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Air Force apologizes after video of violence against Papuan goes viral
The video has triggered another debate about systematic racism against native Papuans and has been compared to the footage of the United States police brutality against George Floyd.
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Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo (Dispen AU/Dispen AU)
T
he Air Force scrambled on Wednesday to stem the fallout from a viral video showing the mistreatment of a deaf Papuan man by two of its members.
The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, has triggered another debate about systematic racism against native Papuans and has been compared to the footage of the United States police brutality against George Floyd, which sparked a wave of antiracism rallies around the globe last year.
“[The incident] happened solely because of the fault of our members, and there was no particular motive whatsoever, let alone an official order,” the Air Force chief of staff, Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, said in a video on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Executive Office of the President issued a rare statement condemning the incident, calling it “a form of excessive force and unlawful conduct”.
“The office is saddened, for an event like this casts the community in a negative light,” Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said, adding that he encouraged all parties to engage in a dialogue to prevent such an incident from recurring in Papua.
‘Racism against Papuans’
The incident reportedly occurred in Merauke regency when the deaf Papuan man, who has yet to be identified, got into an argument with a street food vendor.
