By: Rebbeca Marian )*
The accusation of the Government not taking sides with the people of Papua and violating human rights is a big lie. Because the Government has made various human rights protection efforts for the people of Papua. This is inversely related to Papuan separatists who often commit atrocities to civilians. It is no exaggeration to regard the Papua Separatist Group as a true human rights violator.
The slanted accusations of human rights violations made by the Jakarta Post newspaper against the Indonesian government, seems to be clarified. The reason is, there is an indication as semacan “playing victims”. They (the Jakarta Post) mentioned as if the government and security forces were intentionally committing acts of violence to murder, including innocent citizens in Papua. In fact, the activist Veronika Koman is keen to force Indonesia to free 56 Papuan activists who were arrested when protesting asking for the disintegration of Papua from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia.
In the Jakarta Post report, he and Veronika Koman urged the Australian government to review the human rights situation in Papua, following President Jokowi’s visit to Canberra. Not only that, Veronika also accused the military operations in the Nduga region of only giving suffering to the residents there. As well as demanding that the Indonesian government immediately stop this operation.
Meanwhile, the TNI feels that the report from the Amnesty International Indonesia human rights monitoring agency is not balanced and is only biased, aka cornering the authorities. The TNI also strongly denied their accusations of killing dozens of Papuans and West Papuans who had never been investigated. They claimed the accusation of human rights violations was slander.
According to the Head of Information of the Cenderawasih Military Command, Col. Muhammad Aidi, everything that happened was because of the separatists who were against the sovereignty of the state. And this is the main cause.
According to him, the victims did not only come from members of armed groups. Members of the TNI and Polri also share their lives in the violence that often colors the region. In addition, the main fundamental problem in Papua is armed separatist groups who continue to shout state sovereignty and want to separate themselves from the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. In fact, none of the countries in the world justify the existence of a group of people possessing firearms with illegal military standards, in order to undermine the country’s sovereignty, added Aidi.
He also complained that Papuan separatists often accused the TNI and Polri of being the masterminds of the deaths of residents without strong evidence. One of them is, separatist groups show documentation of the death toll without being able to prove that the security forces were involved.
What they heralded only highlighted the loss of life, but they never discussed how when thousands of mobs armed with arrows, machetes, spears and some even carrying firearms attacked the security forces’ posts brutally, Aidi said.
Not only that, Aidi also highlighted the disappearance of two police officers in the Torere District, Puncak District when escorting the logistics of a simultaneous local election last week, which was shot dead by separatist groups.
He said it was precisely his side who became victims, they acted arbitrarily without norms and rules, they did not know the combatants and non-combatants, civilians and even small children were slaughtered mercilessly, added Aidi.
Responding to Amnesty International’s accusation, Aidi stressed that her party had acted according to the rules and code of ethics, as well as temporary laws. Aidi said, why didn’t they discuss the atrocities committed by the KKSB both against the state apparatus and against innocent civilians?
In line with Aidi’s statement, the National Police Headquarters also asked Amnesty International Indonesia to be more balanced in presenting data on human rights violations that occurred in Papua. This is in response to Amnesty’s data which says the authorities have executed 95 civilians in Papua without a clear legal process.
Former Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Headquarters, Inspector General Setyo Wasisto also asked the agency engaged in voicing the disclosure of human rights to disclose explicitly related data, especially regarding police officers killed in Papua. If they only look at activists and put aside the community and security forces there, of course this is not fair, right. Even though they are also human.
Setyo claims that police actions on the ground have been based on clear standards and operational procedures. The police also have a duty to protect the property and lives of the people, including the assets and lives of the police themselves. It also said that members of the police in Papua prioritize local sons. For this reason, according to Setyo, it does not make sense for the police to kill local residents without a clear legal process.
Nevertheless, Setyo said the police would not openly related police officers who actually died on duty in the Papua region. He submitted Amnesty International Indonesia to release the data. So that this looks fair.
It is true, the playing victims that Amnesty International and Veronika Koman did. They only highlighted the victims, without explaining in detail what happened to the security forces while serving there. What was done by the separatist groups against the military / police and citizens. What have forgotten if the left-leaning group is blindly killing, burning residents’ homes, torturing residents indiscriminately. Including overtly disarming the police / TNI post and attacking brutally. Shouldn’t they, these cases also have to be disclosed, so that all is fair. So it does not seem to corner the government and the security forces. Considering they are also human.
)* The writer is a Papuan student living in Jakarta