Concrete Evidence of the Success of Security Forces in Maintaining Stability in Papua, Bringing OPM Sympathizers Back to the Embrace of the Republic of Indonesia
By: Daniel Wonda
Papua, with all its abundant natural wealth and stunning natural beauty, has long been one of Indonesia’s strategic regions. However, this region is also the center of a separatist movement seeking to separate from the Republic of Indonesia, with the Free Papua Movement (OPM) as a symbol of their resistance.
Over the years, OPM has continued to carry out various acts of violence that have disrupted stability in the region. However, the persistent efforts of security forces in maintaining security in Papua have begun to show real results. One proof of this success is the return of several OPM sympathizers to the bosom of the Republic of Indonesia.
The success of the security forces in securing Papua is not only measured by the reduction in violent actions carried out by separatist groups from Bumi Cenderawasih, but also by the increasing number of sympathizers who are starting to realize and choose to return to the bosom of the Republic of Indonesia. This action is a reflection of the success of various approaches, both through military operations, coaching, and dialogue built by the government and security forces.
One of the important events that reflects this success is the return of three OPM sympathizers, namely Juli Sani, Ales Sani, and Hengki Sani. Their return to the bosom of the Republic of Indonesia is not something that just happened, but the result of a long process.
Lieutenant Colonel Inf. Dian Setyadi, Commander of Task Force Yonif 509 Kostrad, stated that the oath of loyalty read by the three sympathizers was important evidence that the efforts made so far to suppress the separatist movement in Papua had been going well. For Dian Setyadi, this success was not only about the return of a few individuals, but more broadly, about maintaining the unity of the nation.
Stability in Papua is crucial, and the success of the security forces in suppressing separatist movements such as the OPM cannot be separated from a well-planned strategy. Behind the return of these sympathizers, there are hard efforts by the security forces who not only use a military approach, but also through various coaching programs and cultural approaches that respect the customs of the local community.
Brigadier General Lucky Avianto, who serves as Commander of Habema, stated that the return of OPM sympathizers to the bosom of the motherland is concrete evidence that the security approach that has been carried out so far has been effective.
According to him, maintaining stability in Papua is not only about securing the region from terrorist groups who are enemies of the state, but also winning the hearts and minds of the local people.
Furthermore, this success also shows a change in awareness among OPM sympathizers. Many of them are beginning to realize that their struggle has actually harmed the Papuan people themselves.
OPM, which was initially founded in the spirit of resistance to colonialism, is now increasingly used as a tool by certain parties to divide national unity.
Nicholas Messet, a former high-ranking official and founder of the OPM who returned to the fold of the Republic of Indonesia in 2007, stated that the OPM and its sympathizers who were still active were actually ‘puppets’ of external interests, especially the Netherlands.
This statement underlines that the separatist movement in Papua was not entirely born from the wishes of the indigenous Papuan people, but rather the result of manipulation by outside parties who wanted to exploit the situation for their own political interests.
This is also a warning that security challenges in Papua do not only come from within the country, but also from external parties who still have hidden interests in the region.
Realizing this, the government and security forces continue to try to address the threat in a more comprehensive and strategic way. In addition to military operations, more humanistic approaches based on local values are also being implemented to re-embrace communities that were once affected by separatist groups.
In recent years, the government has increased infrastructure development and public welfare in Papua. Development programs designed to improve access to education, health, and the economy in Papua have directly helped reduce the influence of troublemakers in the Land of Papua.
Because, one of the reasons why OPM and other separatist movements have been able to survive so far is because of the people’s dissatisfaction with the inequality of development. However, with the increasingly even distribution of development, the Papuan people now have more reasons to remain within the framework of the Republic of Indonesia.
Of course, the challenge of maintaining Papua’s stability cannot be considered over. There are still OPM sympathizers and separatist groups who continue to try to disrupt security in the region.
However, with more and more sympathizers choosing to return, optimism that Papua will be more peaceful is growing. This success shows that the strategy implemented by the security forces, both from the TNI, Polri and BIN has been on the right track.
In the future, the challenge to maintain stability in Papua will continue to exist, but the real steps that have been taken prove that with patience and the right strategy, peace in this region can be achieved. The return of OPM sympathizers to the bosom of the Republic of Indonesia is one proof that these efforts are not in vain.
*) Papuan students from Pancasila University
