Konradus Epa, Jakarta – A Papuan right activist has urged the Indonesian government to respond honestly and transparently to United Nations special rapporteurs seeking explanations to accusations of state violence, torture and enforced disappearances in the troubled region.
"Such actions are still taking place and more people are suffering," Theo Hesegem, executive director of the Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation, said on Feb. 22.
He was speaking following the leaking last week of a document from the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs to officials in response to the UN request.
It included a letter to the Indonesian government signed by Jose Francisco Cali Tzay, special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Morris Tidball-Binz, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
They said they had received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and inhuman treatment as well as the forced displacement of indigenous Papuans.
They mentioned cases including the death of a two-year-old child and the injuring of a six-year-old after being shot in a gun battle between security forces and the West Papua Liberation Army in Sugapa, Intan Jaya district, on Oct. 26, 2021.
"The growing number of internally displaced villagers has reportedly provoked an unknown number of deaths"
Also mentioned was the case in Sugapa of Samuel Kobogau, 31, who was reported as a victim of enforced disappearance by military personnel and whose whereabouts have not been known since Oct. 5, 2021.
They also asked for clarification regarding the increasing number of internally displaced persons – estimated at 60,000 to 100,000 – due to the conflict that has spread to at least seven districts in Papua.
"The growing number of internally displaced villagers has reportedly provoked an unknown number of deaths of villagers because of lack of food and medical care and the weather conditions," the document said.
Hesegem said the government must answer, follow up and clarify these allegations to the UN to make sure it receives a true picture of the Papuan situation.
"The government should immediately clarify and convey an honest and transparent explanation to the UN Human Rights Council so that there is no black mark against Indonesia and victims' families and Papuan indigenous people are not ignored," he told UCA News.
He said the UN officials sent the request because "they have credible information coming from Papua."
"As such the Indonesian government must not try to cover up such crimes or pretend they do not happen," Hesegem said.
He said that on Feb. 17 last year he gave the names of 243 who died as a result of human rights violations in Nduga district to presidential secretariat officials in Jakarta, but Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD refused to accept it and questioned its authenticity despite various credible sources having been cited.
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/come-clean-with-un-papuan-activist-tells-indonesian-govt/96207