The office of National Human Rights Commission in Jakarta – Supplied
Jayapura, Jubi – Sounds of gunfire on a Tuesday morning last year will not be forgotten by Paniai residents. Bullets flew and and killed four high school students at Karel Gobai Ground, Enarotali. At least 17 people were injured.
Speculations were raised following the incident. Some thought the perpetrators were the Military/Police personnel, while the Military/Police authorities said the perpetrators were the rebels in the area who attempted to provoke a riot. But until now neither speculation has been proven, although the investigation teams of the Indonesian Military/Police Headquarters, the National Human Right Commission and other team from Papua Legislative Council have come to Paniai.
Now, people in Papua insisted Jokowi to fulfill his promise to solve this case. Papua legislator Laurenzus Kadepa stated the president only said empty promise that until now the case has not yet been resolved.
“Jokowi’s statement and promise to resolve the human right violation in Papua, in particular Pania, is only a promise. It’s not proven because the Paniai case has not been settled,” Kadepa told on Monday (7/12/2015).
He also considered the National Human Rights Commission has been failed to conduct its duty. According to him, the Papua Police Chief previously stated the Paniai case is the jurisdiction of the National Human Rights Commission, but it failed to do its job.
“I am not sure the National Human Rights Commission will stand and solve the case. A discourse on the establishment of investigation team on human right violations by the commission was impressed as an attempt to divert the Paniai case.”
Other legislator Decky Nawipa said until now Jokowi has not fulfilled his promise to reveal the human right violation cases in Papua, including Paniai case, while the Paniai residents gave 100 percent of vote for Jokowi in the presidential election.
“Approaching 2016, Paniai people expected the Paniai case resolution could become a Christmas and New Year’s gift. When could Jokowi reveal that case?” said Nawipa.
He further said the Paniai Regional Government could not only depend to the Central Government, but it should take its own step to push the case settlement. “The local government should invite all local figures and discuss this problem with them to determine further step,” he said.
He urged the president, the Paniai Regional Government, Papua Police Chief and Regional Military Command to pay attention to this case. Furthermore, the Papua Police Chief is Papua native. “As Paniai native, I ask this case to be resolved. Now the Christmas atmosphere in Paniai is not the same. There’s no activity. People are still trauma. They demanded this case to be resolved,” he said. Furhter, he reminded the alteration of Police Chief could not be a reason to stop or divert the case.
Separately, the Paniai Regional Customary Council Chief, John R. Gobay said the case was a State’s lie towards the people. The Military/Police team has conducted investigation to Paniai. They must have sketch, but they made it unclear. If the Military or Police culprits were involved, it would remain uncovered. There is no transparency in the two institutions.
“On the other hand, the Police/Military also intervene the National Human Right Violation that reportedly has established an ad hoc team, but until now it remains unclear who the members are. When it was established, it should be a meeting but it’s not clear when it was occurred. There’s certainly an intervention,” Gobay told Jubi by phone.
He further said the National Human Right Commission also asked approval from the victims’ families to conduct autopsy to ensure whose bullets were. But he thought it was the Police/Military’s statement as they cover each other.
“It is clear the National Human Right Commission has been intervened by the Police/Military in the Paniai case. The result of investigation from the first day must have the finding. My question is why the police/military didn’t announce their findings,” he said.
According to him, if they wanted to work, the National Human Right Commission must have coordination with other parties who have already done the investigation. So, they can apply the findings to determine the suspects.
“But they have nothing. It’s because of the State’s intervention. The State must responsible. The President Jokowi stated he would solve the case thoroughly. But what is it? It’s because of the intervention of the Police/Military towards the Human Rights Commission. Their independence in this case should be questioned,” he said.
The human rights commissionaire Natalius Pigai when contacted by Jubi didn’t answer the phone as well as the short message. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
