Jakarta – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has criticised the Indonesian government's decision to label the Free Papua Movement (OPM) or armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua as terrorists.
ULMWP Executive Director Markus Haluk said that the government often attaches certain labels on the Papuan nation which, according to Haluk, are labels that it intentionally creates.
"The terms KKB, GPK [security disturbance groups] and so forth are terms created by Indonesian colonialism, the TNI [Indonesian military] and the Polri [Indonesian police]. So, the Papuan people don't recognise any of these", Haluk told CNN Indonesia on Thursday April 29.
Haluk said that the National Liberation Army (TPN) and the OPM were born out of a humanitarian struggle and that they oppose humanitarian crimes and systematic racist politics.
According to Haluk, the TPN, the OPM and the Papuan nation are also fighting for self-determination, which he placed on par with the struggle by Indonesia's founding president Sukarno and vice president Mohammad Hatta and their comrades against Dutch colonialism.
"What is being fought for by the Papuan nation at the moment is part of what was once fought for by Sukarno and Hatta against Dutch colonialism, starting in 1908, 1928, until it climaxed [with the declaration of independence] in August 1945", he said.
Haluk said that they are not concerned about the government's maneuver of labeling the Papuan independence movement as terrorists and asserted that it would not influence the struggle to liberate the Papuan nation.
"None of the labels and terms applied by Indonesian colonialism will lessen the Papuan nation's [determination] to realise the political rights of the Papuan nation", he said.
Earlier, the government decided to categories armed groups in Papua as terrorists using Law Number 5/2018 on the Eradication of Terrorism as a legal basis.
Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD said that they have delegated the security forces to act against terrorists in Papua.
"The government has asked the Polri, the TNI, the BIN [National Intelligence Agency] and related agencies to immediately take rapid, firm and measured actions", said Mahfud during a press conference at the Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Ministry building on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta on Thursday. (dhf/fra)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "ULMWP: Cap OPM-KKB Teroris Ciptaan Kolonial".]
According to reports, Nugraha was shot and killed while travelling with other officials and security forces personnel near Dambet Village, Puncak District, on April 25.
The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) reported that President Joko Widodo made a televised address ordering a crackdown following the general’s death, saying: “I have ordered the military and police chiefs to pursue and arrest members of the armed criminal group.”
AWPA also reported that Bambang Soesatyo, chairperson of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), urged the government to deploy forces at full strength to crush the Papuan rebellion. “Destroy them first. We will discuss human rights matters later.”
Reportedly, the chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces’ (TNI) information centre, Major General Achmad Riad said the TNI is ready to assist the National Police in arresting all members of armed separatist and terrorist groups operating in Papua province.
AWPA activist Joe Collins said: “These statements from the president and government officials have the potential to cause an escalation of violence in Papua leading to the security forces conducting military sweeps in the area.
"We all know what happens when the Indonesian military undertake security operations; houses get burnt, livestock gets killed, gardens destroyed and people literally flee into the jungle where they face starvation.”
During Indonesian security operations in the Nduga regency, thousands of West Papuans were forced to flee, becoming internal refugees in their own country.
It has been estimated that about 5000 internally displaced people (IDPs) live in refugee camps, including 700 children.
In their report, “Invisible victims of the Papua conflict: the Nduga Regency refugees”, published in New Mandala, Aisha Kusumasomantri and Yulanda Iek described the poor conditions of IDPs in Nduga. A volunteer from Baku Bantu Foundation told the journalists: “Many of the IDPs experience malnutrition — a condition that is especially dangerous to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, small children, and people with chronic medical conditions.
“The IDPs also suffer from inadequate sanitation, which causes health problems such as diarrhoea and skin disease. The combination of malnutrition, poor sanitation, and lack of medical attention also compromise IDPs' overall immune systems, which leads to vulnerability to tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
“Since the refugee camps were first established in 2018, approximately 400 refugees have died in various camps in Nduga.”
Collins said: “Many reports have pointed out that aggressive security approaches do not work in West Papua and instead of making statements that could cause an escalation of violence in West Papua, the Indonesian President should order his military to return to barracks as a way of easing tension and saving lives”.
Human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said on Twitter on April 27 that residents of Tegelobak, Misimaga, Efesus, and Upaga villages, in Puncak District had fled their homes, following shooting from Indonesian military helicopters. It is not yet known if there were any casualties.
AWPA said the Australian government should raise concerns about the situation in West Papua and rethink its ties with the Indonesian military.
Translator: Dewi Elvia Muthiariny
Editor: Laila Afifa
29 April 2021 19:12 WI
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Police planned to redesign the pattern of its operations to hunt down armed criminal groups or KKB in Papua after the government officially labeled them as terrorists.
