Mahfud MD Emphasizes Government To Continue To Use Civil Order Security Approach In Papua

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD/DOK via ANTARA

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that until now the government continues to use a security approach in civil order in Papua.

"When it comes to those who reject regional expansion or new autonomous regions, yes, it's normal. There are more who support, both the people and their figures. The support is massive and lively," Mahfud said in his Instagram account @mohmahfudmd quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, 20 July.

Mahfud said this was in response to the massacre of 12 civilians (10 dead) by the KKB in Papua.

"In terms of OPM, yes, from the beginning it refused to expand. If you wait for everyone to agree on a policy plan, there will never be a policy. In a democracy, there are usually those who agree and disagree," he said.

Regarding Papua, said Mahfud, there is indeed a biased opinion that is often developed by certain groups.

For example, the opinion in Papua that there are violations of human rights by the apparatus to the point where it is highlighted by the international community.

"It is a hoax because of the fact that the KKB brutally killed civilians," said the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.

One example of a hoax, in 2021 Indonesia received 19 warning letters from the United Nations Special Procedure Mandate Holders (SPMH) in Geneva. However, in fact there is no such warning or highlight.

On 13-14 June 2022, Mahfud was present at the UN High Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to deliver a speech on the promotion of human rights.

At the Opening of the 50th Human Rights Summit, he said, Indonesia was not mentioned as a country that was highlighted or referred to, even though there were 49 countries that were highlighted with 32 negative highlights.

"Indonesia has not been mentioned at all since the UN KT HAM sessions in 2020," said Mahfud.

As for the letter from SPMH, he continued, it was not a spotlight or an investigation, but a forwarding of letters from the public to be known. However, the contents of the letter were never discussed at the UN Human Rights Summit.

When Indonesia received forwarding of 17 letters from the UN SPMH, at the same time the United States received forwarding of more than 70 letters. Many other countries, such as Iran, India, and Malaysia also received the same forwarding letters.

The letters, said Mahfud, are not a focus on human rights violations by the United Nations, but are forwarding regular letters to be known and welcome to explain if the country concerned wants to explain it.

"The explanation will be posted on the SPMH website. That's all, but certain groups have suggested that the United Nations will carry out an investigation. There are those who boldly announce that they have formed a team to welcome the SPMH team from the United Nations to submit complaints," he said.

In fact, there is no planned visit, let alone the investigation from the United Nations. The evidence so far is nothing.

"When I came to the UN headquarters there was no record whatsoever. In fact, when I met directly with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Buchelet, I and five members of the delegation from Indonesia heard firsthand that the commissioner appreciated the latest developments made by the Indonesian Attorney General's Office. , said Mahfud.

The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs said that people do not know yet and must know that SPMH is not a UN organ that can assess and investigate human rights violations in a country on behalf of the UN KT-HAM.

"So, without intending to say that Indonesia is completely free of human rights violations, we make sure that the UN KT-HAM has three annual sessions (since 2020) and does not mention Indonesia as one of the countries highlighted or referred to. I appreciate the results of the Ministry's diplomacy. Foreigners who are able to explain this to the international community," said Mahfud MD.