Komnas HAM Confirms Death Of Humanitarian Volunteer Michelle Kurisi Accused Of Intel By KKB Entering Human Rights Violations

Head of representatives of Komnas HAM Papua Frits Ramandey (first from the right) with biological mother Michelle Korisi Ndoga (center) and family at the Komnas HAM Office in Papua in Jayapura, Thursday 7 September. (ANTARA/Yudhi Efendi)

PAPUA - Papua's representative National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) confirmed that the death of Michelle Kurisi Ndoga, a humanitarian volunteer killed by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) was categorized as a human rights violation.

The Head of the Papua National Human Rights Commission, Frits Ramandey, explained that only two were known in the humanitarian element, namely human rights violations and gross human rights violations.

"Of course these two elements have their own mechanism to ensure that the elements are fulfilled or not (the case of Michelle Kurisi Ndoga)," he said in Jayapura, Papua, Thursday, September 7, was confiscated by Antara.

According to Frits, based on Law (UU) Number 39 of 1999 the definition of human rights violations is the act of a person, a group of people including state officials, so that in this case Komnas HAM has not been able to conclude that it is categorized as a human rights violation or a gross human rights violation.

"But I want to emphasize (in this case) that someone died in an unnatural way due to violence, that includes human rights violations, but whether this is a gross human rights violation, of course we can't come to any conclusion," he said.

Frits revealed that although there was already a confession that the perpetrator of the murder of Michelle Kurisi Ndoga was a member of the KKB, the confession must be followed by evidence.

"Komnas HAM has a mandate based on the law as an investigator so we cannot hold someone's words without any evidence even though someone has died," he said.

He added that there was two pieces of murder, namely the victim and an autopsy process had been carried out, even though there was already an acknowledgment from the person who was said to have committed the murder.

"We need deeper evidence because the test must have evidence and witnesses so that this must be the responsibility of the police and Komnas HAM to prove that," he said.

Meanwhile, Michelle Korisi Ndoga's biological mother, Elisabeth Mandosir, hopes that Komnas HAM Papua Representative can oversee and help so that this case can really be revealed fairly.

"My family and I just want to know who the perpetrator really killed our child and then we leave it to Komnas HAM and the police to be resolved according to existing regulations," said Elisabeth accompanied by her family Leo Howey when giving a press statement at the Komnas HAM Office for Papua Representatives, Thursday.

Papuan activist Michelle Kurisi Ndoga who was killed by KKB was found in Kolowa Village, Lanny Jaya Regency, Papua Mountains by a joint TNI/Polri team, Thursday, August 30, 2023.

The discovery was after a video circulated of KKB members shooting at Michelle Kurisi Ndoga until she died.

"The video has been circulating since Tuesday (August 29) afternoon," said Deputy Chief of the Papua Regional Police (Wakapolda) Brigadier General of Police Ramdani Hidayat in Jayapura, Thursday, August 31, as reported by Antara.