“We are rearranging the operation pattern,” said Assistant Operations for the National Police Chief, Inspector General Imam Sugianto, on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
“In line with that, the government considers that organizations and people in Papua who commit massive violence are categorized as terrorists,” said Mahfud in an online press conference on Thursday.
The government has also ordered security forces to hunt down armed groups in Papua. “The government asks the police, military (TNI), BIN (State Intelligence Agency), and related officials to immediately take firm and measurable actions according to the law,” Mahfud said.
Read: KontraS Reveals Adverse Implications of Labeling Papua KKB Terrorist
ANDITA RAHMA
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambon, on Friday condemned Indonesia’s decision to declare the groups as terrorist organizations. He viewed that the Indonesian government was mistaken and in a state of panic.
“Note that we the TPNPB-OPM are prepared to use the United Nations legal mechanism if Indonesia considers us as terrorist groups. Even if Indonesia uses the international criminal court route,” Sebby Sambon confirmed on Friday, April 30.
He said Indonesia has mistakenly used the definition as he believes terrorists are widely used to describe groups with a global agenda. Sebby viewed that the decision whether to consider a group a terrorist must be agreed upon internationally and not arbitrarily by the Indonesian government.
“Every nation member in the United Nations must agree with it and not just Indonesia,” he said.
he spokesperson went on to say that both OPM and West Papua National Liberation - and backed by legal support - are ready to declare a global campaign against Indonesia by alleging it to be a terrorist state, based on the numerous acts of terror Indonesia committed against the people of West Papua, said Sebby.
Previously reported, the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD on Thursday announced that the armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua and organizations or people affiliated in it are deemed as terrorists.
That means that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the West Papua National Liberation will in fact fall into the ‘terrorist’ category.
Read: Papua Governor Releases Statement on Terrorist Status for KKB, OPM
EGI ADYATAMA
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Deputy V for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs at the Executive Office of the President, Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, said the government's decision to label armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua as terrorists was made after thorough considerations.
“Classifying KKB as terror organizations or terrorists is taken with careful considerations, by taking into account input and analysis from various parties both inside and outside the government,” said Jaleswari in a written statement on Friday, April 30.
The decision was driven by the massive acts of violence in the country’s easternmost province over the past few weeks, he added. The violence committed by the rebel groups targeted civil society including students, teachers, traditional leaders, and also officials.
He quoted a report by Puncak Regent, Willem Wandik, that the armed groups had committed a string of attacks since earlier this year. There were at least 10 terror acts including the latest shooting incident of the Papua Intelligence Chief Brig. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha.
“Data from the Papua Task Force of UGM (Gadjah Mada University) also reports that during the last 10 years from 2010 to 2020, there were 118 violence cases committed by KKB, 15 cases by TNI (Indonesian Military), and 13 cases by the police,” he explained.
According to the same research’s results, Jaleswari said 356 people fell victim to the violence: 93 percent were civilians and the TNI-police personnel while the rest three percent were KKBmembers.
Read: Papua Governor Releases Statement on Terrorist Status for KKB, OPM
EGI ADYATAMA
https://www.ucanews.com/news/arrest-of-papuas-machine-gun-pastor-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/92304
7) Arrest of Papua's 'machine gun pastor' is a ticking time bomb
The arrest of a pastor in Papua by security forces for allegedly supplying weapons to a separatist group could intensify scrutiny on churches in the restive Indonesian region, according to some, but others believe it was a betrayal of his church and Christians.
Reverend Paniel Kogoya of the Kalibobo Advent Church in Nabire district was arrested on April 18. He was accused of providing guns for the National Liberation Army of West Papua.
Some Papuan activists claimed police violated his human rights and used torture and coercion to support the accusation. But police refuted this by saying they had the testimony of the gun suppliers — believed to be members of an Indonesian shooting club — who were arrested earlier
The police said Kogoya had spent 1.1 billion rupiah (US$84,000) on purchasing two M4 and two M16 rifles and other firearms before his arrest.
The money supposedly came from rebel leader Egianus Kogoya (it has not been confirmed if they are related), who obtained it by robbing villagers and tribal leaders. The money was then allegedly given to the pastor to buy guns. The police also said the pastor used donations from churchgoers to buy guns.
His arrest has deeply shocked the Catholic and Protestant churches, which have steadfastly tried to maintain impartiality in a region marred by decades of violence despite claims by security forces that elements within the churches were actively supporting the independence movement.
Indonesian security forces believe the Papuan separatist movement has several layers
There have been many instances where police and soldiers have targeted churchgoers. Four Catholic youths in Abepura were arrested for displaying the banned Morning Star flag when attending a Mass, on Dec. 1, 2019, to mark West Papua’s “Independence Day.”
In November last year, dozens were arrested, including well-known human rights defender and church activist Wenselaus Watubun, for organizing a public consultation on the implementation of a special autonomy law in Papua. Police also often prohibited political discussions at churches in Papua for unspecified reasons.
