Jayapura, Jubi – Executive Director of the Alliance for Democracy for Papua (AIDP) Latifah Anum Siregar said the illegal firearms and ammunition trade network in Papua was very strong. Many cases of illegal arms trade have been decided by the courts but the major suppliers and financiers in the illegal trade have not been touched by the legal process.
On Friday, July 1, 2022, AlDP launched an investigation report titled “Papua Illegal Firearms and Ammunition Trade”. The report is the result of an investigation into various cases of illegal firearms and ammunition trade from 2011 to 2021.
Siregar said that the various cases of illegal arms trade that made it to court only punished the perpetrators in the field. In the past 10 years, none of the funders was ever prosecuted.
In fact, arms trafficking in Papua involves a very large amount of money. “Oftentimes, the money was received first without weapons. They dared to pay up to Rp 2.3 billion. Why? Because the network is strong. It’s like, ‘Okay, go ahead, I’ve paid for it, the weapons can come later,” Siregar told Jubi on Friday.
Siregar suspected the relationship between buyers and sellers had long existed and was well-maintained. “The network is multi-layered. In fact, in one arms trade case, there were more than three intermediaries,” said Siregar.
AlDP report also identified that the illegal arms trade in Papua involved the army or police. Of the 51 people convicted of arms trafficking cases between 2011 and 2021, 14 were soldiers and six were police. Other than that, there are also four members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), three West Papua National Committee activists, and the rest are civilians.
Siregar further questioned why the illegal firearms suppliers in Papua were never prosecuted. She stated that every firearm traded in Papua had a complete serial number so the police should have been able to trace the origin.
“Even though it is clear that the weapon has a serial number, why wasn’t the serial number traced? The investigators must have also been told where the weapons came from but why haven’t the security officers involved as suppliers investigated?? If we ask the court about the matter, the court says such information was not disclosed by the police,” said Siregar.
She said the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police must strengthen their internal supervision to uncover illegal firearms and ammunition trade networks in Papua. The government needs to reveal the main suppliers or providers, as well as the funders for buying illegal weapons. “Because trade destroys humanity and threatens the peace process from occurring in Papua,” said Siregar. (*)
Jayapura, Jubi TV – The Yalimo Police arrested AM, a Nduga-based civil servant, on Wednesday night, June 29, 2022, in Elelim, Yalimo Regency. The police caught AM possessing with him 615 rounds of ammunition of various calibers and one self-assembled firearm suspected to be supplied to the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) under the leadership of Egianus Kogoya.
“It’s true, there has been an arrest of a civil servant from Nduga Regency who is suspected of being a supplier of ammunition to the armed group in Nduga,” said the director of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Papua Police, Sr. Comr. Faizal Rahmadani on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
Faizal said the Yalimo Police arrested AM after they suspected him of riding a motorcycle. He was stopped and checked, and it turned out he was carrying 615 rounds of ammunition of various calibers and an assembled FN pistol. AM has now been brought to Wamena for further investigation because he is part of the Nduga armed group.
The police will continue the investigations to uncover the group’s network and reveal the origin of the ammunition. Moreover, there are indications that the TPNPB is currently running out of ammunition. “We’re not yet sure but we suspect hundreds of the ammunition came from outside Yalimo and purchased for Rp 200,000 per item,” said Faizal. (*)
"The government will start to form the regional governments in the new Papua DOB and also form a legal umbrella or legal instruments for seat of the people's representatives in the House of Representatives (DPR), Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and Regional House of Representatives (DPRD)," Mahfud noted here on Tuesday.
Currently, the government is discussing the appropriate legal form to regulate these matters, such as by including it in a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), presidential regulation (Perpres), or government regulation (PP), Mahfud remarked.
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He also revealed that in the near future, the Ministry of Home Affairs will propose to the government regarding the legal form that regulates formation of the government and the seat availability for the people's representatives in the three Papua DOB.
"The Home Affairs Ministry will propose a legal form that will be submitted to us (the government)," Mahfud stated.
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Thus, the government will have sufficient time to regulate all matters relating to the three new autonomous regions of Papua -- Central Papua, Highlands Papua, and South Papua -- especially regarding the seat availability of the people's representatives amid the early preparations of the 2024 Election.
"We hope to have sufficient time to inaugurate the new provinces. We officially have 37 provinces. The law has been passed, and we are waiting for the inauguration. The government will determine the date, the officials for the regional governments, and their transfer and relocation," the minister stated.
Mahfud noted that all these aspects would still require a legal umbrella as a legal binder.
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