By: Alfred Jigibalom)*
Fake news spread that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights would visit Papua. The Papuan people are asked to remain calm and not be provoked by hoaxes, which could be spread by irresponsible people.
Hoax news is a threat to the integrity of the nation and can spread anywhere, including in Papua. The various types of hoaxes also vary from SARA issues to regional expansion. Even though the hoax was clearly made by an unscrupulous person, it was quite disturbing because it could affect people’s minds. They become negative and cannot live in peace.
One of the hoaxes circulating recently is the issue that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is visiting who will conduct investigations and fact-finding regarding human rights violations. However, the hoax is a big mistake. Achsanul Habib, Director of Human Rights and Humanity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, straightened out the hoax.
According to Achsanul, Indonesia has invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to come to Papua and West Papua. However, the purpose of the visit was to review development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Papua and West Papua. So, it has nothing to do with allegations of human rights violations in Papua.
Hoaxes regarding the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights were allegedly spread by KST (Separatist and Terrorist Groups) and OPM (Free Papua Organization). They did it deliberately to divide the Papuan people. If there are people who are still laymen and are affected by the hoax, it is hoped that they will become pro OPM and are willing to be invited to defect.
The OPM and KST are indeed looking for supporters to create the Federal Republic of West Papua. They ended up spreading hoaxes so that people would turn around, from being pro-government to pro-OPM. This hoax should be watched out for so that the situation in Papua is more conducive. Don’t let hoaxes divide the community into 2 camps and end up harming the local government.
The public needs to understand that the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is not only related to human rights. However, they also have other tasks, including monitoring the progress of an area. Do not be easy to guess, especially when it is associated with irresponsible hoaxes.
If there are hoaxes that say that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will investigate human rights violations, then that is clearly wrong. In Papua there are no human rights violations committed by local government officials or employees. The hoax that alleges that there are many human rights violations in Papua is a very cruel slander and was deliberately spread by KST to make things worse.
When there are officers who use firearms, they are used to defend against KST attacks, because they only have 2 choices: live or die. It is natural for officers to be equipped with pistols or other weapons because they are used while on duty. So, they are not violating human rights, but are defending the honor of the country by eradicating rebel groups.
In fact, it is KST that violates human rights because this rebel group often attacks Papuan civilians. In the end, they even had the heart to burn down houses, even though the property belonged to a native Papuan who incidentally was a relative of his own ethnic group. The parties that violated gross human rights were KST and OPM, not the central government, regional governments, or security forces.
The news that the High Commissioner for Human Rights will investigate human rights cases in Papua and West Papua is a baseless lie. The public is also asked to be aware and not to believe in the hoax that was deliberately spread by pro-separatist groups in Papua.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali
