Otto Nur Abdullah
Jayapura:
The co-ordinator and pro-independence human rights activist. Sebby
Sambom, in a statement published in Bintang Papua, called on the
chairman of Komnas HAM, the National Human Rights Commission, Oto Nur
Abdullah to resign
This
came in response to a statement by Nur Abdullah which, according to
Sebby Sambom, appeared to legitimise military operations in Papua.
'In
response to the comment by the chairman of the Komnas HAM, as published
in the mass media on 28 November with regard to military sweepings in
the district of Lanny Jaya , we pro-independence activists call on the
chairman of Komnas HAM to resign.'
Sambom
said that the statement appeared to legitimise the military operations
being waged by the Indonesian military, either directly or indirectly,
against the indigenous Papuan people in Pitriver and the highlands
region of central Papua.
According
to Sebby Sambom and his colleagues, the statement made by the Komnas
HAM chairman was dangerous and would be detrimental to the indigenous
people in Papua.
This
is why, he said, we make the following demand. 'The chairman of Komnas
HAM should clarify the statement he made that the events in Lanny Jaya
cannot be described as human rights violations.'
He said that the statement fails to take account of international humanitarian law.
He
went on to say that if the chairman of Komnas HAM fails to resign,
Komnas HAM should issue an official statement calling on TNI/Polri, the
Indonesian army and police, to end their military activities and
withdraw from the highlands in central Papua.
'It
is a great pity that the chairman of Komnas HAM fails to understand
that there are regulations regarding the waging of war and he fails to
appreciate that his statement could be used as a 'weapon' by the
security forces. We greatly regret this,' said Sambom
[Translated by TAPOL]