Jakarta – The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) recorded 1,182 cases of violence in Papua committed either by the TNI (Indonesian military), Polri (Indonesian police) or the OPM/KKB (Free Papua Movement/Armed Criminal Groups) in 2020-2021. The majority of cases or 41.31 percent of the violence related to the work of the Indonesian police.
Komnas HAM Commissioner Choirul Anam says that they handled around 480 cases of violence against civilians in Papua over two years. The majority of these cases were reportedly related to the work of the Indonesian police.
"Based on case handling data in the monitoring and investigation division in 2020-2021, 480 cases or 41.31 percent out of a total of 1,182 cases which were handled related to the work of Polri members", said Anam during a virtual press conference on Monday January 17.
According to Komnas HAM's records, the forms of violence suffered by civilians in Papua included armed contacts, shootings, assault with a sharp weapon, fires and damage to goods and buildings.
Anam also said that the violence by members of the TNI and police along with the OPM and KKB were marked by the loss of life. "The total number of victims were 47 people, 24 of which died", said Anam.
Despite this, Anam said that nationally complaints by the public over the police's basic duties declined in 2021.
Over a period of two years complaints against the police conducting their basic duties included violence with a total of 71 cases, torture 45 cases, intimidation six cases, arbitrary arrest 35 cases, arbitrary detention 18 cases, slow handling of reports 162 cases, criminalisation 57 cases and deaths in custody 11 cases.
"The focus of the results of investigations and analysis of human rights violations related to state violence was on institutional acts and members of Polri, in particular the use of violence, torture and deaths in custody", said Anam.
The Commission is also asking the TNI and the police to improve their supervisory systems, in particular at criminal investigation units and in the treatment of detainees in order to ensure that acts of violence, torture and criminalisation are not repeated.
"Our recommendations are improvements to supervisory systems especially at criminal investigation units and in the treatment of detainees by installing CCTV systems, improving prison cell facilities as well as ensuring the enforcement of legal and criminal sanctions against Polri members who are proven guilty", he said. (mln/pmg)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Komnas HAM Catat 480 Kasus Kekerasan di Papua oleh TNI, Polri & KKB".]
