Indonesia Frets Over Papua Issue at the United Nations

Jayapura, Jubi – Papua legislator Laurenzus Kadepa said the Indonesian Government showed panic when the Pacific countries talked about the Papua issue and alleged human rights violations at the UN General Council plenary meeting.

The Commission I member of the Papua Legislative Council for the Government, Politic, Legal and Human Rights Affairs said the Indonesian delegation showed it through the rights of reply in the debate session to criticize and point out the six countries that are Nauru, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Tonga as to intervene the sovereignty and integrity of its country.

“The Indonesian Government should reflect and change its approach to Papua. It shouldn’t overreact. The Indonesian Government at the UN plenary meeting said the state has already upheld the human right enforcement; it is part of its commitment and the international community would keep asking about it,” said Kadepa to Jubi on Monday (26/9/2016).

He urged Indonesia to make good in its promise to solve cases of human right violations in Papua.

“Support for Papua from the international community, especially among the Pacific countries, should prompt Indonesia to change its ways in Papua,” he said.

He said it is the time for the government, Papua legislators and security forces to reflect what have they done, especially in law and human rights enforcement and so on. “The increase of Papua human rights issue at the international community is one of warnings for the state and its apparatus. If the access to Papua is really opened to everyone, I think it wouldn’t be a problem. Let everyone come to see the firsthand condition of Papua,” he said.

According to him, the international community has intensively discussed about the human rights issues in Papua due to their concern to Papua condition. It couldn’t be denied that up to now the settlement of the alleged cases of human rights violations in Papua as promised by the Indonesian Government has been stuck. There is no result. There was none of cases revealed. The government mentioned many barriers as the reason.

“Also I agree with the Coordinator of Kontras Jakarta Haris Azhar mentioning the handling of human rights violations in Papua was only to response the noise from international community. It’s right. It seems the government did it only for that reason. Up to now none of cases is settled,” he said.

Separately, other Papua legislator Ruben Magai said the future of human rights enforcement in Indonesia, especially in Papua are entering the black period. He said how the state could solve the alleged human rights violations if some parties allegedly perpetrators have position in the structure of state’s administration. “It is obviously worsen the state’s image. Therefore the human rights violation would never be ended and the international world continue to question it,” said Ruben.

Furthermore, said Ruben, the Pacific countries keep monitoring and pushing the settlement of Papua issues. So when the Indonesian Government is not taking it seriously, the Pacific countries would highlight on those issues. (*/rom)