Jakarta – Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman has released data on 57 political prisoners and 243 Papuan who have been killed allegedly as a result of military operations since 2018.
She claims that her team gave the data to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when he was in Canberra, Australia, on Monday February 10. Koman posted that data through her Twitter account @VeronicaKoman.
Based on the data from Koman, there are 57 Papuans who are political prisoners in various parts of the country who are being detained awaiting trial. There are six in Jakarta, four in Manokwari, one in Jayapura, seven in Balikpapan, one in Timika, 23 in Fakfak and 15 in Sorong.
The trials of the Papuan activists detained in Jakarta have already begun. They are Surya Anta, Ambrosius Mulait, Isay Wenda, Charles Kossay, Dano Tabuni and Arina Elopere.
They are charged with committing makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and criminal conspiracy for holding a protest action in which the Morning Star independence flag was flown in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on August 28, 2019.
In the first indictment, the six activists are charged with violating Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1 (1) of the KUHP or makar.
In the second indictment they are charged under Article 110 Paragraph 1 of the KUHP on criminal conspiracy.
Meanwhile according to the data belonging to Koman, 243 Papuans have died between December 4, 2018 and February 2, 2020. They died allegedly as a result of military and police operations, illness and starvation while seeking refuge.
Out of the 243 dead, 110 were children, 38 were women and 95 were men. Quite a few of the children that died were under the age of five.
For example, one of the victims named Aliat Gwijangge was four years old, Risma Lokbere was three months old, Raina Nirigi was one year old and Eferince Likbere was two years old.
“Our team in Canberra succeeded in handing the documents directly to President Jokowi”, said Koman in Sydney, Australia, on Monday.
Koman hopes that the Indonesian government will halt the military operations in Papua and that Widodo will release the Papuan political prisoners.
Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD said that the documents given to Widodo are being held by his aide. Widodo did not read the documents when they were given to him in Canberra.
“They’re being kept by the president but weren’t read there and then. People right, were jostling with each other to hand over folders of documents, some handed over photographs with the president. There were others who wanted to shake hands. It’s usually like that, letters and documents weren’t opened there and then, they were handed over to [Widodo’s] aide. He kept them, right. The aide has them”, he said in Jakarta on Thursday February 13. (bmw)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Data Tapol Papua yang Diklaim Sudah Diserahkan ke Jokowi”.]
