Squaring the
vicious circle of violence in Papua
Mimin Dwi Hartono ; An
Investigator at the National Commission on Human Rights
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JAKARTA
POST, 27 Februari 2013
Violence returned to Papua as 12 people were shot dead
on Feb. 21, eight of them soldiers. The government claims to suspect the
Free Papua Movement (OPM) was behind the attacks.
The shooting shocked us because so many lives were taken, but also because
it occurred when the government is pushing for peaceful dialogue and
development in the easternmost province.
During the past year, there have been 14 shootings in Papua, and 22 people
have been killed. The victims have been civilians, police officers and
military personnel. In every case the police and military have failed to
locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Some of the alleged perpetrators were shot dead, preventing the police from
unearthing the motive behind these attacks. According to the government,
the latest attack was a dispute over a local election.
The repeated violence constitutes a violation of civil rights, namely the
right to life of the victims. It also infringes of the economic, social and
cultural rights of Papuans. Their right to development has been curtailed
by the conflict and by the absence of security.
The systemic violence in Papua has many origins.
The first is the long-standing controversy over Papua’s integration into
Indonesia through the Act of Free Choice in 1969, which most neutral
authorities agree was the subject to rampant manipulation. There were
reports of violence prior to the vote, but many have also claimed that the
actual ballot itself was conducted in a fair and democratic manner.
The government has always underlined that Papua’s integration is final and
there can be no compromise on it. Authorities are open to dialogue with the
relevant actors in Papua, as long as it is not about the issue of
independence.
The second cause of these violent events is unjust and uneven development
in Papua. The government granted Papua special autonomy in 2001 and set up
the special autonomy fund to improve the welfare of Papuans and empower
their culture.
However, the special autonomy scheme has failed to bring prosperity to
Papua because the fund was allegedly stolen by the local elites but Jakarta
let it happen.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s establishing of the Unit to Accelerate
the Development of Papua and West Papua (UP4B) through Presidential
Regulation No. 66/2011 is meant to improve development based on the
Papuan’s needs and desires, but it is unlikely to do much for the
development and prosperity of Papuans.
Undoubtedly, Papuans need and want peace and just development, but
government approaches to Papua emphasize security rather than participatory
development based on human rights.
Third, the problem in Papua is not only about development, it is also about
the past. Past human rights violations remain unresolved and violations
continue. According to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the
root of the problems in Papua are marginalization and discrimination
against indigenous people, human rights violations, failing development and
integration of unfinished history.
Human rights principles demand that the state respect, protect and fulfill
these rights. Human rights as the central issue in Papua’s development must
come from the political will of the state.
The state must admit that rights violations are among the causes of the
violence. Real steps must be taken to address and redress past abuses to
build the Papuan people’s trust.
The state cannot hide from the fact that it remains unable to uphold
justice to Papua. Human rights violations occur repeatedly due to the
absence of accountability. The state must abandon reactionary, partial and
short-term policies, and shift to comprehensive and concrete policies that
uphold the basic rights of Papuans.
The human rights approach, implemented through dialogue and involving
people from all segments of society is the best way to address the problems
of Papua. The operational framework must meet the principles of
participation, empowerment and non-discrimination. The involvement of a
wide range of people will minimize the bias toward elite groups.
Participation from the level of individuals within family and tribal groups
must be built to provide all citizens the opportunity to participate in
decision making. Non-discrimination principles must be upheld by providing
equal opportunities for Papuans to stand equal before the law and
development.
The Papuan society should be fully involved in development, without
discrimination, to encourage and build the capacity of Papuans.
Human rights violations that occurred must be addressed proportionally,
fairly and in a transparent manner. A system of preventing human rights
violations must be established to prevent further infringements.
At the same time, the government must take tough measures against,
prosecute and bring to justice armed groups who cause social and political
disturbance and who have killed so many people. Improvement to defense and
security in remote areas is also pressing to protect the military and
police from sudden, deadly attacks. ●
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