A

s the government accelerated development in Papua, violence increased in the region last year, risking a trust building process campaigned by the Joko “Jokowi” Widodo administration.

The Setara Institute recorded that the number of human rights abuse cases had increased to 68 cases from 16.

The institute’s deputy chairman, Bonar Tigor Naipospos, said he was pessimistic about the government settling human rights cases in Papua and West Papua.

“Jokowi shows an ambiguity in his policies about Papua,” Bonar said.

He cited as an example that while Jokowi released six political prisoners in Papua, he also planned to add more military personnel and military bases in Papua.

This contradicts Jokowi’s oath to promote peace on the island. There are also cases of the government alleging stifling freedom of expression with the arrests of several Papuan students who have also been charged with treason for raising the raising the Morning Star flag in Manado, North Sulawesi.

After winning 70 percent of the vote in the easternmost region, Jokowi has shown that Papua is among his priorities.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician launched recently the one-price fuel policy to boost development in the region.

The government has also established a task force under the supervision of the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister to identify rights abuses connected to all incidents of violence in Papua, but questions linger over the fate of the team’s assessment.

Following the deadline of its term on Oct. 25, the team has yet to announce its findings.

“The dragging on of investigations into human rights violation cases will have massive negative impacts on the government,” said Neles Tebay, coordinator of Papua Peace Network.

Neles said such cases had especially affected the younger generation in Papua.

Neles added that it was hard to feel proud to be Indonesian, if, the indigenous younger generation felt scared and threatened by the military there. “It is impossible to find solutions to human rights violations when it’s only one-sided,” he said.

Neles advised the government to meet and discuss solutions with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua to find the best solutions to this matter. (hol)