While delivering the 2023 Komnas HAM Annual Report, Sigiro remarked that the issue is still a priority in 2024.
"The issue of human rights violations in Papua was a (matter of) concern for Komnas HAM in 2023, and this year, it still is," she remarked at the Komnas HAM office in Jakarta on Monday.
During the January-December 2023 period, Komnas HAM continued to monitor human rights violations in Papua, thereby leading to the uncovering of at least 114 cases of human rights violations.
Based on these findings, Komnas HAM recommended that the security approach in Papua be balanced with strengthening law enforcement, as a way to prevent recurring conflicts and violence.
Furthermore, Sigiro noted that her commission also recommended that the government strengthen the welfare and cultural approaches in dealing with human rights problems in Papua.
"Apart from that, (the commission also recommended) making the role of regional governments in all provinces in Papua more effective in pushing the fulfillment and protection of human rights," she remarked.
In particular, she affirmed that Komnas HAM pays attention to the human rights situation in Papua, as it is prone to conflict and violence, as well as social, economic, and environmental problems.
"Especially in 2023, Komnas HAM paid attention to the impact or relationship between business and corporate practices on the formation of new autonomous regions in Papua, as well as on development projects in other regions in Indonesia," she remarked.
Apart from human rights issues in Papua, other issues that were prioritized by Komnas HAM in 2023 are serious human rights violations, agrarian conflicts, and marginalized groups comprising people with disabilities, migrant workers, indigenous people, and domestic workers.
Furthermore, they include the issues of human rights activists' protection, freedom of religion and belief, business and human rights, anticipation for the 2024 General Elections, as well as monitoring the 2022-2024 National Human Rights Action Plan (RANHAM).
In the annual report, Komnas HAM recorded that it had received 2,753 complaints in 2023. Of the total, 2,422 were received by the commission's central office, while 331 other complaints were received in its representative offices in regions.
"From those complaints, we carried out monitoring on 625 instances, mediation in 248 cases, and (provided) 1,423 suggestions for other efforts," she remarked.
She further explained that out of the total complaints, 771 were targeted at the National Police (Polri), 412 were directed at corporations, and 301 were directed at regional governments.
"However, as an additional note, the cases related to Polri are also related to corporations. Thus, the big problem is in corporations, which is related to the business practices and their impacts on human rights," she explained.
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Translator: Fath Putra, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
