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Papuan NGOs establish complaint center for victims of riots
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People watch a building burn during a riot in Jayapura in Papua on Aug. 29. (Antara/Indrayadi TH)
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everal NGOs affiliated with the Papuan Civil Coalition (KMSP) have officially established a complaint center for victims of violence and human rights violations following the riots that broke out across Papua after the racist abuse of Papuan students living in Surabaya, East Java.
The complaint center – located on Jl. Raya Sentani, Jayapura, Papua – is designed as a response to the alleged intimidation of members of the public seeking information regarding their relatives who were involved in the riots.
“We call on the families of the victims to [file a report] should they have any relative who remains missing, injured, or wrongfully arrested amid the chaos,” said Baguma Yarinap, the head of Papua-based NGO United for the Truth (BUK) on Monday.
He said he intended the newly established complaint center to provide a balance to the information issued by the government regarding the victims of violence in Papua. Misinformation had run rampant especially after the government decided to completely cut off internet access in the region, he added.
Baguma bemoaned the fact that the authorities had issued official reports explaining in detail the damage and material losses caused by the riots erupting in several cities since Aug. 19, but stopped short of releasing any information regarding victims of violence and human rights abuses. He said the KMSP had only received such information from civilians who witnessed the violence taking place in Jayapura.
“The public has the right to know what really happened in Papua over the last three weeks. The government’s monopoly over the flow of information is a disproportionate response [to the incidents] and therefore violates the very principles of justice, including the people’s right to information,” Baguma added.
The government has argued that the internet blackout was necessary to restore stability and peace in the region by reducing the volume of hoax news circulating on social media. The government also claimed that the internet blackout had served it well in establishing peace and calm in West Papua and Papua provinces.
