he chief of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Adm. Agus Suhartono on Thursday said that while the abuse perpetrated by soldiers in Papua might fall under the human rights violation category, they were “not heavy violations.”
“In the context of the military court, what the soldiers did falls under excessive misconduct,” Agus said. “In the context of human rights perspective, it is a human rights violation. It depends on where we see it from.
“But I see it from the perspective of the military court.”
Last October, a 10-minute video circulated on the Internet showing soldiers interrogating and torturing two civilians in Puncak Jaya, Papua.
In the video, which received international condemnation, the soldiers were seen burning the genitals of one of the civilians with a smoldering stick while the other was threatened with a knife.
Agus said the military already has measures to prevent such heinous acts, including during the education phase and pre-operation briefings.
“What we need to realize is that certain situations could change human emotions. Papua is not like Jakarta. It is a complex place where you hear guns frequently,” he said.
Agus also said the TNI would not increase the punishment for such violations for preventive measures.
“We already have regulations for the punishment. If the violation is heavy, then the punishment will be heavy,” he said.
“I entrust the judgment to the military court that is very objective, and the Komnas HAM that can judge.”
Komnas HAM refers to the National Human Rights Commission, which on Thursday once again urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take action against “serious” rights violations by security forces in Papua.
Komnas HAM chairman Ifdhal Kasim said they have submitted to Yudhoyono a report on its investigations, including the alleged torture of Papuans by soldiers in Puncak Jaya.
“Our investigations found that the military had committed serious human rights violations and we ask for those responsible to be brought to justice,” Kasim said.
Kasim said the commission was told by high-ranking military officials that an “investigation is under way and a hearing will be held end in January.”
Meanwhile, human rights advocates on Thursday called on the government to make human rights protection its top priority as Indonesia assumes the chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year.
“Indonesia’s favorable image within the international community as a democratic country that respects human rights should be reflected on Indonesia’s chairmanship,” Atnike Nova Sigiro of Forum-Asia, a Bangkok-based regional rights watchdog, said. SUMBER: ThejakartaGlobe
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