Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Foundation for Justice and Human Integrity (YKKMP) says the Indonesian government should respond to allegations of human rights violations in Papua with evidence, not pressure.
The statement came in response to comments by Indonesian House of Representatives Commission I member Abraham Sridjaja, who criticised Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Sridjaja had questioned the sources of information used by Prime Minister Wale when he raised human rights concerns in Papua, describing the statement as one-sided and unsupported by facts.
He said a head of government had stood at the UN podium and made allegations against a friendly country without disclosing the source of the reports.
“Who compiled it, and how was it verified? Indonesia is being asked for transparency, yet the sources of the allegations themselves are being kept secret. That is a double standard,” Sridjaja said in a statement on Saturday (26/9/2026).
However, YKKMP Executive Director Theo Hesegem said allegations of human rights violations in Papua should be addressed carefully and openly, within the framework of democracy and respect for human rights.
“YKKMP respects the Indonesian government’s right to reject any allegations or reports concerning suspected human rights violations in Papua,” Hesegem said in an electronic message on Monday (28/9/2026).
He said the Indonesian government had the right to explain its position, data, facts and investigation findings to both the Indonesian public and the international community. However, Hesegem said responses to allegations of human rights violations should be based on data, facts, legal processes, transparent investigations and accountability mechanisms that can be publicly scrutinised.
“Not through pressure or statements that could narrow the space for dialogue,” he said.
Hesegem said that, as a democracy, Indonesia should not feel threatened simply because human rights issues in Papua are discussed at international forums.
Instead, if the government believes allegations of human rights violations in Papua are unfounded, the best way to demonstrate this would be to provide greater access for independent human rights organisations to conduct monitoring, verification, investigations and direct dialogue with communities in Papua.
YKKMP also stressed that human rights concerns in Papua did not emerge only because of the Solomon Islands prime minister’s speech.
UN human rights mechanisms have previously received communications concerning alleged human rights violations in Papua.
One communication recorded in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) database on 17 August 2023 contained information concerning alleged extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention and excessive use of force against Indigenous Papuans and human rights activists in the context of conflict and violence.
Another communication dated 20 March 2024 also contained information concerning alleged violence, extrajudicial executions and concerns over the transparency of investigations.
At the same time, YKKMP said communications or reports from UN mechanisms concerning alleged violations did not, in themselves, constitute court rulings finding an individual or institution guilty.
“Those allegations must be verified through independent, transparent and accountable investigations,” Hesegem said.
YKKMP said it did not regard all allegations as established facts with legal force. But it also rejected the idea that all allegations of human rights violations should be dismissed simply because the government denied them.
Allegations must be investigated, victims must be heard, evidence must be examined, and if violations of the law are established, those responsible must be held accountable.
“If the Indonesian government believes that no human rights violations occurred as alleged, then YKKMP believes the government has a very clear opportunity to prove it,” Hesegem said.
One possible step, Hesegem said, would be to provide greater access to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), national human rights institutions and relevant international human rights mechanisms to conduct independent monitoring in Papua.
He said openness was not a sign of weakness for a state, but a strength of the rule of law.
“A state that has confidence in the truth does not need to fear scrutiny, monitoring or criticism. Instead, a democracy must be able to respond to criticism with evidence and legal mechanisms.”
Hesegem said YKKMP also recognised that the Indonesian government had an obligation to protect all citizens from violence, including violence carried out by armed groups.
Therefore, protecting civilians and enforcing the law must go hand in hand with respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.
“As human rights defenders, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that Papuan communities are suffering as a result of conflict and violence,” Hesegem said.
He stressed that victims were not only Indigenous Papuans. Non-Papuan residents could also become victims, as could teachers, health workers, humanitarian workers, security personnel, civil servants, private-sector workers and other civilians.
For that reason, YKKMP said the Papua issue should not be viewed from only one perspective. YKKMP also did not condone violence by armed groups against civilians.
“The right to life is the right of every human being, regardless of identity, ethnicity, religion or political position,” Hesegem said.
At the same time, Hesegem said that if there were allegations of legal or human rights violations committed by state personnel, those allegations should also be seriously investigated. No one should be granted impunity.
“This is the principle we must uphold together. Criticism of the Solomon Islands prime minister should be answered diplomatically,” he said.
YKKMP also said criticism of Prime Minister Wale’s statement should be conveyed through diplomatic channels and dialogue, rather than language that could further strain Indonesia’s relations with Pacific countries.
Hesegem said Prime Minister Wale had raised the issue of Papua at the UN forum. However, reports about his speech also noted that Solomon Islands had expressed respect for Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as friendship with the Indonesian government and people.
Therefore, if the Indonesian government objected to the substance of the statement, it could issue an official response supported by verifiable data and facts.
