The four personnel have been confirmed dead while one more remains untraceable, according to spokesperson for the Regional Military Command XVIII/Kasuari, Lt.Col.Hendra Pesireron.
Members of an unidentified group ambushed the soldiers while they were sleeping at the post, he informed. 2nd Sergeant Amrosius, Chief Private Dirham, First Private Zul Ansari, and First Lieutenant Dirman died in the attack, he said.
The bodies of three soldiers were found at the post, while another was discovered in the bushes not far from the post, Pesireron said, adding that another soldier, First Private Ikbal, is not yet traceable.
The assault on the Kisor military post in West Papua has extended the list of armed violence cases in Papua and highlighted the grave danger posed by Papuan separatist terrorists.
Related news: Unidentified gunmen fatally shoot 5 people in Papua's Yahukimo
On August 22, 2021, a terrorist group attacked several construction workers of PT Indo Mulia Baru, who were responsible for erecting a bridge on Brazza River in Yahukimo district, Papua province.
Two workers, identified as Rionaldo Ratu Roma and Dedi Imam Pamungkas, died in the attack, according to director of Papua Police's Criminal Investigation Unit, Sen.Coms.Faisal Rahmadani.
The attackers also set their bodies and their pick-up truck on fire, he informed.
Members of the terrorist group also attacked several personnel from the Indonesian Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit when they went to the site of the shooting to evacuate the deceased workers' bodies, he said.
Four Brimob personnel sustained minor injuries, he said, adding that several construction workers were evacuated to Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo district, for safety reasons.
The members of the Tenius Gwijangge-led terrorist group might have used six firearms, including two 5.56 millimeter caliber SS1-V1 rifles, to carry out the attack, Rahmadani said.
Two assault rifles equipped with Trijicon, or optical sighting devices, used by the group may belong to the 423 Infantry Battalion (Airborne) of Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), he added.
"Due to the 'Trijicon', the shooters could maintain their precision," he said, adding that the four other firearms used by the Tenius Gwijangge-led group could not yet be identified.
Related news: Beoga villagers' daughters harassed by armed Papuan criminals: priest
In the midst of the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Papua and West Papua, the two provinces have been reeling from armed violence over the past few months of 2021.
In April this year, two teachers were killed by armed Papuan terrorists.
The first killing occurred on April 8, 2021, when several armed attackers opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma village, Beoga sub-district, Puncak district.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, separatist terrorists reportedly shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, on the chest.
Several villagers tried to save the junior high school teacher and rushed him to the Beoga public health center, but he succumbed to his injuries.
On April 11, 2021, armed terrorists reportedly set nine classrooms at the Beoga public junior high school ablaze.
Related news: Wanted terrorist captured by Nemangkawi joint task force in Papua
Regarding the police's handling of acts of terror in Yahukimo district, the Nemangkawi Task Force recently arrested the head of Wusama sub-district, only identified by his initials EB.
EB was apprehended for his alleged role as a mastermind and for funding armed separatist terrorist groups operating in his area, said Rahmadani, who also heads the Nemangkawi Task Force's law enforcement unit.
EB was arrested at his home along with three other suspects, identified as EH, Y, and YH, on August 27, 2021, or five days after the attack on construction workers of PT Indo Mulia Baru, he said.
Meanwhile, another suspect, EH, drove a black car that was often sighted passing through Dekai on its way to Brazza River, where the construction workers were attacked on August 22.
EH told police investigators that a dozen Papuan terrorists were staying at EB's house. Based on this information, police officers were deployed to capture them on August 27 at 8 p.m.
During the raid, five suspects staying at a "honai" (traditional house) escaped, while EB and several other people who happened to be with him at his house were apprehended, he said.
Police named EB, Y, EH, and YH as suspects for the different roles they played in assisting the local separatist terrorist groups, Rahmadani said.
EH, the driver, frequently delivered supplies to the armed groups, Y is EB's nephew, whose primary duty was preparing the armed groups' logistics, while YH is an armed group member, he informed.
Rahmadani said YH was allegedly involved in a series of deadly attacks in Yahukimo district, including the ones that ended with the death of four workers in Bingki village, Seradala sub-district on June 29, 2021 and two construction workers on the Brazza River Bridge on August 22, 2021.
