By :Moses Waker
The government is trying to change the new conflict resolution approach from the one initially using weapons, to a more humanist approach. The change in strategy is expected to accelerate the realization of peace in several areas of Papua.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that the approach in Papua is a comprehensive and synergistic development of welfare. This means that in Papua the approach is not weapons but welfare.
He explained that the principles of the new approach to handling Papua had been stated in Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 and followed by Presidential Decree No. 20 of 2020. The two regulations explicitly state that the approach to welfare in Papua in essence must be comprehensive and synergistic.
Synergy means that relevant ministries and institutions must work together. Instead of doing development independently. So that the output appears products that blend with each other.
Not only that, Mahfud also explained that the technical approach to security in Papua would be a territorial operation. It was not a combat operation. He also said that the TNI Commander already had an idea about a new security approach in Papua. The Commander in Chief already has ideas about the new approach and they will be presented in due course.
At the same place Andika said that the TNI was using the legal basis issued by the government to take action in Papua. We need to know that the conflict between the TNI-Polri and the Separatist Groups in Papua has been going on for years. The two often engage in gun battles.
This armed conflict not only caused casualties on both sides of the conflict, but civil society was also affected by this conflict. However, Andika has not explained in detail the new approach. He promised to explain in detail when he visited Papua next week.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ma’ruf Amin asked the former KASAD/KSAD to continue to monitor the development of national conditions, especially in Papua and West Papua, related to the acceleration of development in the Land of Papua.
Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin hopes that General Andika can continue the steps taken by the previous TNI Commander in building security conduciveness in Papua.
With a better approach, it is hoped that the intensity of security disturbances in Papua will decrease. Ma’ruf Amin believes that the new Panglima has concepts that may have a better approach. That’s what we hope for.
Ma’ruf also emphasized that the former TNI Commander Marshal Hadi had also applied good concepts and steps. But based on what has been done, he hopes that there will be better strategic steps in dealing with security issues in Papua. He also said that Andika would be able to implement more humane steps while maintaining the spirit of protecting and upholding human rights.
Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Lodewijk Fredrich Paulus said Andika plans to no longer use a war (violent) approach in dealing with the Papua issue. He said that Andika would use a softer and more humanist approach. Andika was said to be resolving the conflict in Papua by utilizing territorial development operations. He said the TNI would prioritize communication.
Lodewijk said that Andika’s mainstay was not combat units, but territorial units that were deployed, starting from Babinsa, Tamtama and Kodim and that was what was strengthened. Lodewijk claimed Andika Perkasa had started preparing territorial units in Papua. The soldiers were specially selected beforehand.
On a different occasion, the Head of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Papua Representative, Frits Ramandey hoped for a new policy to support the Police in resolving armed conflicts in Papua.
Frits said that the figure of General Andika Perkasa had been approved by the Indonesian House of Representatives as Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces. And he must be willing to build communication with all other stakeholders in Papua.
Andika Perkasa certainly has a heavy burden in dealing with security issues in Papua. So that collaboration and synergy are needed so that institutions or agencies can reconcile the earth of Cenderawasih.
The author is a Papuan student living in Gorontalo