Filep Karma while signed a leter for Coordinator Minister of Politics, Law and Security – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Papua Political Prisoner Filep Karma said he
would never take an offer of pardon as a condition for his release and
instead demanded amnesty or abolition.
“I’ll turn it down. From my point of view the content of the letter
of pardon indicates the State has no good intention in solving the
problems in Papua thoroughly,” said Karma to reporters at Abepura
Prison, Jayapura City, Papua on Monday (17/8/2015).
He stated if the Indonesian Government wants to resolve the Papua
issues, it must release all political prisoners instead of only him, and
rehabilitate their names and abolish the wanted list and sit together
with Papuans.
“Let’s talk politics as an adult. Let’s conduct dialogue with Papuans who want freedom, not with the Local Government instead,” he said.
He said the government has no good intention of releasing him;
moreover the pardon would only turn his status as a political prisoner
to criminal. He said he’s not a criminal but a Free Papua political
prisoner.
Therefore, if the government thinks it does the right thing by
granting him a pardon, he would never step out of prison on that way.
If the government forces him to get out, he said it has authority to do that.
“I was imprisoned by force, so if they want to force me out, that’s their authority. I will not voluntarily get out from here,” he said.
“I was imprisoned by force, so if they want to force me out, that’s their authority. I will not voluntarily get out from here,” he said.
Papua Governor Lukas Enembe said this rejection is the right of Filep
Karma. He has a right to refuse or accept the pardon. “It’s his right
as citizen. He has right to make that statement,” Enembe said after
leading a ceremony of remission granting at Abepura Prison on Monday
(17/8/2015). (Mawel Benny/rom)