Following Editorial has been written in response to the following news:
Accused witch tortured, burned alive in Papua, New Guinea
Time for leaders to condemn sorcery killings
Papua New Guineans do actually live in the 21st Century and use mobile phones, watch television, surf the net and drive to work in cars – we basically have technology at our finger tips.
Just like other members of the global community we have become technological beings and respect the rights of others here and abroad to choose and to enjoy all that this world has to offer. After all that is enshrined in our Constitution and the law of the land is explicit in that there must be respect for the dignity of every individual.
Respect for the rule of law and the rights of others are pillars of a modern-day democracy and we would like to think Papua New Guinea falls under this category.
But when we hear stories of Papua New Guineans being accused of sorcery and burnt alive in a somewhat public spectacle, we recoil with fear and disgust and ask whether we should indeed be proud of ourselves as a nation of individuals who respect our fellow human beings and believe that justice is dispensed in a legally constituted court of law and not a kangaroo court chaired by individuals misled by superstition and trickery.
Categories: Asia, Human Rights, Indonesia, Rights of Women
It is so sad that the Papua New Guinea Law allows accused murderers to argue that their victims were sorcerers.
We all need to speak up against it.