Indonesian human rights minister hints at Papuan genocide

Despite the violence perpetrated in its Papuan provinces, Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world with a Ministry of Human Rights.

Adding to the irony, Indonesia's current president, Prabowo Subianto, a strong suspect in human rights violations under the Soeharto dictatorship (1967-1998), appointed Natalius Pigai, a Papuan catholic, as his Minister of Human Rights.

Many think that Pigai is Prabowo's puppet. However, so far he appears to be a consistent human rights activist, daring to state the truth as it is. “Integrity is a matter of action". In a tweet on January 27, Pigai revealed three actions that violated international human rights law:

1. The removal of people from their ancestral lands, either partially or completely, to sever ties with their homeland, ancestors, culture, and the order and values that have been upheld for thousands of years.
2. The crime of genocide, namely any act committed with the intention of destroying or exterminating all or part of a national, race, ethnic, or religious group.
3. Forcible expulsion or transfer of population by means of expulsion or other coercive actions from the area where they legally reside, without any reason permitted by international law.

Indirectly, Pigai recognizes that what Jakarta is doing in Papua is an illegal act smacking of genocide. As a minister defending human rights and the social teachings of the Church, Pigai could take further steps to end the long-standing conflict over his ancestral land. Peaceful dialogue between Jakarta and Papua is an urgency.

As a note:

West Papua or Papua for short is a former Dutch colony that declared independence on December 1, 1961. However, Indonesia annexed the region a few years later through a sham referendum known as the “Act of Free Choice” or Pepera. An estimated 500,000 Papuans were killed during the six decades of Indonesia occupation. In recent months many Papuans, especially those living in the mountains, have been tortured, shot and killed, while thousands have been forced to flee their homes due to increased Indonesian military operations.

Writien by Wim Anemeke, Papuan catholic.