Human Rights Issue in Papua Worsens with a Weak Law Enforcement

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The director of Papua's Human Rights Policy Advocacy Assembly Mathius Murib mentioned that the human rights issues in Papua worsen with a rising number of violence and hostage situations.

The human rights activists in Papua are also at great risk of violence, such as being terrorized, intimidated, and threatened.

"Violence [in Papua] rises in number, hostage situation is also still happening, while all the approach [against the situation] does not reflect the spirit of the human rights," he said during the Universal Periodic Review Discussion of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) today, Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

Despite the risk, Mathius said, he and other human rights activists in Papua are still willing to advocate for human rights enforcement in the province. However, their efforts are clashing with the law enforcement framework, causing many human rights violation cases left unsolved.

"This is an internal evaluation, which I believe is important to ensure public trust as human rights activists since convincing the victims to seek justice is quite difficult," he said. The victims, according to Mathius, always ask about their previous unanswered human rights complaints.  

Mathius emphasized that a synchronization and harmonization of the legal system is necessary. 

"We hope for good judges and prosecutors in the future that could translate the spirits of Komnas HAM. Thus, human rights violations cases could be put to rights," he concluded.

I GUSTI AYU PUTU PUSPASARI

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