Stopping armed conflict that has claimed many lives in Papua is Komnas HAM's primary mission
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), here on Wednesday, reiterated its commitment to ending armed conflict in Papua and highlighted the numerous efforts it has made to achieve this end.

"Stopping armed conflict that has claimed many lives in Papua is Komnas HAM's primary mission," Komnas HAM head Ahmad Taufan Damanik said.

The commission has carried out numerous efforts to end the conflict in Papua, including through peaceful dialogue by meeting with various parties in the province from March 16 to 23, 2022.

It has also intensively monitored the situation in the region and urged law enforcement authorities to follow up on findings of human rights violations and other criminal acts by the military, police, and armed criminal groups.

Further, the commission has finished investigating the Wamena, Wasior, and Paniai cases involving gross human rights violations.

After the investigation results are submitted, in accordance with Law No. 26 of 2000 on Human Rights Court, the District Attorney is tasked with bringing cases before the human rights court for investigation and prosecution.

Komnas HAM has repeatedly met with President Joko Widodo, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, and the District Attorney to discuss concrete resolutions.

This has been done to ensure there is no impunity in cases of gross human rights violations, specifically in Papua.

This step is important to uphold justice for victims and their families and to ensure that such incidents do not happen again, whether in Papua or in other regions, Damanik said.

"This concrete step is also important to recover the trust of the Papuans toward the attitude of the Indonesian government," he remarked.

What the commission has done is part of early steps to resolving the conflict comprehensively and aiding the peace effort in Papua, he explained.

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At the early stage, Komnas HAM is striving to seek and hear the opinions of key figures, both within and outside the country, who include religious, cultural, and intellectual figures.

The main issue concerns the move to stop armed violence and conflict as well as conflict resolution issues that the commission wishes to convey to the Indonesian government, Damanik informed.

Next, the commission will tell the President to hold a meeting and negotiation between related parties and other key figures with a collectively agreed upon negotiation mechanism.

Komnas HAM said it believes that the conflict in Papua can be resolved soon through negotiation or peaceful talks between related parties.

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Translator: M Zulfikar, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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