APSN Banner

Stop security approach in Papua: Kontras

Source
Jakarta Post - October 30, 2011

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has demanded that the government change its security approach in dealing with Papua, and initiate dialogues.

Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar said in Jakarta on Sunday that the security approach had only resulted in violence and the criminalizing of Papuans.

"The President must prioritize dialogue and peace approaches in dealing with conflict in Papua," Haris said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

He added that Kontras suspected that there had been rights abuses in the recent deadly violence that broke out between police and participants of the third Papuan People's Congress in Abepura, Papua, and between police and local Freeport workers during a protest against the gold mining firm, among other cases.

Haris demanded that National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo investigate the possible involvement of police officers in the cases.

Country