An evaluation of these five did not reveal anything untoward so far, but we will keep monitoring."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - So far, there have been no signs of negative impacts of the amnesty granted by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to five political inmates in Papua, Commander of the Indonesian Military General TNI Moeldoko said.

He stated here on Tuesday that the military and government had been evaluating the situation in Papua since the five Papuans were given amnesty on May 9 and had found no indications of negative impacts.

The five Papuan political inmates who were granted amnesty by President Jokowi are Apotnalogolik Lokobal (20 years imprisonment), Numbungga Telenggen (life imprisonment), Kimanus Wenda (19 years imprisonment), Linus Hiluka (19 years imprisonment), and Jefrai Murib (life imprisonment).

"An evaluation of these five did not reveal anything untoward so far, but we will keep monitoring," he affirmed.

Furthermore, the House of Representatives questioned the government about the subject and its plan to grant other political inmates in Papua amnesty.

In Indonesia, even though granting amnesty is the prerogative of the president, he should seek an opinion from the House of Representatives.

Granting amnesty to all political inmates is one of President Jokowis primary policies for Papua. At present, there are 31 political inmates behind bars in the province.

Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno had said that the government aimed to approach Papua through development and to clear the stigmas of being known as a "dangerous zone" and "conflict area."

According to Kontras, a political NGO in Indonesia, the most successful amnesty-grant implementation was during former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos term when he granted it to political inmates of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), as a point of the memorandum of understanding on Helsinki Peace, on August 15, 2005.

The claim is based on ensuring sustainable security and stability in Aceh through the new economic autonomy policy.
(Uu.A060/INE/KR-BSR/S012)

Reporter: Azi Fitriyanti
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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