The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) has
issued a statement condemning the Indonesian government’s “denial of reports of
human rights violations in Papua” during the United Nations General Assembly on
Sept. 26. The legal rights defender, which has previously advocated on behalf
of several Papuan groups, says that the violations really took place.
LBH Jakarta data show that
between April and Sept. 16 this year, the government has arrested 2,282 Papuans
staging non-violent rallies. Most of these arrests took place from May 28 to
July 27, in which 1,889 protesters were arrested, LBH Jakarta said in a release
made available Monday.
“Indonesia, through its
representative, Nara Masista, said problems in Papua were related to
separatists seeking to disrupt public order. She also said Indonesia’s
commitment to human rights was solid,” the release said. “But the reality begs
to differ. LBH Jakarta and our network has recorded human rights violations
from arrests, murders and dispersal of rallies,” the statement said.
The data show that from 2012
until June 2016, 4,198 Papuans were arrested. “The arrests were made in
different places and involved intimidation,” it said.
The violations continued with
the Papua Police chief’s order on July 1 this year, which limited freedom of
expression by stigmatizing rallies with the label of separatism, LBH claimed,
adding that since then, every rally had been dispersed and the protesters
arrested.
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