Related news: Armed Papuan terrorist group leader arrested in Dekai: Police
Indonesian military and police personnel stationed in Papua and West Papua are continuing to crackdown on perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Papua's cycle of violence must be stopped through peaceful solutions. In this regard, the House of Representatives (DPR) has ratified the bill amending the Papua Special Autonomy Law No.21 of 2001.
The bill that the House members enacted during a plenary session on July 15, 2021 accommodates 18 revised chapters and two new chapters, according to head of the House's Special Committee for Amending the Papua Special Autonomy Law, Komarudin Watubun.
The enacted bill has accommodated the need to regulate the privileges of indigenous Papuans in the political, education, health, labor, and economic sectors, as well as to support customary communities.
It offers more room to native Papuans to get involved in politics and in such organizations as the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and Papua legislative councils (DPRK) in districts/cities.
At least 250 seats will now be reserved for native Papuans in district- and city-level Papua legislative councils (DPRK), Watubun disclosed.
At the same time, 30 percent of the DPRK seats will be reserved for native Papuan women, he added.
Related news: Autonomy law ensures rights of Papua's customary communities: official
Related news: Papua, West Papua welcome revised special autonomy law
The last event to be postponed was the FIFA Asia Cup, which was scheduled to take place from August 17 to 29, 2021. In December last year, FIFA cancelled plans to host the U-20 World Cup in Indonesia, and pushed the event back to 2023.
Though sports fans were saddened and disappointed by the measures, they were necessary in order to protect the public from COVID-19, given the hike in the number of infections sometimes and the low vaccination rate. Lately, the situation has changed, with the government pushing mass vaccination programs to build herd immunity.
The situation in Vietnam has served as an example for the need to expedite vaccinations. While Vietnam achieved success in controlling the pandemic, it later realized that the new virus variant cannot be curbed with just social restrictions, but requires a high vaccination rate.
The nation also sought a postponement of the SEA Games, which had been scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 2 this year. On July 8, ASEAN agreed to accept Vietnam's request to postpone the SEA Games to next year.
In contrast, after postponing the Papua National Sports Week a year ago, the Indonesian government has decided to go ahead with the event this year.
This may seem like a bold decision; however, the government has perhaps considered all aspects related to the event, especially the health protocols, which are a crucial part of organizing sporting events amid the pandemic.
Health protocols themselves have become an integral part of every tournament or competition held by both the state and sports organizations.
Some places such as Europe and the United States are holding events without spectators when infection rates are high, although while abiding by strict health protocols. However, the protocols are not as strict as they used to be, given the vaccination rate in the countries has of late reached close to the figure required for creating herd immunity.
However, in some parts of these regions, rules for preventing transmission, such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distance, are still in force, as has been witnessed in the European World Cup qualifiers, including at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal, when Portugal faced the Republic of Ireland on Thursday morning.
The increasingly dangerous pandemic has gradually led to vaccines becoming a crucial part of controlling COVID-19 transmission.
Related news: Vaccination rates in regions co-hosting PON below 50%
Meanwhile, the Japanese, on the other hand, had demanded that the Tokyo Olympics be cancelled, due to the low vaccination rate coupled with the presence of new, more contagious variants. Still, the show went on, albeit under strict health protocols.
Indeed, there was an attempt to send a message to the world: that Japan does not want to continue to give in and suffer due to the pandemic. That ambition was carried out under very strict health protocols, so much so that the Tokyo Olympics were held in a bubble system. Essentially, random people unrelated to the Olympics itself could not join to watch the event.
Yet the enforcement of strict health protocols was what garnered praise from many corners for Japan. Their measures were even considered as a benchmark for the next sports tournament or competition by many countries and sports organizations, including Australia, which will host the Brisbane 2030 Olympics.
China also referred to the success of the Tokyo Olympics by promising the 2022 Winter Olympics will be simple and modest, but will still take the health and safety aspects into account.
Roadmap
Japan first announced the Tokyo Olympics health protocols on April 28, 2021 on the website Olympics.com, three months prior to the Tokyo Games and two months before the highly contagious Delta variant started haunting Japan.
The protocols were then revised a month before the event. They specifically addressed the seven groups involved in the Games.
There was a protocol for athletes and officials, which was 70 pages long. There was a protocol for the press covering the event, which was 68 pages long. There was also a 68-page protocol for broadcasters, a 64-page protocol for support staff, a 64-page protocol for marketing partners, and a 68-page protocol for sports federations.
Although the content was not very different, the guidelines were widely known long before athletes, officials, and people directly related to the Olympics, including journalists, arrived in Japan for the Games.
