Winda Nelfira, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia hopes that Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia on September 3-7 can be used as a momentum to urge the Indonesian government to resolve past gross human rights violations.
It is also hoped that the government will immediately stop human rights violations resulting from current development policies that are not socially and environmentally friendly, such as in Papua and Rempang Island.
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said that the message of peace, love and dialogue that Pope Francis always conveys is considered relevant in facing divisions and intolerance.
"This visit is very important to reaffirm the obligations of every nation regarding the values of human dignity and social justice", said Hamid in a written statement received on Tuesday September 3.
Hamid said that Pope Francis is scheduled to meet President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and other important officials during the visit. This event, said Hamid, is an opportunity to urge the Indonesian government to resolve cases of human rights violations.
"Including resolving past gross human rights violations and protecting social groups, including indigenous communities, from erroneous economic policies", Hamid said.
Furthermore, Hamid believes that Pope Francis' visit is also an important platform to advocate an end to the repressive policies carried out by the government when facing protests and demonstrations.
Hamid is convinced that Pope Francis could call for peace in Papua and prevent discriminatory practices against religious minority groups in Indonesia, both in cases that have occurred in the past and in the present.
"The assassination of human rights activist Munir [Said Talib], when it is now exactly 20 years since his death, also needs attention", said Hamid.
Moreover, continued Hamid, Indonesia is currently active again as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. However, it has not implemented a number of important UN recommendations related to the resolution of past and current gross human rights violations.
List of unresolved rights violations
Usman explained in detail that Amnesty International Indonesia has recorded a series of unresolved cases of gross human rights violations in Indonesia, including the mass killings in 1965-66, the Tanjung Priok massacre in 1984, the Lampung massacre in 1989 and the 27 July, 1996 attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.
Then, the abduction and forced disappearance of pro-democracy activists in 1997-98, the Trisakti, Semanggi I and Semanggi II student shootings in 1997-98, the May 1998 riots in Jakarta, the Munir case, and extrajudicial killings that have occurred in Papua.
Amnesty also noted that from January 2021 to July 2024, there were 123 cases of intolerance, including rejection, closure, destruction and physical attacks on places of worship.
The perpetrators are alleged to come from various backgrounds, including state officials, local residents, the government and social organisations.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Amnesty International: Kunjungan Paus Fransiskus Momentum Desak Indonesia Selesaikan Pelanggaran HAM".]
