English
Bahasa IndonesiaOn 16 April 2022, Indonesia’s Attorney General announced that they were preparing prosecution of a suspect allegedly responsible for unlawful killings in Paniai, Papua in 2014, under the ‘Human Rights Court’ mechanism (under Law No. 26/2000). This mechanism is the country’s special criminal tribunal dealing with cases of gross violations of human rights. If the case is brought before a special court under Law No. 26/2000, which is planned to be held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the Paniai Case would be the first case tried at a Human Rights Court for 18 years. In this briefing, AJAR (Asia Justice and Rights), KontraS (the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence) and TAPOL, members of the Coalition of Civil Society for Monitoring of the 2014 Paniai Case which also consists of a number of human rights organizations in Papua, Indonesia and internationally, explain how Indonesia's Human Rights Court mechanism works and its past record.
Briefings
This briefing looks at reports of illegal sales of weaponry by the security forces, continuing internal displacement and the military's claimed new approach. It looks especially at the reasons behind these developments, and the lack of coherent action on the part of the Government. An underlying reason for arms dealing is pervasive militarism in West Papua, where security force operations are leading to violence and causing the displacement of civilians. Arms dealing has been taking place as the security forces try to control the narrative on its role in West Papua, first justifying theterrorism classification of TPNPB by declaring that it is protecting civilians, then later stating that it is implementing a ‘new approach’ in West Papua, which looks a lot like the old approach. As this has been happening, the number of internally displaced people has increased and displaced people are receiving little recorded state assistance.
Briefing ini menyoroti laporan-laporan perdagangan senjata yang dilakukan aparat keamanan secara ilegal, pengungsian internal yang terus berlanjut, dan klaim militer soal pendekatan baru. Briefing ini secara khusus juga menyelisik alasan-alasan di balik situasi tersebut dan minimnya tindakan yang koheren dari pemerintah. Alasan yang mendasari perdagangan senjata adalah militerisme yang mengakar di West Papua, daerah tempat berlangsungnya operasi-operasi militer yang mengakibatkan kekerasan dan menyebabkan masyarakat mengungsi. Perdagangan senjata terjadi ketika aparat keamanan berusaha mengontrol narasi tentang peran mereka di West Papua, pertama mereka menjustifikasi pelabelan Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat (TPNPB) sebagai teroris dengan alasan demi melindungi sipil, kemudian mereka menyatakan akan menerapkan ‘pendekatan baru’, yang tampaknya sama saja dengan pendekatan lama. Sebagaimana yang kini tengah terjadi, jumlah pengungsi internal meningkat dan para pengungsi itu dikabarkan kurang mendapat pertolongan negara.
Located right in the heart of the Bird’s Head Peninsula at the Northwest corner of West Papua (see Figure 1 below), Maybrat has often been hidden from the world’s view, due to its remoteness and lack of coverage. As one of the regencies that sprang up in the process of forming new administrative subdivisions (pemekaran) in 2009, Maybrat is part of the wider province of West Papua.
Following a period of military expansion in the region, Maybrat has been the scene of violence between the military and West Papua’s pro-independence armed group, TPNPB (Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat, the National Liberation Army of West Papua). This briefing shows drivers of recent conflict in Maybrat, especially militarisation and natural resource contestation. This has led to increasing tensions in two districts of Maybrat especially, an attack allegedly carried out by TPNPB on military posts, and the persecution of people accused of involvement in the attack, including children. They have been subject to rendition, trial and imprisonment in another area of Indonesia. Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) who have been involved in defending the six defendants have also had injustices meted out to them. The situation in Maybrat brings the province closer to what has been seen throughout the rest of West Papua in recent years. This briefing will hone in on the situation in West Papua province in recent years, looking at the nature of and reason for the uptick in incidents.
Terletak persis di jantung semenanjung Kepala Burung, ujung barat daya West Papua (lihat peta di bawah), Maybrat kerap kali tersembunyi dari pengamatan karena terpencil dan kurang diberitakan. Maybrat adalah salah satu kabupaten di Provinsi Papua Barat hasil pemekaran tahun 2009.
Pascaperluasan militer di wilayah tersebut, Maybrat menjadi titik konflik antara Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) dan Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua Barat (TPNPB). Briefing ini menunjukkan faktor-faktor pemicu konflik terkini di Maybrat, khususnya militerisasi dan perebutan sumber daya alam. Konflik itu telah meningkatkan ketegangan terutama di dua distrik di Maybrat, tempat terjadinya serangan terhadap pos persiapan koramil yang diduga dilakukan oleh TPNPB, dan penganiayaan terhadap mereka yang dituduh terlibat dalam penyerangan, termasuk di antaranya anak-anak. Mereka yang dituduh terlibat penyerangan kemudian dipindahkan, menjalani proses peradilan, dan ditahan di wilayah lain. Para pembela hak asasi manusia (HAM) yang terlibat dalam pembelaan enam tersangka juga mengalami ketidakadilan. Situasi Maybrat membuat Provinsi Papua Barat semakin mirip dengan situasi di sebagian besar wilayah West Papua akhir-akhir ini. Briefing ini akan berfokus pada situasi di Provinsi Papua Barat dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, menyoroti substansi dan penyebab meningkatnya insiden.
Increasing militarization for most Indonesians appears to be limited to West Papua and Poso. However, D-88 has already abused its mandate in Java in pursuit of alleged terrorists without having been properly held to account by Government Institutions (including the National Commission for Human Rights, Komnas HAM) or other civil society organisations that may fear the consequences of questioning the legality of its operations. Likewise, the military operates in plain sight in Java with a visible public role, pronouncing on political affairs and with former army officers assuming roles in Government and the civil service. In other words, security force operations against ‘terrorists’ in West Papua are not as distant as is assumed. But this also means that with coordinated effort, the public in Indonesia and beyond may yet have the potential to hold their power to account and end impunity.