Hesegem said the response should be based on evidence, not anger; data, not pressure; and dialogue, not confrontation.
YKKMP again called on the Indonesian government to provide greater space for human rights monitoring in Papua.
If the government is confident that the human rights situation in Papua is consistent with legal and human rights principles, access for independent monitoring organisations should not be something to fear.
Independent monitoring can help establish facts on the ground while also correcting inaccurate information.
The Indonesian government has itself stated in various international forums that it is committed to protecting human rights in Papua and that security personnel deployed in Papua must comply with human rights principles and applicable laws.
That commitment, YKKMP said, must therefore be reflected in practice through openness, monitoring access, independent investigations, protection for victims and witnesses, and fair enforcement of the law.
YKKMP said it respected the Indonesian House of Representatives and the right of every parliamentarian to express their views.
However, as human rights defenders, it said it also had a moral responsibility to remind all sides that human rights issues should not be resolved through mutual accusations.
“We hope members of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives will use their authority to encourage the government to create space for a transparent and dignified resolution of human rights issues in Papua.”
YKKMP said what was needed was not a war of narratives, but the truth; not mutual blame, but investigation; and not threats or pressure, but dialogue.
“Most importantly, the people of Papua need a state that is present to protect their lives, ensure justice, respect human dignity and resolve conflict peacefully,” Hesegem said.
YKKMP believes state sovereignty and respect for human rights are not principles that need to be placed in opposition to each other. Rather, they should operate together within a state governed by law and democracy.
According to YKKMP, if there have been no human rights violations, this should be demonstrated through open and credible mechanisms.
If violations have occurred, the truth should be established, victims protected, those responsible prosecuted in accordance with the law, and steps taken to ensure the violations do not happen again.
“That is how a democratic state maintains its dignity before its own people and the international community,” Hesegem said. (*)
Sorong, Jubi – A resident of Wakom Village, East Aifat District, Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua, identified as Wilem, also known as Yae Wakom, has allegedly been tortured at a Marine post in the area.
Wakom, a civil servant, was allegedly subjected to the abuse after he was arrested and taken to the Marine post stationed in Aisa Village, East Aifat District, Maybrat Regency, on Saturday (26/9/2026).
Leonardo Ijie, director of the Kaki Abu Legal Aid Institute (LBH Kaki Abu) in Sorong, said his organisation had received information that Yae Wakom was allegedly locked inside the Marine post and subjected to violence while being held there.
His family and local residents were reportedly prohibited from seeing him or checking his condition, without any clear explanation. The reason for his arrest has not yet been established.
Ijie said that, if the information was confirmed, the case would involve not only alleged violence against a civilian but also the alleged unlawful deprivation of his liberty.
LBH Kaki Abu condemned the alleged torture and called on the relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
“For LBH Kaki Abu, the alleged confinement constitutes a suspected human rights violation against a civilian,” Ijie said on Monday (28/9/2026).
According to Ijie, confinement involves the deprivation of a person’s liberty, as everyone has the right to be free from arbitrary detention or confinement.
“That is why these allegations must be investigated seriously. A person’s status as a civilian must not mean they lose legal protection,” he said.
Ijie said that even when security personnel have grounds to question someone, any action must be carried out within the authority and legal procedures provided by law.
He said that if there were allegations that the victim had committed an offence or was involved in a security-related matter, the case should be handled through the legal process.
“But civilians must not then be locked up, subjected to violence or denied access to their families without a clear legal basis,” he said.
The state therefore has an obligation to ensure that every action taken by security personnel against civilians can be properly accounted for.
LBH Kaki Abu called for clear answers about why the victim was arrested or detained, who ordered the arrest, where he was being held, how long he had been detained, whether there was a legal basis for the detention, and whether his family had been given access to him.
“All these questions must be answered. Allegations of violence against civilians must not be left without a transparent clarification process,” Ijie said.
Ijie said the public should not be left with only one-sided information, and that the security personnel allegedly responsible for arresting and abusing the victim should provide an explanation.
“If these allegations are untrue, they should be disproved through an investigation. If violence did occur, there must be a legal process,” he said.
Ijie also raised concerns about the security situation in Maybrat, which he said required serious evaluation, particularly regarding the deployment and presence of military personnel in areas inhabited by civilians.
He said the presence of large numbers of military personnel among civilian communities could increase tensions if it was not accompanied by proper oversight and respect for residents’ rights.
Civilians, he said, should feel safe rather than pressured by the presence of security personnel.
Ijie said violence against civilians in Maybrat had continued to occur, but every incident needed to be established through legal mechanisms.
“All of these allegations must be proven and investigated. No violence should be allowed to go unchecked simply because it occurred in a security context,” Ijie said. (*)
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