Komnas-HAM, which is part of the Indonesian state system but functions independently, said any operation that resulted in civilian casualties “cannot be justified on any grounds”.
“Any form of attack against civilians, whether occurring in situations of war or otherwise, and whether perpetrated by state or non-state actors, constitutes a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” the commission said in a statement Saturday.
It urged restraint from all sides and called on the military to re-evaluate its operations against Papuan rebels.
Papua, which shares its main island with Papua New Guinea, is a former Dutch colony that declared independence in 1961.
Indonesia, however, took control two years later, followed by a 1969 referendum in which 1,000 Papuans out of a population of some 800,000 voted to integrate into the country.
Papuan independence activists regularly criticise the vote and call for fresh polls, which Jakarta has rejected, citing UN acceptance of its sovereignty over the region.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-papua-alleged-civilian-killings-6066206
