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Calls mount for govt to investigate racial abuse against Papuans
The government has yet to announce a plan to investigate acts of racial abuse against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, with President Jokowi calling on Indonesians to forgive each other.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo speaks to journalists at the State Palace to comment on the latest developments in Papua and West Papua on Aug. 19. (Courtesy of Presidential Secretariat/Kris)
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s the country reels from a series of riots that erupted in Papua and several other regions, activists and nongovernmental organizations are calling for an immediate investigation into the racially charged conflict between Papuan university students and local mass organizations in Surabaya, East Java, that sparked the unrest.
Aloysius Renwarin, a human rights lawyer in Jayapura, Papua, urged the government to promptly resolve the conflict in Surabaya to help diffuse the situation in Papua.
“The Surabaya conflict served as a catalyst for the riots in Papua. If the conflict remains unresolved, a scorching ball of rage will keep rolling in Papua,” he said.
He went on to say that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s call for mutual forgiveness among those embroiled in the conflict was disappointing.
“Papuans shouldn’t be obligated to apologize to anyone; we’re the ones being accused,” Aloysius said.
Jakarta-based Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) executive director Anggara echoed the sentiment, saying it was imperative the government hold legally accountable those found guilty of committing racially charged verbal and physical abuse against Papuan students in Surabaya.
He said in a statement that racial discrimination was in violation of Law No. 40/2004 on the eradication of racial and ethnic discrimination.
