JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com— The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) asked the Indonesian National Army (TNI) and the Indonesian Police (Polri) to stop instilling fear in civilians in Papua, through its military operations, sweeping, cordon and search operations, its torturing practices and the setting up of more military posts.
This was strongly stated by the Head of the central leadership of the KNPB, Agus Kosay, during a joint press conference with the Students and Youth Solidarity against Militarism in Papua, held at the Jubi Editorial Office, on Monday 12 November 2018 at 5 p.m., local time.
“A series of military operations in the Central Mountains region, starting from Ndugama, Puncak Jaya, and then today in Lany Jaya, and in several other districts (currently underway), have provoked fear among Papuan civilians. At this time we want to say that the TNI and the National Police should not spread fear among the people who are clueless about the problem,” said the Chairperson of the central KNPB who was just recently elected through the second KNPB Congress.
According to Agus Kosay, the TNI and Polri always frighten people who do not know about the problem, especially in the Central Highlands region of Papua.
“Take for example the incident in Ndugama. Many people have fled because they were afraid and traumatized and until now this has not been investigated thoroughly. The same goes for Lanny Jaya and other places. Hence we the KNPB, as an organization which mediates on behalf of the people, we want to take this opportunity to strongly urge the Indonesian military leadership to stop targeting the wrong people. If the intended target is the Papuan National Liberation Army (TPNPB), then please let it be the military against the military (do not target civil society during these operations),” he stressed.
Meanwhile Maike Tabuni, the representative of the students from Ndugama Regency, urged the Regional Military Commander and the Regional Police to immediately withdraw their troops who were carrying out military operations in several districts in the central mountains region of Papua. Tabuni also urged the regional government to protect civil society from ill-treatment by the Indonesian military.
“The government in the local area should not remain silent. They have to raise their voices and also pay attention to the community, because from what I myself was able to observe, the government had not addressed the issue of civilians who had fled to other districts,” he said.
Regarding the plans of the Indonesian military to build checkpoints in several districts and villages that were the target of military operations, Tabuni considered that precisely this would have a negative psychological impact on the civil society in the villages.
“So far, I have seen that in Ndugama, military posts were being built in the districts, I wish to state firmly that this is wrong and inappropriate! It is my sincere hope that there is no need to set up such posts which have unclear purposes. The presence of these posts only brings trauma, terror; they cast a shadow of fear and have a harmful impact on the people there,” he concluded.
In the same place, Teren Surabut, senior student from Yalimo district highlighted the continuous adding of troops from outside Papua to Papua, and the military operations in several locations in the central mountains of Papua which were considered detrimental to the people in the mountain area.
“We hope that the National Police Chief and the TNI leadership will immediately withdraw their troops from the operation area. Stop the military operations. Stop sending troops from outside to Papua,” said Surabut.
He considered that if there were no Indonesian security forces, the Papuan people would feel even safer and would be able carry out their daily activities without fear of being killed and shot dead.
Position Statement
Considering the situation, the KNPB as an organization which mediates on behalf of the people, together with the Youth and Student Anti-Militarism Solidarity in Papua, representing Papuan students and youth, wish to draw special attention to the climate of fear among the civilian population in Lanny Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama, and Timika District, which are constantly the stage of Indonesian military operations, and make the following position statement.
- Papuan students and youth strongly reject the plans of the Regent of Ndugama district to set up sectoral police stations (polsek) and Indonesian Military posts in the Mapenduma District.
- Papuan students and youth strongly urge the Nduga local government, as representatives of the people, to raise their voice concerning the real situation in the Ndugama District and to side with the people.
- Papuan students and youth reject the brutal sweeping actions carried out by Indonesian security forces against Papuan civilians in the areas of the districts of Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika.
- Papuan students and youth urge the Local Government of the Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika districts to provide protection to their civilians from the threat of being targeted by Indonesian military operations.
- Papuan students and youth urge the central government, to immediately withdraw the Indonesian military operating in Papua in general, and more specifically in Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika districts.
- We urge the Regional Police Chief and the Cenderawasih Papua Regional Military Commander, to withdraw all organic and non-organic personnel who are carrying out military operations in the areas of Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika districts.
- We call for the immediate stop of the construction of Indonesian military and police posts at the district level and at the village level in the Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika Regencies.
- We urgently call on the Indonesian security forces to guaranteesecurity and access of civilians who fled to the forests because of the brutal acts of the Indonesian military in the districts of Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika.
- We urge the Government of Indonesia and the regional government to immediately open access to local, national, and foreign journalists to enable them to reportin an independent and neutral manner on all the incidents and their aftermath in Lany Jaya, Puncak Jaya, Ndugama and Timika regencies.
- We urge the Indonesian Government to urgently call the Indonesian army (TNI) and the West Papua National Army (TPNPB) to an immediate ceasefire, and to respect the freedom and the right to self-determination of the People of West Papua, so that they can determine their own future.
This statement was signed by student representatives, Iron Tabuni from Lany Jaya, Maike Tabuni from Ndugama, Ronal Wanimbo from Tolikara, Yustinus Kolokmabin from Pengunungan Bintang, Eman Pahabol from Yahukimo, Teren Surabut from Yalimo, and Ones Suhuniap, spokesperson for KNPB (central bureau).
Reporter: Ardi Bayage
Editor: Tebet Bastian