Indonesian security forces believe the Papuan separatist movement has several layers, namely political, clandestine and an armed wing.
The latter is obvious, but those involved with the others are hard to pin down as they appear ordinary on the surface, which is why, despite their protestations, church people have come under suspicion.
Kogoya’s arrest has not helped matters. It has certainly dented efforts by Christian leaders in Papua to maintain a balance between loyalty to Indonesia and pastoral care for all Papuans regardless of their political affiliation.
It has also reinforced suspicions by security forces of Papuan churches at a time when tensions between Jakarta and separatists are at an all-time high.
On April 29, the government designated separatist groups and their supporters as terrorists after the April 25 killing of Brig. Gen. IG Putu Danny Nugraha Karya, the intelligence chief in Papua.
Activists claim the move will pave the way for further rights violations and, because of Kogoya’s alleged actions, churches and church leaders could also be in the firing line.
In the past, church leaders could easily refute any suspicion of supporting separatist groups, but now it might not be so easy. Any sign of support could be construed as aiding terrorists.
This could see the shedding of more Christian blood like that of a catechist who was shot dead by soldiers near his home in October last year.
A month later, Reverend Yeremia Zanambani of the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia was shot dead by troops near his house. Both times the soldiers accused the victims of being part of a separatist group.
The claims of impartiality by churches were also not helped in July last year when 57 indigenous Papuan Catholic priests led by Father Jhon Alberto Bunay called on the Indonesian government to hold an independence referendum.
It was a clear political statement that they considered the government to have failed in Papua.
The call won the support of Papuans. However, from the security forces' point of view, it confirmed their suspicions as to whose side the Church was on.
Kogoya's alleged activities have reinforced this suspicion further, but actively supporting an armed group is different from airing a political viewpoint.
It would be wrong to tarnish all priests, pastors or churchgoers with the same brush because of the actions of one person.
To allay and defuse the fears of the authorities and demonstrate that Kogoya was acting alone, Christian religious leaders must cooperate and engage in meaningful dialogue with the military and police.
The military and police, meanwhile, should not take the law into their own hands.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-activists-fear-papua-violence-will-escalate/92303
8) Indonesian activists fear Papua violence will escalate
Human rights activists and churchmen have voiced concerns over the impact of the Indonesian government's move to label Papuan pro-independence groups as terrorists, saying it will make peace even more difficult to achieve in the restive region.
Mohammad Mahfud MD, Indonesia’s coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, officially designated the separatist West Papua National Liberation Army and the Free Papua Movement as terrorists.
He also said the government would immediately take steps to crush them in accordance with the country’s terrorism laws.
Mahfud claimed that 92 percent of Papuans still wanted to remain Indonesian and that “there was not a single official forum anywhere in the world willing to discuss Papua's independence.”
The government's move follows the April 25 killing of I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, head of the Papua Regional Intelligence Agency, which was blamed on separatists who have conducted a decades-long insurgency against Indonesian rule in the easternmost region.
Father John Djonga, an activist priest in Papua, said labeling pro-independence groups as terrorists would make the situation more volatile.
"So far, violence has continued at a low level, with most of the victims being civilians. Now I fear the situation will get worse," he told UCA News.
"It will also justify additional troops to Papua. The presence of troops is considered to be one of the root causes of Papua's problems.”
Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said the designation and application of the terrorism law would have serious consequences for freedom of expression.
More Papuans expressing their views peacefully will be arrested without any evidence and the law will allow the detention of anyone thought suspicious for 7-21 days without charge, he said.
"The legal process can be even harsher than the treason articles that have so far been used against Papuans," he said.
Hamid said the government should focus on investigating and stopping extrajudicial killings and other forms of human rights violations, adding there have been at least 52 cases committed by security forces with a total of 87 victims since February 2018.
Meanwhile, Hendardi from the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace said declaring pro-independence groups as terrorists was probably the worst thing President Joko Widodo could have done.
"This will seriously hinder any government attempt to develop Papua economically, as he has promised to do on various occasions," he said.
This move, he said, "illustrates the government's inadequacy in managing and pursuing conflict resolution in Papua and is an expression of hopelessness."
"Apart from being counterproductive, accelerating and prolonging the spiral of violence, this move opens the door wider to serious human rights violations," he warned.
The response by separatists was to remain defiant.
"All labels and designations imposed by colonial Indonesia will not discourage the Papuan people from realizing their political rights," said Markus Haluk, executive director of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
Jakarta – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has commented on the Indonesian government's move to label the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) a terrorist group.
Through her private Twitter account @VeronicaKoman, she said that the decision would sever attempts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Papua.
"Indonesia has just burnt the bridge towards a peaceful resolution", wrote Koman in a Tweet seen by CNN Indonesia on Thursday April 29.
