Indonesian Ambassador Ensures Separatist Action In Papua Is Known To Be An International Society

Ambassador Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard. (Abi/Infomed/Kemlu RI)

JAKARTA - Ambassador Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard said the actions of the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) or the Free Papua Organization (OPM) were known to the international community, highlighting the practice of double standards in the UN Human Rights Council.

Speaking at the "Debriefing Forum of the Head of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Multilateral Diploam: Efforts to Improve Indonesia's Leadership at the Global Level", Ambassador Febrian said the problems in the Human Rights Council were double standards.

"As soon as there is a conflict that results in the death of civilians, there are always various NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in Geneva who send letters, if there is a meeting of the Human Rights Council, always talk," he explained in a forum held by the Foreign Policy Strategy Agency (BSKLN), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta, Monday 13 October.

"However, when there were TNI colleagues who were victims, everyone was silent. It was double standard. That's the reality we face in Geneva every day," continued the Indonesian Permanent Envoy for the United Nations, WTO and International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland for the 2021-2025 period.

Ambassador Febrian further said that when he was the Chairman of the Working Group on the UN Human Rights Council Situation, he felt the pressure made by NGOs and a number of countries, especially non-Global South, regarding human rights issues that occurred in developing countries.

He further said that every time before the UN Human Rights Council session, which was held three times a year (March, June-July, September-October), he invited NGOs to have breakfast, while informing news of TNI victims.

"No one spoke," he said, answering questions regarding the spotlight of human rights violations by the TNI in Papua.

"As soon as there were victims, I sent my diplomatic notes to all representatives, including KT HAM (High Commissioner for Human Rights), that there was an attack on the TNI," he said.

The Deputy Minister of National Development Planning/Deputy Head of Bappenas explained that the issue must be raised. However, it is admitted that it is not easy to make it the agenda of the UN Human Rights Council.

"Maybe mitigation is how we make sure everything is well informed, that the armed OPM also commits human rights violations," he explained.

"And this is not broken. Whatever information about victims from Jakarta, I always warn them, whether they want to enter or not, they are included in the agenda (Dewan HAM), but everyone knows that those who come to the Human Rights Council trial, there are human rights violations by the OPM," explained Ambassador Febrian.

"The effect is that there is absolutely no agenda for discussing Papua in the Human Rights Council," he continued.

"But what we really have to fight for, make sure we never stop providing updates, every attack, anyone who does, must be registered and nominated," he said.

However, Ambassador Febrian also acknowledged that the current situation is not profitable for the state, in the sense that the situation is more favorable if human rights violations are committed by the state.

"No human rights violations have been concerned yet by non-state actors," he said.

"Perhaps this is also a challenge to be able to make a resolution, the Human Rights Council must take a stance on human rights violations by non-state actors," he continued.

"I haven't seen this and I think we can try it, if we have an environmental base issue. I see this BSKLN is very strategic. Because we need those studies, that it is true that non-state actor violations are the same as state actors. Because in the world of multilateral diplomacy, the power of the argument will determine," he said.

He added that the UN Human Rights Council received a report through the Working Group of Information, where all issues could be reported, anyone could report.

"The problem is, reports are not always accurate, not always objective. So that's what we have to see properly. That's why I said that PTRI Geneva is also active, so they know that our situation in Papua is not always the conflict, it's not always an incent conflict and human rights violations by our soldiers. In fact, OPM often attacks," he said.

It is known that TNI soldiers were again victims of the separatist group attack in Papua, where First Lieutenant Inf. Fauzy Ahmad Sulkarnain Paka Amin Nurohman from the Battalion 410/Alugoro Task Force was killed in an attack on two separate locations, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua and Kiwirok, Bintang Mountains Regency, Papua Mountains last week.