Komnas HAM urges humanitarian dialogue to end Papua conflict
Chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Anis Hidayah has urged all parties to prioritise humanitarian dialogue as a means of building trust and ending the armed conflict in Papua, following a series of incidents that claimed lives in Intan Jaya and Yahukimo. Anis stated that the dialogue must involve the government, religious leaders, indigenous communities, and civil society to create conditions conducive to the protection of human rights in Papua.
“Komnas HAM urges the state to take serious steps to stop all forms of armed conflict and firefights, in which civilians have consistently been the most vulnerable victims,” Anis said in Jakarta on Monday. She added that conflict resolution must be accompanied by professional, objective, and impartial law enforcement so that victims’ rights to justice and recovery can be fulfilled.
According to her, Komnas HAM requires the widest possible access to conduct investigations as part of the state’s accountability mechanism when civilians die in armed conflict. “Komnas HAM regrets and condemns the recurrence of the same incidents, and we urge the government to take serious measures, particularly law enforcement, to provide justice for victims and, of course, recovery for victims and their family members,” she said.
Previously, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra stated that the government is granting Komnas HAM access to investigate the incident that caused civilian casualties in Intan Jaya, Central Papua. This is part of efforts to ensure the law enforcement process proceeds objectively. Yusril said in Jakarta on Monday that the government will investigate the civilian deaths, including a pregnant woman and her baby who died as a result of the armed conflict in Papua.
He noted that in addition to the internal investigation conducted by the government and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), Komnas HAM is also welcome to conduct an independent investigation to provide recommendations to the government. Komnas HAM has gathered initial information regarding a firefight between security forces from the TNI’s Habema Operations Command and an armed group from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM) in Wandoga Village, Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, on Thursday evening (2/7).
In that incident, a woman named Melkiana Duwitau, who was seven to eight months pregnant, died along with her unborn child after being struck by a bullet while inside her home. Komnas HAM also noted that the escalation of violence in Papua in recent days has resulted in other casualties, including a pastor, a member of an armed group, a TNI soldier, and a foreign national pilot of a pioneer aircraft.
Furthermore, the institution received information regarding the burning of an aircraft belonging to Associated Mission Aviation (AMA) at Balinggama Pioneer Airport in Yahukimo Regency, which resulted in the death of the pilot, a United States citizen named Nicholas F. Goselin, while seven passengers were reported to have survived.