Hans Makabori, Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) held a peaceful demonstration commemorating International Human Rights Day at the Abepura traffic circle in Jayapura city, Papua, on Wednesday December 10.
Action field coordinator (Korlap) Arius Siep said that the action was a momentum to articulate various issues of human rights violations that have occurred in Papua over the last 64 years since Papua joined the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
"This momentum also reminds the Papuan people that the position of this nation [West Papua] within the framework of the NKRI is not safe, various incidents have brought human rights issues to Papuans", Siep told Jubi on the sidelines of the action.
According to Siep, the demonstration, which was held in the area of the Abepura Education Monument intersection starting at 9.30 Papuan time, highlighted human rights cases in the land of Papua for the knowledge of the general public.
"For our action we prepared various banners and posters containing our criticism of the state, there were also demands for resolving cases of violence which up until now we believe have not yet ended", he said.
Meanwhile, one of the deputy field coordinators (Wakorlap), Heru Balingga, said that the commemoration of International Human Rights Day was a momentum to remind Papuans about the suffering of the Papuan people.
"For humanity, especially for us in Papua who always live with suffering and oppression. This action is our way of speaking out", said Balingga in a speech.
Balingga explained that the various violent tragedies in Papua over the decades still leaves deep wounds and has not yet been fully resolved.
He said that to this day the state has not been able to resolve a single major case in Papua, including the cases of Bloody Abepura, Bloody Wamena, Bloody Biak, Bloody Paniai, Bloody Nduga, Bloody Yahukimo, Bloody Intan Jaya and many others.
"This has opened opportunities for Papuans to demand their right to self-determination in a democratic and dignified manner", he said.
Balingga emphasised that the state will must immediately open free access to independent institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the humanitarian sector, as well as national and international media to monitor the human rights situation in Papua objectively.
"The government must build a dignified and equal dialogue mechanism involving traditional leaders, church leaders, representatives of the Papuan people and civil society organisations as a way to peacefully resolve the long conflict in Papua", he said.
Balingga said that the solution to human rights violations in Papua is not just providing prosperity, but what the Papuan people need is to save the people and natural environment of Papua.
"We can achieve prosperity if we have the sovereignty for us to determine our future through a referendum", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringatan Hari HAM 2025: KNPB Angkat Luka HAM Di Papua Selama 64 Tahun".]
