JAYAPURA, SUARAPAPUA.com — The Young Intellectual Solidarity of Tambrauw (SIMT) strongly rejects the construction of the Military District Command (Kodim) in Tambrauw Regency and the Military Rayon Command (Koramil) in the Kwoor District.
Various efforts in the development of Kodim in Tambrauw Regency and Kwoor District continue to be carried out by the Indonesian government, regardless safety of Papuan people in Tambrauw. In response to these actions, The Young Intellectual Solidarity (SIMT) which was formed as a forum for coordination between young people in responding to the social dynamics of the Tambrauw community in the current era of development and modernization, submitted an open letter to the President of Indonesia, Ir. Joko Widodo and the Commander Chief of the Indonesian Military, Hadi Tjahjanto.
Tambrauw Youth Leader, Piter Mambrasar said it would be nice if the government saw the worsening education and health problems in Tambrauw and Kwoor as the main focus, rather than prioritizing the development of Kodim in Tambrauw Regency and Koramil in Kwoor District.
“There is no need to build a Koramil in the Kwoor District. It is better to first look at the problems of education, health which is not yet good in the Kwoor district, for the construction of the Koramil I think not necessary, because the people in Kwoor do not need the construction of the Koramil,” Mambrasar told suarapapua.com through the electronic message, on Sunday night (5/10/20).
The presence number of TNI members was followed by the installation a billboard in front of the office with the words KODIM (Military District Command) Tambrauw. Similarly, the KORAMIL (Military Rayon command) of the Kwoor District was built since February 2020.
“We have a bad past with the TNI. Until now, some of our older generation has still been living in the trauma from military violence in the past, which was carried out by Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) in military operations in the 1970s and also since the placement of TNI Task Force (Satgas) in several districts and Tambrauw regencies such as Kebar, Meyah, Fef and or several other districts in 2012 until now,” he said.
He said, more specifically the TNI apparatus assigned since 2015 to secure the construction of the West Papua Trans National Road; Manokwari until Sorong, where TNI military violence has occurred against local residents.
“We have experienced and felt direct, saw and heard various violences that often occurs against our citizens committed by the TNI. That is our life experience that underlies us not wanting to coexist with the military (we don’t want the KODIM in our area.),” he said.
The presence of TNI members in the office is intended to develop KODIM which increasingly makes Tambrauw residents restless and scared, because with the presence of a number of TNI members, especially in the future surely personnel for Tambrauw KODIM will be added in large numbers.
“Then there is no need to build a Koramil, because it will greatly disturb the space for people,” said Piter.
Mr. President and Commander, we do not want our area to be the same as other regions in Papua such as Nduga, Paniai, Deyai, Intan Jaya, Timika and other areas of Papua which are now often subject to military violence, which is caused because of the military in the intended area.
It’s not a secret that the various violence in Papua that led to human rights violations were carried out by state apparatus such as the TNI and Polri. From various human rights reports that we studied, the TNI has a high record of violence against the people of Papua.
However the president and commander, while the people of Tambrauw are carrying out government orders by continuing to work at home in an effort to break the chain of the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.
“We were surprised by the arrival of a number of members of the Army occupying a Tambrauw Regency Government building in Wembru Sausapor, which was used as the Tambrauw District Transportation Office, in January and February 2020. Mr. President and Commander, we don’t hate the TNI but we don’t want to live side by side with the TNI” he said.
Reporter : Yance Agapa
Editor : Arnold Belau
Translator : Imelda Kopeuw
