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Baca versi Bahasa Indonesia<\/span> di sini<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n This blog post was written by our consultant, Yerry Niko Borang, with contributions from the WITNESS Asia-Pacific team.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n On October 17, 2024, filmmakers and human rights defenders (mostly from West Papua), participated in a webinar organized by WITNESS. The webinar discussed the challenges of using videos as evidence to obtain justice for cases of human rights violations. Such cases are often neglected in West Papua, or worse used to justify impunity.<\/span> Why does the utilisation of video in the pursuit of justice empower communities in some countries, but fall short as evidence of human rights violations in West Papua? This was the main focus of discussion during the webinar alongside how technology, truth and justice are interconnected in the events in West Papua.<\/span><\/p>\n The situation in West Papua is indeed a complicated one. There have been many human rights violations that have taken place in recent years including<\/span> issues of racism in 2019<\/span><\/a>, whereby Papuan students were discriminated against and forced to leave Java,<\/span> torture of civilians<\/span><\/a> by an army soldier, and other horrifying accounts, including extrajudicial<\/span> killings<\/span><\/a>. Despite video evidence documenting such violations, the perpetrators have yet to be held to account. Ironically, this evidence can actually be manipulated or used as part of a disinformation campaign by interested parties. Regardless of these challenges, there remain many opportunities for marginalised communities who wish to harness the power of technology to have their voices heard and to fight for justice.<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/span>While the webinar offered valuable insights from filmmakers and human rights defenders, the recording is not available for public viewing online. Given the sensitive nature of the discussion, particularly regarding the risks faced by those documenting human rights violations in West Papua, we prioritized the safety of those involved. We hope to find alternative ways to share key takeaways in the future while ensuring that the security of the participants and the integrity of the information are protected.<\/span>
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<\/span>The full report of the webinar can be found<\/span> here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nParadox: When evidence is insufficient to be a tool of justice<\/b><\/h3>\n