That way, everyone knew what to do and what not to do, not only during the Olympics, but also before and after the Olympics were over.
To some degree, the Tokyo Olympics health protocols have served as a reference for organizers of sporting events everywhere, including those of the Papua National Sports Week, on how to take the threats of COVID-19 seriously.
Related news: COVID-19 vaccination expedited in four clusters of PON in Papua
Chairman of the Papua National Sports Week Supervisory and Steering Committee, National Defense Force Major General Suwarno, described the health protocols for the event at the FMB9 virtual discussion in mid-August. Detailed information on the health protocols has been made available on the National Sports Week website, and it can be accessed by everyone.
In view of this, many questions can be raised concerning the National Sports Week health protocols. For example, how can parties related to the National Sports Week, other than athletes, such as journalists, make this event a success while still following the health protocols?
They can start from small things, such as implementing a one room one person policy. It will be risky and counterproductive should a single room accommodate more than one person. Moreover, there is no certainty whether the competition will be held using a bubble system or not, even though the Health Ministry has recommended that the Papua National Sports Week be held without spectators.
Still, if they do not use a bubble system, how will the contact-tracing system be carried out and how often will COVID-19 tests be carried out? Without bubbles, there will be contact with outside parties who are not directly related to National Sports Week, including spectators.
Will the committee openly disclose the number of people exposed to COVID-19 without going into too much detail about the name or the branch of sport, as was the case at the Tokyo Olympics and other international sporting events?
What about the rules for continuing the competition if in the middle of it, there are participants who are exposed to the virus, or within the scope of contact of individuals who are infected? What about people arriving and departing before and after National Sports Week. Should they undergo quarantine?
All these questions are worth considering, for the sake of creating a harmony between successful competitions and effective, strict enforcement of health protocols.
If these two things can be combined, then the Papua National Sports Week will send out two important messages: that Indonesia can organize sporting events, and also keep the level of exposure to COVID-19 to a minimum.
This will also be a good message and legacy for future generations regarding the way the nation is facing the pandemic. It could serve as a reference for them, especially when holding activities in the midst of any future pandemic.
Related news: 2020 PON likely to be held without spectators
Soll attacked police officers while resisting an attempt to arrest him in the Dekai neighbourhood area at around 5 a.m. local time, Director of Papua Police's Criminal Investigation Unit Senior Commissioner Faisal Rahmadani stated.
Consequently, Soll, alias Ananias Yalak, who had once joined the Indonesian Army, sustained a gunshot wound on his right leg. He was then admitted to the Dekai Public Hospital for medical treatment, he noted.
According to the Papua police's reports, Soll had been involved in four criminal offenses, including the trafficking of arms, when he was still an active army personnel and involved in murder cases, he stated.
The suspect was accused of having slain Hendri Jovinski, a staff member of Yahukimo District's General Elections Commission Office, on August 11, 2020, and Muhammad Thoyib on August 20, 2020, Rahmadani stated.
During his army service, Soll had allegedly been involved in the purchase and sale of 155 bullets in 2018, he remarked, adding that police investigators continue to uncover Soll's criminal records.
From the Dekai Public Hospital, Soll will be moved to Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, for further investigation, he remarked.
Papua has been reeling from armed violence over the past few years.
On August 22, 2021, the Tenius Gwijangge-led terrorist group launched a deadly attack on several construction workers of PT Indo Mulia Baru involved in erecting a bridge over Brazza River in Yahukimo.
Two workers, identified as Rionaldo Ratu Roma and Dedi Imam Pamungkas, died in the attack. The attackers also set ablaze their bodies and a pick-up truck, according to Rahmadani.
Members of the terrorist group also attacked several personnel from the Indonesian Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit when they went to the site of the shooting to retrieve the bodies of the deceased workers, he had stated earlier.
Four Brimob personnel sustained minor injuries, he remarked, adding that several construction workers were evacuated to Dekai, the capital of Yahukimo District, for safety reasons.
Members of this Tenius Gwijangge-led terrorist group might have used six firearms, including two 5.56-millimeter caliber SS1-V1 rifles, according to Rahmadani.
The two assault rifles equipped with Trijicon, or optical sighting devices, may belong to the 423 Infantry Battalion (Airborne) of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), he noted.
"Due to the 'Trijicon', the shooters could maintain their precision," he remarked, adding that the four other firearms used by the Tenius Gwijangge-led group could not yet be identified.
