Human rights violations continue in Irian Jaya<\/p>\n
By Yohanis G. Bonay<\/p>\n
JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): The Universal Declaration of Human
\nRights which is now 50 years old is addressed to all nations to
\nremind them that power is needed only as long as it guarantees
\nthe safety of man.<\/p>\n
As a member of the UN, Indonesia is morally bound by the
\ndeclaration. Therefore, the Indonesian nation is also obliged to
\nrespect and endeavor to promote the implementation of basic human
\nrights on a universalist basis.<\/p>\n
Each person living in Indonesia must feel free to express him
\nor herself and be free from the oppression and extortion of all
\nforms of power.<\/p>\n
This freedom is each person's basic right while the exercise
\nof power is a basic obligation of the state which must guarantee
\nthe protection of its citizens' rights from all forms of
\nviolation either by other citizens or by state officials.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya, Indonesia's easternmost province, is the only one
\nwhose history of integration has been based on the spirit of the
\ndeclaration.<\/p>\n
The conflict between the Netherlands and Indonesia over New
\nGuinea's political status ended with the signing of the New York
\nagreement in 1962 in which both countries agreed to transfer
\nsovereignty over political status to the Irian Jaya people
\nthrough a plebiscite in accordance with international practice.<\/p>\n
Irian Jaya came under the United Nations Temporary Executive
\nAuthority (UNTEA). In order to realize the self-determination
\nprinciple, the Indonesian government and UNTEA as required in
\narticle XXI of the New York agreement would guarantee the rights
\nof the Irian Jaya people including the right of freedom of
\nexpression, freedom of movement, and the right to assemble and to
\nconvene.<\/p>\n
Here the spirit of the UN Universal Declaration of Human
\nRights is clearly recognized. It was based on this spirit that
\nthe process of self-determination brought the Irian Jaya people
\ninto the Republic of Indonesia over nearly 35 years ago.<\/p>\n
The experience of the Irian Jaya people in national life
\nduring these 35 years has led them to understand the meaning of
\nthe struggle to maintain human values in an independent state.
\nThis experience has taught them that there is a denial of the UN
\nUniversal Declaration of Human Rights. It is seen in the
\ngovernment's policies and their application before and after the
\nimplementation of the people's self-determination (Pepera).<\/p>\n
In that period the Irian people have seen injustice, cheating
\nand engineering at a high level. They also saw the principle of
\nOne Man One Vote replaced by a system in which there were 1,025
\npeople chosen by the Indonesian government. Human rights
\nviolations in Manokwari in 1965, in Paniai in 1969 and in Biak in
\n1970 left the Irian people powerless.<\/p>\n
This very powerlessness of the Irian people in the process
\ndisappointed Ortizanz the UN delegate in the UNTEA period in West
\nIrian when he said: \"I must state my disappointment at the
\nimplementation of article XXI (1962) on the right of freedom of
\nspeech, freedom of movement and freedom to deliberate. Although I
\ntried hard, these matters were not fully implemented. The system
\nof administration carried out at the time was one that was very
\nstrict on the population.\"<\/p>\n
After the integration of Irian Jaya into the Republic of
\nIndonesia, development policies were oriented toward economic
\ngrowth. In line with this the government used the security
\napproach to safeguard stability. The impact of the policy led to
\nhuman rights violations in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
In 1977 social upheavals broke out in Wamena, Agimuga and
\nTimika. Human rights violations reoccurred in Sarmi in 1986 and
\nthen in PT Freeport Indonesia's operational territory as reported
\nby the Jayapura diocese in 1995. Attendant human rights
\nviolations happened in Jila, Bela, Alama and Mapanduma as
\nreported by three churches in the Timika region.<\/p>\n
Apart from deaths, injuries to and disappearance of persons,
\nthere were violations of women. A woman from Irian Jaya's
\nnorthern coast said she and her fiancee were stripped naked and
\nforced at gunpoint to copulate in public. They were then
\nphotographed together while naked.<\/p>\n
In Jila a woman said she was raped while firearms were
\ndirected at her. Her brother reported the case to the station
\ncommander and was tortured until he fainted.<\/p>\n
In Timika in 1994 a woman and her friend were tortured and put
\nin a detention room full of human excrement for one month and two
\ndays.<\/p>\n
In the current reform era human rights conditions have yet to
\nimprove. This year Stepen Suripati, a student of Cendrawasih
\nState University, was gunned down in front of his campus and
\nKarolina Onim was shot in front of the STT campus. Another
\nshooting took place in Biak, resulting in heavy injuries and some
\ndeaths. Some bodies are still missing.<\/p>\n
The above cases describe the general situation in Irian Jaya
\nsince 1962.<\/p>\n
The spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which
\nwas behind the integration of Irian, and the development policies
\nhave not been able to place the Irian people on a par with other
\npeoples of Indonesia, because there is no mechanism built by the
\nstate to control the effectiveness of its implementation.<\/p>\n
For the purpose there must be continual efforts to promote
\nharmony. A condition must be created that appreciates and
\nrespects to a higher degree the essence of humanity for each
\nwithout regard to social status, race, religion or gender. This
\nappreciation is voiced not only in words but is realized through
\nconcerns expressed in concrete steps.<\/p>\n
The writer is executive director of the Foundation of the
\nInstitute for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy in Irian Jaya.<\/p>",
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