head of Komnas HAM Papua, Frits Ramandey, stated that conflicts and violence continue to persist, particularly in conflict-prone regions. Throughout 2024, the escalation of violence in Papua has continued and shown a tendency to increase.
According to Frits, the primary challenge for the Indonesian government lies in rebuilding the trust of the Papuan people by fostering equality, equitable law enforcement, and non-discrimination. These efforts are crucial in cultivating a peaceful ecosystem that facilitates humanitarian dialogue.
Komnas HAM Papua urged the administration of President Prabowo Subianto to provide security assurances to all Indonesian and foreign citizens in Papua.
Furthermore, Frits encouraged the military commander to deploy units to Papua with a thorough understanding of local values, culture, and the unique characteristics of the region. He also emphasized the need for the police chief to ensure that law enforcement and security operations in Papua are conducted persuasively and humanely.
“The government must strive to improve the security system and governance framework while avoiding a security-based approach,” concluded Frits.
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A google translate.
Original Bahasa link.
2) History of Refugees in Papua
Last updated: December 18, 2024 7:50 pm
Author: Dominggus Mampioper
Editor: Aries Munanda
Papuan refugee families who have been living since 1984 in a refugee camp in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. - doc. ICMC
Jayapura, Jubi – The political and security crisis gave birth to a flow of refugees from several areas in Papua. They fled because they did not want to be targets of violence from security forces or armed groups.
The flow of refugees is part of the long history of the Papuan Nation. The first wave of refugees was recorded as occurring in the early days of the annexation of Papua, around 1963.
The refugees consisted of six medical students from the Papua Medical College in Papua New Guinea. They were Hein Danowira, Peter Pangkatana, Chris Marjen, Saweri, Suebu, and Fiay. In addition, there was Wanma's group and friends who were studying telecommunications in Lae City, Papua New Guinea.
Some of the first generation of Papuan refugees settled until they died in Papua New Guinea. Many of their descendants were successful in the refugee camp. Some became pilots and aircraft technicians. Some also became soldiers in the Papua New Guinean army.
The next evacuation occurred after the Act of Free Choice (Pepera) in 1969. Moses Werror, Simon Messet, Johanes Songgonao, and friends fled to Papua New Guinea through the border area in Vanimo. Previously, the family of Benarnews journalist Herlyne Joku also fled to Papua New Guinea in 1965, and settled in Port Moresby.
The largest wave of refugees from Papua occurred in the 1980s. Based on records from the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), as many as 12 thousand Papuans crossed the Papua New Guinea border during that era.
Tempo Magazine's June 9, 1984 edition reported that there were 7,000 Papuan refugees on the Papua New Guinea border in April of that year. Tempo Magazine in their report also mentioned that the presence of these crossers was difficult to repatriate to Papua.
The Papuan refugees have now multiplied. Around 2,000 of them live in illegal camps without citizenship status in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. This condition has lasted for two generations.
Citing a report from the Jesuit Refugee Service Institute (JRS), more than 9,000 Papuan refugees and asylum seekers are in the West Province, Papua New Guinea. They live in camps in the border areas with Indonesia, and urban areas.
Lack of assistance
Papuan refugees are deeply frustrated because their fate has been hanging in the balance for more than 20 years. They have difficulty accessing basic services, including education, employment, and decent housing due to unclear citizenship status.
"In the eyes of the world, we are sinking [as if we are no longer valuable]. All that is left [they remember] is our story," said Teresa, a Papuan refugee, quoted by
apr.jrs.net. Teresa is around 70 years old. She lives in East Awin, Papua New Guinea.
The fate of refugees in Iowara-East Awin is no less dire. The refugee location was established by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1989. Although they have been relocated to Vanimo, their conditions are almost the same as other refugees.
According to the ICMC report in 2023, refugees and asylum seekers from Papua have hardly ever received assistance from anyone. They also live in dire conditions.
"They have hardly ever received assistance from anyone. Except for the secret assistance from the Catholic mission in Papua New Guinea.” This is the statement of ICMC on their official website,
icmc.net.
ICMC began building a number of public facilities and infrastructure at the refugee camp in Vanimo in July 2023. They partnered with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (CBCPNGSI).
JRS Asia Pacific Advocacy Director Junita Calder said the lives of the refugees were very vulnerable. Their existence did not receive legal protection from the Papua New Guinea Government.
“Refugees continue to suffer due to the difficulty of the naturalization process. Their lives are vulnerable because they are not protected by [Papua New Guinea] law,” said Calder.
The refugees' hopes for a decent life are getting harder, considering that Papua New Guinea is also still entangled in welfare issues. It is recorded that around seven million or 70 percent of their population live in poverty. (*)
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A google translate.
