1) After Thursday's shootout, Sugapa's atmosphere is still tense
Reporter: Yuliana Lantipo November 20, 2021 12:00 am
The atmosphere of the stalls in the city of Sugapa, Intan Jaya Regency, which is still closed until Friday. - Doc. Bernadus Kobogau
Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi Jayapura, Jubi – After the gunfight that took place in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, on Thursday (11/18/2021), the atmosphere in Sugapa was still tense. Although the gunfight incident on Thursday did not cause any casualties, residents' activities have not been running normally, and residents from three villages in the district are still fleeing. The Head of the Intan Jaya Tourism Office, Bernadus Kobogau, said that as of Friday (11/19/2021) the conditions in Sugapa were still tense. People have not been able to carry out their normal activities. Kiosks and banking services are still closed. “The atmosphere is still incredibly tense. Bank Papua is closed, Puskesmas and Hospital services are also still closed. Government offices are also closed, schools are the same. All still closed. People also can't go to the garden. If possible, they must report to police posts at the edge of the road [or intersection], and must return at 15.00 or 16.00," said Kobogau when contacted from Jayapura, Friday (11/19/2021). ).
Read also: Gunfights occur again in Intan Jaya, TNI denies TPNPB claims
Kobogau also explained that as many as three churches are still centers for residents who have fled from three villages, namely Yokatapa, Bilogai, and Wandoga. “Until now, only people in Wandoga Village have taken refuge in the Catholic Church in that village. In Bilogai and Yokatapa residents return home, but if the gunshots are heard again, everyone will run to the church to evacuate,” he explained. Kobogau stated that tensions resurfaced after a shootout between the TNI/Polri and the West Papua National Liberation Army in Sugapa on Thursday morning. However, there were no casualties in the incident.
A number of residents who fled to Sugapa and were around the Intan Jaya Regent's Office received food aid on Sunday (11/14/2021). – Doc Bernadus Kobogau
“The shootout [it happened Thursday], from around 07.54 WP to 10:00 WP. But thankfully, there were no victims [from the community] nor the police,” said Kobogau. Previously, the Head of Information for Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, Colonel Reza Nur Patria when confirmed on Friday (11/19/2021) denied the TPNPB claim that five security officers were shot in a gunfight incident on Thursday. "In the shootout there were no casualties on the part of the Indonesian National Police Task Force," said Reza. Reza emphasized that claims that TNI soldiers or Polri members were shot on Thursday are false information. He stated that until Friday the joint forces in Sugapa were on standby to monitor the development of the situation there. "[Hopefully] the situation will become more conducive so that economic activity can resume," he said. (*) Editor: Aryo Wisanggeni G
Papua No. 1 News Portal | Jubi Jayapura, Jubi – A gun battle between the joint TNI/Polri apparatus and the West Papua National Liberation Army or TPNPB occurred again in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, Thursday (11/18/2021) yesterday. TPNPB claimed it shot five members of the TNI/Polri, but this claim was denied by the Regional Military Command or Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih. Gunfire between the TNI/Polri and TPNPB again occurred in Sugapa District on Thursday at around 08.30 – 10.50 WP. TPNPB spokesman Sebby Sambom stated that the TPNPB attack on Thursday was carried out by Intan Jaya's Kodap 8 Operations Commander, Ondius Kogeya. Sambom claimed that five TNI soldiers were injured in a gun battle on Thursday. "We managed to shoot five members of the TNI/Polri, four died and one was injured," Sambom told Jubi, Thursday night. Read also: Komnas HAM visits victims of the shooting in Intan Jaya
Sambom stated that no TPNPB troop members were injured in Thursday's shootout. He also claimed that TPNPB controlled Bilogai Airport in Sugapa, the capital of Intan Jaya Regency. The Head of Information for Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, Colonel Reza Nur Patria when confirmed on Friday (11/19/2021) denied the TPNPB claim. He confirmed that there had been contact in Sugapa on Thursday, but the gunfight did not cause any casualties. "In the shootout there were no casualties on the part of the Indonesian National Police Task Force," said Reza. Reza emphasized that claims that TNI soldiers or Polri members were shot on Thursday are false information. He stated that until Friday the joint forces in Sugapa were on standby to monitor the development of the situation there. "[Hopefully] the situation will become more conducive, so that economic activity can resume," he said. (*)
3) TWO RESIDENTS OF PAPUA’S SERAMBAKON MISSING SINCE MAY
News Desk November 19, 2021 1:52 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Two residents of Serambakon District, Bintang Mountains Regency have been reported missing since May 18, 2021. They have not been found to date.
