JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com — Three members of the West Papua National Army (TPNPB) reportedly were shot dead by members of the Indonesian military and Indonesian police.
Two people were shot dead near the palm oil plantation area, PT. PAL and another was shot dead in Opitawak Village, Tembagapura, Papua.
An information source of Suara Papua who did want to be mentioned, explained that on April 10th, 2020 at 09.35 am in Opitawak village, a TPNPB member on behalf of Menderita Walia [born at Jiguwi on September 6th, 1995] had been shot dead by the TNI-Polri.
“Right now we cannot take the body because the TNI and Polri are guarding the corpse,” said an information source of suarapapua.com on Friday (4/10/2020) from Timika.
He explained currently, the Head of the General Operations Command of TPNPB Lekagak Telenggen along with troops from thirty-three military command areas had joined and were located in the mining area of Freeport Indonesia. The aim is to fight against the TNI-Polri and close Freeport until independent of West Papua from the Sorong until Samarai.
He revealed the early occurrence that the TNI and Polri took a position on the Opitawak highway to Arwanop. Then three TPBNPB members entered through the bald mountain to the other TPNPB troops. Seeing the TPNPB members passing by, the TNI shot three TPNPB members with a shotgun and hit Menderita Walia , while the other two TPNPB members were in front.
“Menderita Walia was shot to death. Two members of the TPNPB headed to the forest to save themselves. So until we give this information, we have not taken the bodies. Because the TNI and Polri are still guarding,” he said again.
April 9th, 2020
Meanwhile, two other TPNPB members were reported to have been shot dead by the TNI and Polri at Jalan Timika – Deiyai, precisely near PT PAL’s oil palm plantation. Two people who were shot and died were Sandy Kogoya and Melky Maiseni. Both are from command headquarters (Makodap) VIII Kemabu, Intan Jaya.
Previously, the TPNPB General Operations Commander, Lekagak Telenggen, told the media when interviewed that four TPNPB members had been shot and killed in Tembagapura. With the death of three TPNPB members on 9 and 10 April, the list of TPNPB personnel who died during the war against Indonesia in the Freeport area was reduced to seven members.
Author: Arnold Belau
Translator: Imelda Kopeuw