Related news: Four West Papuan army officers murdered, one missing following attack
Related news: Ministry prioritizes building 37 air routes in Papua by 2022
Related news: Villagers from Papua's Bingki seek refuge following armed attack
Suspected separatist rebels in West Papua killed four government soldiers and wounded two others during a pre-dawn raid on their post, an Indonesian military commander said, in the single deadliest attack on state security forces in the region this year.
Dozens of people armed with machetes and other crude weapons stormed the post in Maybrat regency around 4 a.m., provincial military commander Maj. Gen. I Nyoman Cantiasa said.
Papuan insurgents later told BenarNews that they carried out the raid in West Papua, one of two provinces which make up the troubled Papua region at the far-eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago.
“About 30 people or more believed to be separatist terrorists armed with machetes attacked the post in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in the deaths of four members of the Indonesian Army and two others suffering stab wounds,” Cantiasa told a news conference broadcast on YouTube. He said five other soldiers were unharmed.
“I have ordered my personnel to hunt down the group,” Cantiasa said, adding that two platoons had been deployed for the task. Platoons comprise about 50 soldiers.
Still, Cantiasa said, West Papua remained safe despite the attack. He urged people to be calm.
“The chief of Maybrat regency has been at the scene to calm the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) rebel group claimed that its members attacked the government troops.
“Brig. Gen. Deny Mos and his soldiers are responsible for the attack,” TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambom said in a voicemail to BenarNews, adding that “national commander” Goliath Tabuni had ordered the attack.
“The Indonesian government under the leadership of President Joko Widodo must be prepared to sit at the negotiating table with us,” he said. “The war will not stop in Papua while Indonesia is still occupying it.”
Sambom warned security forces against raiding residential areas.
“We call on the Indonesian government not to engage in searches, killing and military operations in areas where civilians live,” he said. “Look for us in our headquarters and let’s fight there.”
The attack was the second by rebels in West Papua province in recent months.
In May, suspected rebels fired at an entourage led by Maybrat police chief Bernadus Okoka, but there were no casualties.
A month earlier, the government designated separatist rebels as terrorists after insurgents ambushed and killed an army general who headed the Papua regional branch of the National Intelligence Agency. The killing prompted President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to order a crackdown.
In another development on Thursday, security forces arrested a separatist leader in Papua’s Yahukimo regency identified as Senat Soll, the state-run Antara news agency reported.
Police shot Soll in the leg after he allegedly attacked officers who were trying to arrest him, Antara said, citing Papua police criminal investigation chief Faisal Rahmadani.
Police accused Soll, a former Indonesian army member, of trafficking weapons and killing a member of the regency’s election commission and a furniture store worker in August 2020, Rahmadani said.
Analyst: No military solution to conflict
Ongoing violence in Papua and West Papua means that military operations are not a solution for ending the insurgency, according to Cahyo Pamungkas, a researcher on the Papua conflict at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
“The Papuan conflict cannot be resolved using a security approach,” Cahyo told BenarNews.
It was unfortunate that the Jokowi administration had failed to negotiate with the rebels, he said.
“The government prefers an approach that prioritizes economic development and law enforcement operations. There is no trust between the government and the separatist group,” Cahyo said.
“The government and TPNPB must agree on a humanitarian pause to provide access to aid for civilians trapped in armed conflict.”
Long-time insurgency
The insurgency has simmered in Papua for decades. The region, on the western side of New Guinea Island, is rich in natural resources and minerals, including copper and gold. But Papua remains among Indonesia’s poorest and underdeveloped regions.
In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua and annexed the region. Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia after a United Nations-sponsored ballot called the Act of Free Choice in 1969.
Locals and activists said the vote was a sham because only about 1,000 people took part. However, the U.N. accepted the result, which essentially endorsed Jakarta’s rule.
Deadly violence has intensified since late 2018 when rebels killed 19 people constructing a bridge as part of a government highway project in Nduga regency, claiming that the workers were government soldiers.
In 2019, Jokowi said he was ready to hold talks with separatist leaders to solve the conflict.
“I will meet anyone who wants to meet me,” Jokowi said then.
The president spoke out after anti-Jakarta protests provoked by alleged racist remarks against Papuan students descended into chaos as crowds set fire to government buildings, shops and homes across the Papua region. More than 40 people were killed.
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