Pigai asks perpetrators of shooting of dozens of residents in Central Papua to surrender

JAKARTA - Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai asked the perpetrators of the shooting of 15 residents and injuring seven others during a shootout in Kembruk Village, Sinak District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua on Tuesday (14/4), to confess to the public and surrender to law enforcement.

"The incident happened during the day, the perpetrator already knew. That can't be disputed. The perpetrators know the people, those who are victims know, those who are in the community know where the location is. Yes, now please, don't hide, it must be opened," said Pigai as reported by ANTARA, Monday, April 20.

According to Pigai, the perpetrator owes a sense of responsibility to the public because the victims of the incident were civilians.

The incident also made the conditions at Kembruk not conducive because the community would always feel threatened by certain parties.

If all parties involved do not want to admit and refuse to follow the applicable legal process, Pigai believes that this case will be a "black stain" in the long journey of human rights cases in Indonesia.

"With this statement, do you want to open it or not? Who feels guilty, do you want to open it or not? In the near future, the investigation or monitoring of civil society, Non Government Organization (NGO), religious figures, maybe also Komnas HAM will open (the identity of the perpetrators of the shooting)," said Pigai.

Although he believes that various parties, including Komnas HAM, already know who the perpetrator is, he still wants this case to be handled by the Ministry of Human Rights.

According to him, if Komnas HAM or other NGOs are involved in this case, it will create a bad impression and a bad record for the government.

Meanwhile, he continued, what is needed at this time is an independent, fair and transparent handling of cases.

Therefore, Pigai stated that the Ministry of Human Rights would take over the case so that the settlement would be carried out directly by the government.

"It's better for the Ministry of Human Rights to precede the check of the fact data of that information, much better," he said.

He continued, several efforts that will be carried out by the Ministry of Human Rights are to go down directly to trace the causes and effects of this case as well as encourage those who feel involved to admit their actions.

With these efforts, Pigai hopes that the case of the shooting of civilians in Kembruk can be quickly revealed and the perpetrators will be dealt with fairly in the eyes of the law.

Previously, as many as 22 civilians were victims of gunfire in the middle of the exchange of fire between the police and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TNPPB), Tuesday (14/4).

According to data held by the Ministry of Human Rights, the 22 residents consisted of 15 people who were declared dead and seven people were injured.

Still based on data from the Ministry of Human Rights, the seven people who were injured consisted of three children and four adults. All victims have so far received intensive treatment at the hospital.

Until now, the Ministry of Human Rights is still finding out about children who were victims of the incident.