Separatist and terrorist groups (KST) are increasingly brutal and terrorize houses of worship. Law enforcement against KST members must be carried out so that security in Papua can be maintained.
The condition of Papua is not yet completely peaceful because there is a threat from KST. They attack not only verbally but also with actions. The attacks also varied and became more and more severe, because the victims were not only civilians but also the police. KST also has the heart to destroy people’s houses and burn schools, and this very disgraceful act is certainly hated by the people of Papua.
Not only terrorizing residential areas, KST has also terrorized houses of worship. They attacked a church in Apmisibil Village, Akbibab District, Bintang Mountains District. Two officers were injured in this attack, namely Bripda Vanny Putra Perdana and Private Willy John Bazanes.
The Head of the Bintang Mountains Police, AKBP Cahyo Sukarnito, stated that a gun battle took place at 10:45 WIT, May 1, 2022. KST attacked 2 personnel (apparatus) who were carrying out security at the house of worship. The direction of the shot from the side of Okibab Middle School was aimed at the church.
The KST attack was immediately reviled by the community because they had the heart to attack a house of worship. Although there were no fatalities, the KST attack made the community afraid so that further worship activities could be disrupted. They refused to come to church because they were afraid of the next attack.
Even though as devout people, the congregation would want to regularly go to church to worship. But KST instead acts and annoys those who want to calm down and get closer to their Lord. KST is really outrageous because it has the heart to attack houses of worship and violate the human rights of the people who want to worship solemnly there.
When attacking a house of worship, it was seen that KST did not have any compassion at all because it had the heart to shoot at the church, and the people inside were Papuan natives who were their own tribal brothers. Those on the inside certainly didn’t know that there was an attack outside. Moreover, the congregation was solemnly worshiping so they did not hear any gunfire.
Has KST gone crazy enough to attack houses of worship? How outrageous and inhumane! It was as if they were not afraid of sin by shooting at houses of worship and openly opposing God. Their actions this time really made the people angry because they attacked the house of worship which is the house of God.
Therefore, the arrests of KST members were intensified by the Cartenz Peace Task Force. They are increasingly intensive in conducting sweeps, especially in finding KST headquarters. Understandably, they have a lot of bases and they are deliberately set up in hidden places such as in the forest or hills, so that the authorities have a bit of trouble finding them.
People who know where KST members are also asked to be informants and immediately report to the authorities so that they can be arrested quickly. An information, even if only by telephone, is very valuable. The reason is because KST members can be arrested quickly so that they will no longer carry out attacks, either to houses of worship or to other places.
KST who terrorized the house of worship was strongly criticized by the community because they had the heart to attack the church and shoot the officers who were keeping the residents safe. The community strongly agrees with the arrest of KST because they have been troubling all this time. Don’t let KST make people afraid to go to church.
Moses Waker, Writer is a Papuan student living in Bali