Jayapura, Jubi – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) has said it will not call a truce nor engage in a dialogue with the Indonesian government unless the United Nations (UN) acts as a mediator and the dialogue is favorable to the Papuan people.
“TPNPB-OPM will not have a dialogue with ‘Jakarta’ if it is not mediated by the UN,” said TPNPB-OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, responding to the call from 194 Catholic priests in Papua for a ceasefire between the armed group and the security forces.
Sambom also said his party was not willing to take a “humanitarian break” if the Indonesian government had not shown good intentions to the Papuan people and was still shooting civilians dead.
“We hope that the Indonesian government under the leadership of President Joko Widodo is willing to open up and negotiate with Papuan negotiators. We are ready to negotiate with ‘Jakarta’, with a mediator from the United Nations,” he said.
Sambom said the TPNPB-OPM was willing to stop the war and bring about peace if both representatives reached an agreement. However, he said, his party would resume war if no agreement was reached between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people.
“The TPNPB will not stop the war. We will call a truce when the Papuan negotiators are negotiating with the enemy under the supervision of the United Nations. If negotiations fail, however, the war will resume,” he said.
Previously, commander of the Cenderawasih Military Regional Command Maj. Gen. Ignatius Yogo Triyono supported a dialogue approach to resolve the conflict in Papua. The government has been using a military approach so far.
He supported dialogue to take place because the armed conflict in Papua continued to escalate in recent months, not only in Nduga, Intan Jaya, and Puncak but also in Pegunungan Bintang and Maybrat in West Papua.
“We too are tired of continuously shooting. The victims are not just from the armed group. Our troops also fall victims,” said Triyono in an interview with Tempo Magazine. He also agreed that the root cause of Papua’s problem was not security but welfare. (*)
Reporter: Benny Mawel
Editor: Syam Terrajana
Commander of the 173/PVB District Military Command Brig Gen Taufan Gastoro. (ANTARA/HO/Dok Danrem 173/PVB)
The terrorist was identified as Selon Songonau. During the gunfight, none of the army personnel got injured, Commander of the 173/PVB District Military Command Brig. Gen. Taufan Gastoro stated.
According to received reports, Songonau's body was buried by his family, Gastoro told ANTARA during a telephonic interview from Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, on Wednesday.
He also dismissed a claim made by the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) on its website that a military post was torched by members of an armed Papuan separatist terrorist group.
Gastoro emphasized that the claim was baseless, as none of the military posts currently used in all administrative areas of the 173/PVB District Military Command were torched.
He pointed out that the security situation in Sugapa Sub-district was generally conducive, and locals had resumed their routine activities in the aftermath of Sunday's gunfight.
Despite the conducive situation, army personnel are instructed to stay on alert, he added.
Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
Armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba village airstrip.
Armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and unleash acts of terror against civilians to instill fear among the people.
On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika District on February 9.
On February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Thereafter, on the morning of September 13, several members of the Lamek Tablo-led separatist terrorist group reportedly torched several public facilities, including a public health center, and homes in Kiwirok.
The separatist terrorists reportedly assaulted and tortured several health workers from the Kiwirok Public Health Center. One health worker, identified as Gabriela Meilan, died, while four others sustained serious injuries in the attack.
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