The Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Belden Namah has condemned the arrest and detention of the Governor for the West Papua Province, Governor Lucas Enembe.
Indonesian police arrested Governor Enembe on January 10th at a restaurant in Jayapura on corruption related matters before flying him to Jakarta the same day.
Enembe is very ill and despite pleas by his Singapore based doctors, he has been denied access to his doctors despite his request for Indonesian authorities to accompany him.
Namah, whose Vanimo Green River Electorate borders the West Papua Province, is concerned at the apparent inhumane treatment of Governor Enembe by the Indonesian Government.
He said the manner of Enembe's arrest and detention is reprehensible, inhumane and symptomatic of the historic maltreatment of the indigenous Melanesian people of West Papua by Indonesia.
"Enembe is an indigenous West Papuan leader who has been the Governor of the Province since 2013. He has brought incredible social, economic and infrastructure development to the people of Papua Province,” Namah said.
“The changes in Provincial Capital Jayapura alone, is incredible. Recently Governor Enembe has been in ill health and bound to a wheelchair and the manner in which the Indonesian Police has gone about arresting him is utterly disrespectful and unacceptable.”