Rights abuses 'fed' separatism in Irian Jaya

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): State Minister of Human Rights Hasballah M. Saad says unsolved human rights abuse cases in some areas of the country could incite separatist movements.

Speaking here on Wednesday upon departure for Jakarta following a two-day visit collecting firsthand information on past rights violations, Hasballah said people would suspect the government of masterminding human rights abuses if it failed to quickly and fairly settle them.

"That would in turn provoke the people to query what maintaining the unity of the republic is for, if human rights are not respected. This circumstance could encourage people to fight for an independent state," he said.

"Therefore, the protection and promotion of human rights in the Republic of Indonesia is a must if justice is to prevail."

The Aceh-born minister, who arrived here on Wednesday, met with government officials, religious and tribal leaders and non- governmental organization activists.

"Rights violations are sources of both vertical and horizontal riots in the country," he said.

Violence in Irian Jaya and Aceh has been primarily between civilians and security personnel, while in Ambon and Sambas in West Kalimantan the conflicts have been among civilians.

"It is imperative that human rights be protected and promoted to stop such deadly violence," Hasballah said.

He said his office would join hands with NGOs, universities and religious institutions to cultivate human rights, while cooperation with law-enforcers would be enhanced to uphold human rights.

He said his office planned to set up a Center for Human Rights Studies and Advocacy at 10 universities in provinces where rights abuses are still rampant. Among the universities are those in Aceh, Maluku, Irian Jaya, East Java and Nusa Tenggara.

Detailed talks with the national education minister would be held soon, he said.

Reports

Rev. Herman Awom, deputy chairman of the Evangelical Christian Church (GKI), told the minister that rights abuses in West Papua, as locals call Irian Jaya, dated back to 1961 when former president Sukarno launched the popular Three Peoples Commands (Trikora) campaign aimed at seizing the territory from the Dutch colonial powers.

According to Awom, the Papuans were not involved in the discussions prior to and during the drafting of the United Nations-sponsored New York Agreement which endorsed a plebiscite on the future of West Papua in 1969.

Rights abuses reached a peak during the so-called Military Operation Region (DOM). "Many Papuans were intimidated, tortured and killed. Many women were raped by security personnel," Awom said.

"If you want the evidence, we are ready to show you the mass graves," he said.

Nataniel Kaiway, the speaker of the provincial legislature, explained details to Hasballah of the Biak tragedy in 1998, the killings in Mapmnduma in 1996 and a manslaughter in Manokwari last September.

Many Irianese figures have demanded the government take legal action against those involved in rights violations. They have said they have lost trust in the Indonesian government, whom they accuse of lacking the desire to fulfill their demand.

Brig. Gen. Idris Gassing, the Trikora Military Command chief of staff, also met with the minister. He denied the reported rights abuses, saying the security personnel had to use force to defend themselves. (eba)