V

iolence returned to Papua as 12 people were shot dead on Feb. 21, eight of them soldiers. The government claims to suspect the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was behind the attacks.

The shooting shocked us because so many lives were taken, but also because it occurred when the government is pushing for peaceful dialogue and development in the easternmost province.

During the past year, there have been 14 shootings in Papua, and 22 people have been killed. The victims have been civilians, police officers and military personnel. In every case the police and military have failed to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Some of the alleged perpetrators were shot dead, preventing the police from unearthing the motive behind these attacks. According to the government, the latest attack was a dispute over a local election.

The repeated violence constitutes a violation of civil rights, namely the right to life of the victims. It also infringes of the economic, social and cultural rights of Papuans. Their right to development has been curtailed by the conflict and by the absence of security.

The systemic violence in Papua has many origins.

The first is the long-standing controversy over Papua’s integration into Indonesia through the Act of Free Choice in 1969, which most neutral authorities agree was the subject to rampant manipulation. There were reports of violence prior to the vote, but many have also claimed that the actual ballot itself was conducted in a fair and democratic manner.

The government has always underlined that Papua’s integration is final and there can be no compromise on it. Authorities are open to dialogue with the relevant actors in Papua, as long as it is not about the issue of independence.

The second cause of these violent events is unjust and uneven development in Papua. The government granted Papua special autonomy in 2001 and set up the special autonomy fund to improve the welfare of Papuans and empower their culture.

However, the special autonomy scheme has failed to bring prosperity to Papua because the fund was allegedly stolen by the local elites but Jakarta let it happen.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s establishing of the Unit to Accelerate the Development of Papua and West Papua (UP4B) through Presidential Regulation No. 66/2011 is meant to improve development based on the Papuan’s needs and desires, but it is unlikely to do much for the development and prosperity of Papuans.

Undoubtedly, Papuans need and want peace and just development, but government approaches to Papua emphasize security rather than participatory development based on human rights.

Third, the problem in Papua is not only about development, it is also about the past. Past human rights violations remain unresolved and violations continue. According to the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the root of the problems in Papua are marginalization and discrimination against indigenous people, human rights violations, failing development and integration of unfinished history.

Human rights principles demand that the state respect, protect and fulfill these rights. Human rights as the central issue in Papua’s development must come from the political will of the state.

The state must admit that rights violations are among the causes of the violence. Real steps must be taken to address and redress past abuses to build the Papuan people’s trust.

The state cannot hide from the fact that it remains unable to uphold justice to Papua. Human rights violations occur repeatedly due to the absence of accountability. The state must abandon reactionary, partial and short-term policies, and shift to comprehensive and concrete policies that uphold the basic rights of Papuans.

The human rights approach, implemented through dialogue and involving people from all segments of society is the best way to address the problems of Papua. The operational framework must meet the principles of participation, empowerment and non-discrimination. The involvement of a wide range of people will minimize the bias toward elite groups.

Participation from the level of individuals within family and tribal groups must be built to provide all citizens the opportunity to participate in decision making. Non-discrimination principles must be upheld by providing equal opportunities for Papuans to stand equal before the law and development.

The Papuan society should be fully involved in development, without discrimination, to encourage and build the capacity of Papuans.

Human rights violations that occurred must be addressed proportionally, fairly and in a transparent manner. A system of preventing human rights violations must be established to prevent further infringements.

At the same time, the government must take tough measures against, prosecute and bring to justice armed groups who cause social and political disturbance and who have killed so many people. Improvement to defense and security in remote areas is also pressing to protect the military and police from sudden, deadly attacks.

The writer is an investigator at the National Commission on Human Rights. The views expressed
are personal.