Defara Dhanya Paramitha, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) strongly condemned the torture of an indigenous Papuan man by soldiers of the Indonesian military (TNI). YLBHI Chairman Muhammad Isnur urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to immediately conduct an investigation and demand that the perpetrators be held accountable.

"We also urge the TNI commander to intervene to arrest the perpetrators," Isnur said in an official statement on Monday, March 25. According to him, what happened to the Papuan people was not just abuse as an ordinary criminal act, but an act of torture.

The victim was said to be Definus Kogoya. Isnur then said that the torture violated various legal instruments, such as Article 1 of Law No. 5 of 1998 on the Ratification of the International Convention Concerning Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

In addition to violating these principles, it also clearly violated Article 33 (1) of Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights.

"Therefore, it has become mandatory for Komnas HAM to exercise its duties and powers to initiate investigations and inquiries into events in society which, due to their nature or extent, give rise to reasonable suspicion of human rights violations," Isnur remarked.

Isnur said that the torture in Papua occurred three months after the extension of the Cartenz Peace Operation 2024 which took effect from January 1 to December 31, 2024. Thus, YLBHI demanded that the President and the House of Representatives (DPR) immediately stop the security approach in efforts to resolve the Papuan conflict.

The government was urged to immediately evaluate various military operations, such as the 2024 Cartenz Peace Operation, which was adopted with a violent and torturous approach. "We urge complete enforcement of law and human rights in this case."

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1849688/ylbhi-condemns-alleged-torture-of-papuan-by-tn