JAKARTA - The Executive Office of the President has expressed deepest regrets for Personnel officers’ disturbing action against a Papuan civilian in Merauke, calling it a form of excessive force and an unlawful conduct beyond the applicable standards and procedures. The office further condemned the action and called for an end to any kind of violence.

A video widely circulated on social media on Tuesday (27/7) shows two Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) personnel at J Dimara Merauke Airport striking and holding the Papuan’s head to the ground. The Papuan man, who was unarmed and showed no resistance, was identified as a deaf and a person with disability. KSP greatly appreciates the quick response of the TNI Commander and the Air Force Chief of Staff by holding the two personnel accountable before the law. KSP is also reaching out to community stakeholders to support and entrust the law enforcement while actively engaging and overseeing the process. Thus, KSP will keep working to ensure victims receive protection and justice and the enforcement of laws is fair and equitable.

The Indonesian law guarantees protections to all citizens, including people with disabilities as stipulated under Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights, Law No. 8/2016 on Persons with Disabilities, and Government Regulation No. 39/2020 on Adequate Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities in the Judicial Process.

Furthermore, in accordance with the direction given by the President Joko Widodo, KSP encourages all layers of society, especially law enforcement officers, to see multiple issues from human rights perspectives and to use more dialogical approaches, especially towards people with disabilities.

The office is saddened for events like this to cast the community in a negative light, thus it invites all parties to continue the larger dialogue to prevent such incidents from repeating, neither in Papua nor any part of the Republic of Indonesia.