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Man posting opinion about Papuans' 'genocide' arrested for alleged hate speech

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Tabloid JUBI - May 8, 2021

Jakarta – The police's Nemangkawi task force in Papua has just arrested a man in Mimika Regency for allegedly talking about "genocide" against Papuans in his Facebook account. The police accused him of spreading hate speech.

"The Nemangkawi task force arrested on Wednesday Harun Gobai, the owner of a Facebook account Enago Wamoki, who spread the hate speech," Nemangkawi task force spokesperson Sr. Comr. Iqbal Alqudusy said on Thursday, May 6, 2021.

Alqudusy said there were at least two Gobai's posts alleged of violating the law. The first was Gobai's status on April 20, 2021, which warned Papuans about the government's attempt to exterminate Indigenous Papuans.

Gobai wrote, "To all Papuans in the Papua land from Sorong to Merauke, please be careful when going outside because in the eyes of the Republic of Indonesia, the Indonesian Military [TNI] and police, the State Intelligence, the Special Forces [Kopassus], we, Papuans, are all the TPNPB/OPM [the West Papua National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement]. This is because their goal is to exterminate all Indigenous Papuans in their own land".

Gobai also reportedly tweeted in July 2020 about the government's failure at implementing the Papua special autonomy (Otsus) that resulted in a series of violence in Papua.

Indeed, many civil groups and experts have been criticizing the Otsus for not bringing about significant change in Papua and perpetuating violence and human rights violations in Papua, including violations to freedom of expression. Experts and rights groups have also put lights on the TNI and police brutality resulting in civilian casualties in Papua.

The police named Gobai a suspect anyway. "The police will stand against provocative accounts that spread hatred and hostility based on ethnicity, religion, race, or societal group (SARA). The suspect is currently being questioned by the Mimika Police with digital forensic examination also taking place," said Alqudusy.

Gobai was charged with violating Article 45 a Paragraph 2 of the Information and Electronic Transaction Law on spreading hate speech and SARA-based information.

Source: https://en.jubi.co.id/man-posting-opinion-about-papuans-genocide-arrested-for-alleged-hate-speech

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