Kompas -
May 18, 2010
Attention
and concern. Something ordinary people hope for from their leaders. Such hopes
were clearly apparent when Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar
visited the Abepura Penitentiary in Papua on Saturday May 15.
Shortly
after arriving at the Abepura jail, officials could be seen directing Patrialis
towards the auditorium to exchange ideas with prison employees and a number of
selected prisoners. As he entered the auditorium however, coming from a cell
block around 25 meters from where Patrialis was standing, shouts were suddenly
heard from the prisoners. "Open up... open up... uuuuuu, open up,"
they shouted noisily.
"Don't
order them to talk [with you]", said a prison official upon hearing the
shouts. The warning however was not heeded. The prisoners continued to shout
and bash on the doors and iron barred windows of the cells.
Seeing this,
Patrialis decided to approach the prisoners to see the state of their cells
first hand. The 4x5 meter cells were occupied by scores of prisoners. Their
plight was worsened by a lack of flowing water and the intense heat because
there are no fans in the cells.
Strangely,
several of the prisoners quickly stopped shouting as Patrialis approached and
invited them to speak. Carefully and politely, the prisoners began talking
about issues such as the daily conditions they face in the jail to prisoners'
rights, such as the right to sentence deductions.
As Patrialis
was speaking with one group of prisoners, there was a sudden shout calling to
him from another cell. "Bapak (Mr) Minister, I'm a political
prisoner. I want to speak with you," said the prisoner who turned out to
be named Victor (26) in a clear and distinct voice, but without malice.
"Bapak,
I don't want Papua to be full of violence. I just want to ask, why have I been
imprisoned [just] because I wanted to voice my wishes? Isn't expressing an
opinion a human right and guaranteed under the 1945 Constitution?" he
asked in a calmer voice as Patrialis approached his cell.
Victor, who
is a West Papua National Committee activist, related to Patrialis how he has
been held for six moths on charges of subversion. Yet all he did was take part
in a peaceful protest action. Four of his friends who were also arrested have
already been released while he is still waiting on a verdict from the court.
Another
prisoner, Sem Yaro, also related how he has been held since November 2009
because he was involved in a demonstration in front of the Papuan People's
Assembly offices questioning Papuan special autonomy. This has led him to
question his right to speak as a citizen.
Buhtar
Taboni, a convicted prisoner, even entrusted an open letter addressed to
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with Patrialis. In the hand written letter,
Taboni asks what has happened to the trillions of rupiah sent to Papua after it
was granted special autonomy.
"Although
they were big and shouted, when invited to talk, they turned out to be very
polite," said Patrialis, although he admitted to feeling frightened when
he first heard the convicts and prisoners' shouts.
Patrialis
said that this proves that the penitentiary's occupants really only need
attention and respect. "As fellow citizens and human beings, they still
have rights and our job is to fulfill them" he said. (m hernowo)
[Translated
by James Balowski.]
