Jayapura, Jubi – Rights NGO Amnesty International Indonesia has asked the Indonesian government to cancel the plan to exploit the Wabu Block gold reserve in the Intan Jaya Regency as it was considered to increase the risk of human rights violations.
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, in his written statement on Friday, March 25, 2022, emphasized that the Wabu Block mining plan was only feasible if the government had consulted with and obtained informed consent from Indigenous Papuans in the area.
On March 21, Amnesty International Indonesia published a report entitled “The Gold Hunt: Wabu Block Mining Plans Risk Aggravating Human Rights Violations in Papua”. The report concludes that the risk of human rights violations in Papua will increase if the government realizes its mining plan on the Wabu Block. This analysis is based on the escalation of violence in Intan Jaya since the government announced plans to mine the Wabu Block.
“We ask that our findings be read by relevant parties including President Joko Widodo. We hope that these institutions can immediately follow up on our recommendations, especially regarding the need for consultations with Indigenous Papuans to get approval on the basis of prior information and without coercion on the mining plans in the Wabu Block,” said Usman.
He said his party had met a number of state officials to present Amnesty’s report. “In recent weeks, Amnesty has met with various state officials and institutions – including the Minister of State Secretary, the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Human Rights, the Office of the Presidential Staff, Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, the National Defense Institute, and the National Defense Council. [We] present the findings and recommendations in our latest report,” said Usman.
The “Gold Hunt” report published by Amnesty International Indonesia says the number of security forces in Intan Jaya has alarmingly increased since 2019. Since the deployment of more troops, there have been at least 12 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings involving security forces.
Amnesty also reported how Indigenous Papuans experience increased restrictions on freedom of movement, beatings, and arrests. Amnesty also highlighted the threat to a number of activists who advocate for Papuan issues.
“We are concerned that over the past few days, there has been another repression of freedom of expression related to Papua, such as the naming of Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti as suspects,” said Usman.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan reported Haris and Fatia to the Jakarta Police on charges of defamation. Previously on August 20, 2021, Haris Azhar posted on his YouTube channel a video titled “Lord Luhut, BIN General Behind Intan Jaya’s Economic-Military Relation’, in which he discussed with Fatia Maulidiyanti the oligarchs suspected of controlling the mining business in Papua’s Intan Jaya Regency. They reveal several names and one of them is Luhut. (*)
