Jayapura, Jubi – Civil Liberty Defenders (CLD), a joint Indonesian human rights lawyer based in Jakarta, will report Papua Police Chief to the Ombudsman of Indonesia for conducting maladministration on the issue of the Police Chief ‘Maklumat’ (Notice) on July 1, 2016.
Such notice is considered contrary to some legislations and freedom of expression, as well as discriminatory and deepening stigma on Papuans.
Uchok Shigit Prayogy, one of the young lawyers of CLD who became one of the reporters on Thursday (June 15) said their report is primarily intended to hold legal and administrative accountability related to the release of the Police Chief’s Maklumat of 1 July 2016.
“We ask for accountability because the edict clearly violates the freedom of Papuan people to express opinion publicly,” Uchok said.
Administratively, the CLD states that Police Chief of Maklumat’s address to the non-internal police department has been contrary to notification of the Maklumat which should be addressed only to internal police purpose.
“In principle, if referred to National Police Chief Regulation number 15 of 2007, it might legitimate, but keep in mind that it is only a notification and (should) only apply to the (internal) area of the police that issued it,” said Uchok Sigit.
Hence, he continued, the Notice has violated two provisions, which are issued to create a stigma against 7 Papuan organizations, while it also addressed to the public and all government officials, “this clearly violates the basis of the Notice,” he stressed.
While several police offices in Papua put banners of announcements claiming that the Papua Police Chief Notice is not intended to silence the space of democracy, the CLD lawyer accuses the opposite.
“It is just an effort to silence the voice of Papuan people because this Maklumat was born amidst massive peaceful actions by the people of Papua in responding to human rights violations,” said Uchok.
Through this report to Ombudsman CLD is going to encourage the public institution to process the report and ask for clarification from the Papua Police Chief what lies behind the drafting of such discriminatory Notice.
“From this reporting, then a recommendation will be made and that will be used as a reference for the improvement of Police services as a non-discriminatory public servant to the Papuan community, as well as organizations in Papua, especially in conveying opinions in public,” Uchok said.
Since its inception, the issue of the Papua Police Chief Maklumat on July 1, 2016 has harvested legal refutation by some human rights lawyers in Papua, such as Gustaf Kawer, Anum Siregar and Simon Pattiradjawane. In line with the CLD, in essence they considered the Notice is only part of the effort to silence freedom of expression.
“As a public lawyer we consider regional Police Chief has overwhelmed its authority when issuing the Notice. So we ask for this to be revoked and should not apply, “said Simon Pattiradjawane at that time.
The recent Papua Police Chief, Boy Rafli Amar when contacted by the editor related to CLD’s complaint to Ombudsman RI seems reluctant to give response, either by short message or by telephone.
While the Ombudsman RI can only process the CLD report after 14 working days since CLD letter of summons and clarification to Kapolda Papua delivered on June 5, 2017 ago.
As was known, on July 1, 2016, the then Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw issued a Maklumat (Notice) No 245 / VII / 2016 amid massive peaceful protest actions mediated by West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in support of United Liberation for West Papua (ULMWP ) to be a full member of MSG.(*)
