Talk of Tackling Papuan Rights Violations Only to Appease International Critics

“The memories and suffering of Papuans have not become a lesson learned for today’s government. Jakarta and Joko Widodo’s administration are not sensitive,” said Haris.

As consequence, he said, what is applied by the state is only an image through a statement to other statement. Even it went to the UN plenary meeting in a last few days in New York.

“My assumption, the Indonesian’s plan to apply as a temporarily member at the UN Security Council is intended to block international voices against Indonesia because of the Papua issue, as the one of the reasons,” he said.

Haris also said attempts by the Minister of Politics, Legal, Human Rights and Security Affairs as well as other state’s institutions to get input and suggestions in order to settle the case of alleged severe human rights violations in Papua, as an inefficient mechanism. He also told about the problem related to the performance of government’s control, such as the role of deputies of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP).

“Under the KSP, there are deputies, who said are the military experts. Well, why did the human rights perpetrators in Papua couldn’t report to the president, or did it be ignored? It means KSP is less important than military?” he said.

For the example, the appointment of Major General Hartomo who involved in the murder case of Theys Elluay, as BAIS Chief. According to Azhar, it was occurred because the Joko Widodo’s administration is an unrespected human rights administration.

“I am personally concern to my brothers in Papua who were trapped to elect the President Widodo in 2014,” he said.

Haris Azhar admitted in general he was hardly to understand on the today’s government that seems want to solve the Papua issues with many problems of human rights violation, on the other hand the strategic position of the policy makers related to the fulfillment and protection of human rights violations are under those who had a record on severe human rights violations.

“For example, Wiranto as the Coordinating Minister of Politic, Legal, Human Rights and Security Affairs, his name was recorded as the responsible person for some human rights violations cases including East Timor 1999, Student Shooting incident 1998, Semanggi I and Semanggi II incidents. The worst is those cases never been resolved until now,” he said.

Such situation, he said, triggered the controversial and trauma.

“It’s controversial for a question whether this figure could be dealing with the human rights violations? Also Papuans might have traumatic with the military figure who handle this case,” he said.

He asserted this situation is a prove that President Joko Widodo doesn’t care and doesn’t understand about the problem of this nation, including and especially the problem related to the Indonesian Government’s mistakes in treating people and Papuan community.

In response the coordination meeting held by Minister Wiranto on last Thursday, Latifah Anum Siregar, lawyer form Alliance for Democracy in Papua (AIDP) reasserted that since the beginning the integrated team under this ministry to solve the human right violation cases in Papua has not had the formal legality.

“Team received many responses due to their inability to solve the human rights cases in Papua,” said Siregar to Jubi on Sunday (25/9/2016).

She said they don’t have the authority to determine the what cases should be solved.

“Because according to the Law no 39 Year 1999 the investigation authority is on the hand of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission and Attorney General. So that team had no formal legality to solve the human rights violation cases,” he said.