TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An advocate for Papuan political prisoners, Gustaf Kawer, has challenged Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud Md to check the validity of data on the victims of human rights violations in Papua which Veronica Koman claimed to have been handed to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Gustaf said he had also reported data on the death toll and political prisoners during the military operations in Nduga, Papua to several state institutions.

“Such as the Papuan Human Rights Commission who often makes visits, Komnas HAM, the House of Representatives (DPR), and Regional Legislative Council (DPD). They know [about the data] because they have already visited the prisoners. Why does Mahfud say it is rubbish,” said Gustaf to Tempo today, February 13.

According to Gustaf, the high-ranking state official would be wiser if he seeks the data validity, instead of saying it is useless. “When there is such data, he should respond to it by checking it from one institution to another.”

Gustaf opined that Mahfud Md’s remarks reflected doubts over the fact which was occurring before his eyes, while as a state official, he should show empathy for issues in Papua.

As previously reported, human rights activist and advocate Veronica Koman claimed her team had handed documents to President Jokowi, which included data on the political prisoners and the death toll in Papua during the latter’s state visit to Canberra, Australia on Monday, February 10.

AHMAD FAIZ