Koman believes that the label could trigger an escalation in the armed conflict in the land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known. Not to mention, she said, concerns over possible human rights violations……….
Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia says that labeling armed groups in Papua as terrorist has the potential to add to the long list of human rights violations in the region.
Amnesty International Executive Director Usman Hamid believes that labeling armed groups terrorist will not end the problems or human rights violations in Papua.
"Even if they are so easily labeled terrorist, this will in fact have the potential of adding to the long list of human rights violations in Papua", Hamid told Kompas.com on Thursday April 29…………...
Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Deputy Commissioner Amiruddin Al-Rahab said he is disappointed with the government's decision to pin the terrorist label on armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua.
"I today Pak Menko [Mr Security Chief] announced that the solution is to add the terrorist label, speaking frankly I feel disappointed with this", said Al-Rahab as quoted by the Antarastate news agency on Thursday April 29…………….
10) Nobel laureate Ramos Horta urges Indonesia-Papua dialogue
The Oekusi PostDILI (TOP) – Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta has urged Indonesia’s government to hold talks with the Papuan independence movement to help end a decades-long insurgency in the country’s easternmost region.
Ramos-Horta, joint recipient of the 1996 Nobel prize for efforts to bring independence and peace to Timor-Leste, which suffered a brutal Indonesian occupation for nearly a quarter century, said he believes the Papua region’s future is within Indonesia, not as a separate state.
Head of the Papua Regional State Intelligence Agency, Brigadier General TNI I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha Karya died after being involved in a firefight with the Free Papua Organization (FPO) group in Dambet Village, Beoga District, Puncak Regency, Sunday 25 of April 2021.
He was involved in a shootout when the FPO intercepted him. This obstruction occurred when the BIN Task Force and the TNI-Polri Task Force were traveling to Kampung Dambet. On the way, the FPO suddenly intercepted and a firefight between the two was inevitable. Kabinda, who was involved in the shooting, died.
- “I heard only this morning very worried about it because it’s only escalated the use of force in West Papua, and I can only say that the message to everyone in Indonesia and West Papua is to find ways to end this conflict by dialogue and I know president Jokowi always wanted to resolve the problem of West Papua,” Horta said in a press conference in Farol, Dili, Wednesday April 28, 2021.
Spokesperson for the West Papua National Army-Free Papua Organization (TNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom said that Kabinda Papua was killed by a stray bullet during a gun battle.
![[]](https://www.oekusipost.com/images/funu-nain-papua.webp)
West Papuan armed force./Net.- "The shooting of the Papua cabin, Brig. Gen. Gusti Putu, was shot by a TPNPB stray bullet," Sebby told CNNIndonesia.com, Monday April 26, 2021.
Sebby claimed that no TPNPB troops were hit by gunfire in the incident. It's just that, after the shootout, his part is increasing the alert status of the TNI-Polri apparatus.
- "We are all safe, but we are on alert at that location. And we are also ready to make armed contact with the TNI and Polri," he said.
Jokowi emphasized that the government did not provide a place for armed groups both in Papua and throughout the country.
The conflict between Indonesia and the Free Papua Organization, who number perhaps just several hundred, flared again last few years ago when armed separatists in Nduga killed at least 17 people working on a trans-Papua highway construction site that’s a key part of President Joko Widodo’s efforts to bring development to the impoverished region.
The government has said accusations that the military fired at villages with white phosphorous projectiles, a banned chemical weapon, in retaliation are “totally baseless, nonfactual and gravely misleading.” At least four people were killed in the security operation. Wiranto, the top security minister, has rejected the idea of talks.
Police have arrested then released hundreds of suspected independence supporters and raided offices of the West Papua National Committee, a civilian group that advocates for self-determination. In Timika, police occupied the committee’s secretariat, graffitied it with slogans such as “Indonesia Forever” and demolished symbols of the independence movement.
Ramos-Horta, Timor-Leste’s president from 2007 to 2012, said restraint is needed on both sides.
- “So first, they must give up on armed attacks on Indonesian civilians or military authorities, but at the same time the Indonesian military also have to restrain themselves from not cracking down, attacking … people every time they demonstrate,” he said.
https://youtu.be/-73tZxVUwWY
Nowadays, indigenous Papuans, largely shut out of their region’s economy, are poorer, sicker and more likely to die young than people elsewhere in Indonesia. Decades of Indonesian military brutality and impunity have contributed to deep resentment of Indonesian rule.
Ramos-Horta, however, said the situation in Papua is not comparable to East Timor’s independence struggle and there’s no role for the U.N. in the conflict.
Timor-Leste, Ramos-Horta said, was a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years before Indonesia invaded in 1975, whereas Papua was part of the Dutch East Indies empire that was the basis for the borders of modern Indonesia.
Author: The Oekusi
PostWebsite: https://www.oekusipost.com Email: info@oekusipost.com
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