The missing persons are Asven Kasipmabin, a 17-year-old high school student, and Jekson Sitokmabin, 20 years old. Both are residents of Seramkatop Village. According to the document received by Jubi, they both went missing at the same time when a shooting occurred in neighboring village Yapimakot at around 8 p.m. local time.
On May 18, a number of residents along with several members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) took a public minivan from Oksibil District to Seramkabon. When reaching Yapimakot, the car could not climb the incline between Yapimakot Village and Wanbakon Village it rolled back three times. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard, which was thought to have come from inside the car. After some time, another shot was heard from atop the incline.
Kasipmabin and Sitokmabin probably passed the crossfire site. They were on their way back to Seramkatop, driving on a motorcycle without lights from Oksibil. Residents who saw the two shouted and warned them not to continue their journey because there were sounds of gunshots but they continued anyway.
A Seramkatop resident contacted by Jubi said the family and neighbor had repeatedly looked for Kasipmabin and Sitokmabin but to no avail. “We have done everything, reported the case to the police, searched by ourselves for two weeks. But their whereabouts remain unknown. The police neglect [the report],” they said.
The residents were generally disturbed by the addition of security forces in Serambakon District since April 7 last year, which had prevented residents from visiting relatives’ homes and making livelihoods such as hunting and gardening.
“The security forces suspected all activities as part of the separatist movement. That’s why shootings occur,” said Jubi’s source.
Residents also complained that since the deployment of troops to their village, their livestock and gardens were often lost or damaged, stolen by people. A number of empty houses were also destroyed, and their contents were stolen. At least six houses have been destroyed and two pigs and 13 chickens missing.
Pastor Dean of the Bintang Mountains Dean RD James Kossay confirmed that two residents of Serambakon District had been missing since May 18. “The information is true,” said Kossay.
Jubi has contacted Papua Police’s spokesperson Sr. Comr. A.M Kamal about the matter but Kamal said he could not confirm the information. He told Jubi that the Bintang Mountains Police chief would call back instead to clarify the information. (*)
4) PAPUAN WOMEN TRAPPED IN ARMED CONFLICT, ALCOHOL-RELATED AGGRESSION, HIV/AIDS: MRP
News Desk November 19, 2021 2:47 pm
Jayapura, Jubi – Head of the Papuan People’s Assembly Women’s Working Group Ciska Abugau said that the safety of women in Papua was threatened by three things, namely armed conflict, high cases of HIV/AIDS, and violence led by alcohol abuse due to easy accessibility of alcohol in Papua.
Abugau said HIV infection and alcohol abuse had long been a problem in Papua but never taken seriously. “We have discussed the matter with the government and other stakeholders but [the condition] is still the same,” she said during a workshop on encouraging policy protecting women living with HIV/AIDS in Jayapura City on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.
According to her, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is one of the factors leading to the high cases of violence against women in Papua.
While these problems have yet to be resolved, Papuan women in various areas experience a more serious problem, the armed conflict. Since 2018, armed conflicts have occurred in Nduga, Puncak, Intan Jaya, Bintang Mountains, and have caused civilian casualties including women and children.
Abugau said that the security forces’ duty to protect was clearly absent in how they work in Papua. “Protecting who? In Intan Jaya, a 2-year-old child was shot dead, a mother was shot, they are innocent,” said Abugau.
She went on mentioning the case of TNI soldiers allegedly torturing two Papuan young adults identified as Zanambani brothers, Luther Zanambani and Apinus Zanambani, to death and burning their bodies to hide their crime.
“They burned our children and disposed of the ashes in the river. But the TNI and police keep their mouths shut. We asked the TNI, they told us to ask the police, no one takes responsibility,” Abugau said.
Though the issue of violence by security forces and its opponent, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), is more dangerous than the rest of the problems, Abugau said that the circulation of alcoholic beverages remained a
serious problem in areas that are not conflict zones.
“Protecting women and children in non-conflict areas is also important,” she said.
5) Papua: Police Release Youths in KKB Attack Case
Translator: Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor: Markus Wisnu Murti
19 November 2021 19:40 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police (Polri) have officially set free two youngsters who were previously detained by law enforcers on suspicions of being involved in the recent attack by an armed criminal group
National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ahmad Ramadhan said that police investigation deemed OJ (20) and NT (18) to be innocent and were not involved in the attack.
“The Nemangkawi task force traced the two men and found no links to an armed criminal group (KKB). They are set to be sent home,” said Ramadhan in a press conference on November 19, Antaranews reported.