Original Bahasa link.
3) Imparsial says military operations in Papua cause mass displacement
Timoteus Marten
Last updated: December 18, 2024 2:53 pm
Author: Jubi Admin
Editor: Timoteus Marten
Thousands of Borban Village Residents while moving towards the emergency refugee camp north of Borban Village recently. -Jubi/Dok Nagai Urwan
Jayapura, Jubi – Imparsial stated that military operations in Papua only sacrifice civilians and cause mass displacement.
According to Imparsial, a number of civilians from Bumbakon, Mimin, Oksop, Alutbakon, Oktumi, Atenor, and Ngangom Villages, Oksop District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, have left their homes and have been forced to flee to the forest and other districts since December 8, 2024.
The refugees are reportedly having difficulty obtaining food and drinking water supplies. The wave of refugees was caused by residents feeling afraid due to the military operation, which suddenly deployed military personnel on December 4, 2024.
"This (military operation) was surprising and caused anxiety for residents of Oksop District, who felt disturbed by the presence of officers, in large numbers in their area," said Imparsial Director, Ardi Manto Adiputra, as quoted from a press release to Jubi in Jayapura, Papua, Wednesday (18/12/2024).
Moreover, continued Ardi, for women and children who had never heard the sound of gunfire around their village.
Imparsial views that the military operation that carried out sweeping actions by TNI members was carried out inhumanely and did not heed the principles of humanitarian law.
"They opened fire indiscriminately and carried out inspections in an intimidating and violent manner," said Ardi.
According to him, the sudden and large presence of the TNI in Oksop District caused residents to become afraid, and were forced to flee to the forest to save themselves.
"This incident has caused deep trauma for civilians who have become victims of the military operation that was carried out arbitrarily," he said.
According to the report of Rev. Jimmy Koirewoa, Head of the Legal and Human Rights Department of the Evangelical Church in Indonesia (GIDI), said Ardi, around 3,318 people from Oksop District are in evacuation. The evacuation locations are scattered in several points and access to the evacuation and the GIDI Ephesus Sape church building is controlled by TNI officers.
The mobilization of TNI officers, he continued, was carried out by land and air, by dropping them from helicopters.
"As a result of this incident, all public facilities and services for residents were completely paralyzed, access to schools and health services was hampered," he said.
In addition, he said, on December 4, 2024, the congregation of Kandang Bethlehem Bumbakon Stasi became the target of TNI members who were pursuing the TPNPB group. The congregation's houses were broken into, causing fear and mass evacuation.
According to Imparsial's records, the TNI troop deployment in Papua is still ongoing. During 2024, the government has sent at least 3,187 non-organic troops to Papua.
"It is important to remember that sending these troops is an illegal act that is contrary to Article 7 paragraph (3) of the TNI Law which emphasizes that military operations other than war can only be carried out after there is a state policy and political decision, namely the government's political policy together with the DPR which is formulated through a working relationship mechanism between the government and the DPR such as consultation meetings and working meetings," he said.
"Meanwhile, so far there has not been a single policy or political decision to carry out military operations by the TNI in Papua. As a result, victims continue to fall because armed contact often occurs in the middle of residential areas," he said.
Imparsial assessed that the government's continued deployment of troops and illegal military operations increasingly show that the government is not serious about resolving the conflict in Papua. The security approach is still the government's top priority. On the other hand, peaceful approaches and dialogue tend to be ignored.
"Security measures and approaches actually worsen the situation, increase the fear of local people and strengthen the influence of the military in areas that are already prone to conflict," he said.
Moreover, he said, the massive deployment of the TNI will continue to increase civilian casualties.
"If it continues, this cycle will continue to repeat itself and develop into a humanitarian crisis in Papua," he said.
Furthermore, he continued, this incident is very unfortunate considering that in the near future Catholics and Protestants will celebrate Christmas.
"However, this time the people in Oksop District cannot feel the happiness of welcoming Christmas in their respective homes, as in previous years," he said.
In this context, according to Ardi, the security forces who should be tasked with providing security and comfort for their citizens have instead become a source of fear. In fact, Oksop residents hope that this year's Christmas can be carried out in peace and tranquility.
Based on the above, Imparsial condemns the military operation carried out by the TNI in Oksop District which was sudden and caused fear among civilians.
Imparsial urges the government to immediately withdraw non-organic troops and stop illegal operations on the basis of Papuan security. Because there is no clarity on the mechanism for deploying troops in Papua and it is not in accordance with Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the TNI.
Imparsial also urges the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the military operation in Oksop District, which has resulted in a massive wave of refugees. (*)
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