Jayapura – The Papuan people and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in the Meepago area have welcomed the acquittal of Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti who were found not guilty by the East Jakarta District Court on Monday January 8.
Azhar and Maulidiyanti are human rights activists who were found not guilty in a case of defamation brought against them by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs (Menko Marves) and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
The case began when Azhar and Maulidiyanti appeared in a YouTube podcast titled There is Lord Luhut behind the Economic Relations-Military Operations in Intan Jaya!! There are also State Intelligence Agency Generals!! NgeHAMtam.
"Myself along with the Papuan people in Meepago and Dogiaya, we welcome the news of the release of Haris and Fatia by the [East] Jakarta District Court which today decided to free them. We welcome this and we say this is a victory for the Papuan people, that what Haris and Fatia fought for in the conflict in Papua was something that was true".
"Therefore this truth will continue to win anywhere and the people are together with Haris and Fatia", said KNPB international spokesperson Victor Yeimo on Monday in South Kamu, Dogiya regency, Central Papua province.
"We convey to the government of the Republic of Indonesia, especially to Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (Menko Marves), stop the military businesses in Papua, especially in the Wabu Block. We convey that the people of Meepago, the people of Intan Jaya, Dogiaya and Deiyai firmly reject the Wabu Block project being developed in Papua, especially in Intan Jaya".
Yeimo said that the Papuan people have suffered since the gold-and-copper mine PT Freeport was established in Papua.
"We, the people of Papua, have experienced suffering along with the presence of PT Freeport. Don't let there be any more companies in the Wabu Block with military businesses that conduct massive exploitation of Meepago land".
"We, the people of Meepago, firmly reject military projects, projects of the oligarchic elite from Jakarta. We [stand] together with Haris and Fatia. The truth will always win out!", Yeimo concluded.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Vonis Bebas Haris dan Fatia Disambut Rakyat Meepago dan KNPB, Victor: Hentikan Bisnis Militer di Papua".]
