43rd Session of the Human Rights Council
Item 4: General Debate
NGO Joint statement - 10 March 2020
Delivered by Ms. Latifah Anum Siregar
Madam President,
My name is Anum Siregar, a human rights lawyer from West Papua. I am delivering a joint statement of Franciscans International and Geneva for Human Rights with the support of the International Coalition for Papua, TAPOL and Aliansi Demokrasi untuk Papua (ALDP) and West Papua Netzwerk. The Indonesian Provinces of Papua and West Papua remain to be the key region of human rights violations and conflicts.
I would like to draw the Council’s attention on the situation of Papuan political prisoners in Indonesia. Currently, I defend the cases of several Papuan political prisoners and one Polish national, Mr Jakób Skrzypski. Political prisoners on Papua have been on the rise. In 2019 alone, there are 85 Indigenous Papuans, and one Indonesian activist have been accused with the draconian treason articles 106 and 110 from the penal code, regularly used by the Indonesian authorities against critical voice from Papua.
The patterns of human rights violations strongly differ from other regions in the Indonesian archipelago due to the unresolved political conflict, racism and serious development deficits. Report of the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) shows that the human rights situation over the past years was characterized by stagnant, re-occurring patterns of violations - an indication of the government’s lack of affirmative action in respecting, protecting and ensuring human rights.[1] We are very concerned that the latest finding of Indonesian National Commission for Human Rights (KOMNAS HAM) on the 2014 Paniai case has not been considered by the office of the Attorney General.
The access of international community to West Papua is still very limited. In 2018, President Jokowi has promised High Commissioner to allow the visit of the OHCHR staff to West Papua. It is still pending. As a member of the Council, Indonesia should show its commitment to cooperate with the Council, by allowing this visit.
Thank you.
[1] The latest report on the human rights situation in Papua has been documented and published by the International Coalition for Papua, see https://www.humanrightspapua.org/hrreport/2020. Hard copy is available upon request.