Previous reports suggested that shots were fired, allegedly by KKB members, at the direction of Telkomsel Tower and the Sugapa Police Sector.
The Nemangkawi police task force conducted a visual investigation with the help of a drone and saw five individuals carrying three rifles gathered in a nearby location.
“Officers checked the house and secured the two teens, OJ and NT,” he said. “The Nemangkawi task force is still hunting down the suspects and securing nearby areas. There were no victims from the initial incident.”
6) Abepura police receive 85 bullets found in Kotaraja dumpsite
4 hours ago
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Some 85 bullets found in the BTN Skyline Kotaraja dumpsite in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Wednesday evening (Nov 17) were handed over to the police, according to a police officer.
The bullets, packed in a plastic bag, were found by a scavenger named Ilham Jafar inside an unused backpack in the dumpsite area, Abepura Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner Lintong Simanjuntak stated.
On Thursday, Jafar reported his discovery to a police patrol unit in the Tanah Hitam neighborhood area and to the Abepura police precinct for investigation, he noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted here, Friday.
The firearm ammunition comprises 50 HS bullets, 31 FN bullets, one V2 bullet, and three handgun bullets, he said, adding that he highly lauded Jafar for his initiative to hand over the ammunition.
"We praise the resident because the bullets are dangerous if they are misused," he added.
ANTARA noted that on December 31, 2019, that Hendra, a 17-year-old operator of a backhoe at a dumpsite in Iwaka Sub-district, Mimika District, Papua Province, had also discovered a weaponry, packed in a plastic bag.
According to Hendra's colleague, the weaponry was carried by a Mimika District Government-owned garbage truck bearing license plate DS 9593 MA.
Ten bullets were found on December 31, 2019, while 50 others along with two GLMs were discovered on January 1, 2020. The weaponry had been handed over to the Papua Police headquarters' Battalion B of Mobile Brigade Unit.
Investigators from the Indonesian police and military in Mimika then probed the discovery of the 60 bullets and two active grenade launcher modules (GLMs).
At that time, Mimika Police Chief I Gusti Era Adhinata noted that the ammunition and GLMs belonged to the military and police.
The joint team of investigators traced the origins of the ammunition and GLMs and uncovered the identity of the person or persons who could have taken them out of the weapon storage facility, Adhinata stated.
The West Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) is mentoring the Warkesi forest farmer group to manage the cenderawasih birdwatching tourism business as well as enhancing their knowledge and skills
for maintaining the area as a tourist destination, West Papua BKSDA head, Budi Mulyanto, said.
Members of the forest farmer group are involved in patrols around the forest, he informed.
"This smart patrol is important because it involves the people, making them care about the forests they manage," he said.
Moreover, BKSDA is helping the group in growing businesses that support tourism, such as the creation of souvenirs and culinary items, he added.
"If the members' economy improves, they will be consistent in nurturing the forest that is their life source," Mulyanto explained.
West Papua BKSDA technical head, Tasliman, informed that tourism activities have brought benefits and enhanced the local people's economy.
According to him, bird observation in the Warkesi forest can serve as an example of conservation through the economic enrichment of people.
"Raja Ampat is a world tourist destination, and the red cenderawasih bird is a Waigeo endemic animal. This bird is unique and does not exist in other places. This biodiversity must be kept alive," he remarked.
Furthermore, the Flora Fauna International (FFI) conservation agency that is conducting the Raja Ampat program is also supporting the Warkesi group's activities. FFI Raja Ampat program manager Andhy Priyo Sayogo said that the agency has been training tour guides for the group.
The agency has also trained the group members in conducting patrols as well as monitoring the red cenderawasih bird population along with West Papua BKSDA, he informed.
The West Papua BKSDA keeps track of the bird population regularly. Inspection is done through the sampling method at several points at Waigeo forest, he stated.
Based on an analysis in West Waigeo Nature Reserve, there has been a growth in the red cenderawasih population in the last five years, he informed.
According to him, in 2015 and 2016, there were only ten birds per hectare. In 2017, the red cenderawasih population grew by one, and the total rose to 15 in 2018 and 2019.
Tasliman also urged people to support efforts for conserving the endemic bird.
"Let the birds live free on Waigeo island; when people want to see them, they can come to Raja Ampat," he remarked.
FFI Raja Ampat program manager Sayogo also said he hoped that Raja Ampat residents would continue nurturing the Warkesi forest and cenderawasih birds, which are called birds-of-paradise because of their heavenly beauty.
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