Papuan Activists Lawyer Deems Court Ruling Unfair

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The lawyer of six Papuan activists, Michael Hilman, considered the court’s ruling rejecting the pretrial motion filed by his clients unfair. Michael said those activists named suspects of alleged treason were treated unjustly either by the police or court.

“We consider to seek justice in this trial, but we are treated the same,” said Michael after a trial at South Jakarta Court District, Tuesday, December 10.

The judge denied the pretrial motion submitted by the activists, and so the case would be resumed by the police.

According to Michael, people of the country's easternmost province had been mistreated outside the trials but now they dealt with the same treatment, which was evident from the sole judge who did not consider the statements of expert witnesses and the applicant's exception.

The judge even questioned the applicant for including a presidential institution in the structure of the law enforcement agency as one of the respondent's parties or casu quo (Cq). The only explanation as to why the judge rejected the applicant's pretrial suit.

“The law is not valid for Papuan people. They must find their own way outside justice and legal. We must together take to the streets,” Michael remarked.

The defendants, Surya Anta, Isay Wenda, Dano Tabuni, Ambrosius Mulait, Carles Kosay, and Arian Lokbere, are accused of committing treason.

The police arrested them for raising the Morning Star flag during a demonstration in front of the State Palace, Central Jakarta last August following a siege and attack on the Papuan students' dormitory in Surabaya on August 16, 2019.

LANI DIANA WIJAYA