UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said Indonesian authorities should facilitate a complete investigation into a recent shooting incident, allegedly perpetrated jointly by police and military forces, which killed five civilians in Paniai regency, Papua.
“We are alarmed at the reported killing of five Papuan teenagers in the highlands region of Paniai in Papua, Indonesia,” Colville said in a release made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
“As we have been concerned about regular reports of violence in Papua in the last few years, we urge Indonesian authorities to facilitate an independent and thorough investigation into the incident,” he further said, adding that his office would continue to engage with the new Indonesian government on the issue.
The Papua shooting was one of the global issues highlighted during commemorations for Human Rights Day, which falls on Dec. 10 every year.
Colville said 2014 would be remembered as a year of daunting human-rights challenges.
“In places where only recently there has been progress in achieving human rights, there has now been retreat. Nonetheless, there have also been significant global advances in achieving our human rights, and many incremental improvements in many countries,” he said.
Apart from the Papua shooting incident, the commissioner’s office also highlighted the recent killing of two human-rights defenders working on land and natural resource issues in the south of Thailand.
“Land rights defenders in Thailand, particularly in the southern region, have long been exposed to intimidation, harassment and violence, and these latest cases indicate such attacks may be intensifying,” said Colville.
“The cases also underscore the need for the authorities to take urgent measures to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable human-rights defenders,” he went on.