By: Alfred Jigibalom )*
The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has been continuously spreading propaganda efforts, attracting a lot of attention. This time, they tried to distort the facts regarding the release of Susi Air pilot from New Zealand, Philip Mark Mehrtens, who was previously held hostage by the OPM.
OPM has been proven to continue provoking and distorting facts. The group also tried to lead public opinion that there was no involvement of the TNI, Polri and BIN security forces in the release operation. These efforts are part of OPM’s strategy to distort information and spread misleading narratives.
Head of Public Relations Task Force for Peaceful Operation Cartenz 2024, Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno, firmly denied the claims spread by OPM spokesman, Sebby Sambom. According to him, the accusation that the ranks of the TNI, Polri and BIN security forces were not involved in Philip’s release was merely propaganda.
Sebby Sambom deliberately designed a narrative that aimed to mislead the public, so that it would appear that the OPM had full control over the pilot’s release.
Senior Commissioner of Police Bayu explained that the OPM’s claim was merely an attempt to gain public sympathy and strengthen their image as an influential group in Bumi Cenderawasih. However, in reality, the role of the TNI, Polri and BIN was very significant in the negotiations and the release operation.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto also gave his views on the situation. According to Hadi, Philip’s release was achieved through long and complicated negotiations with the OPM led by Egianus Kogoya, one of the elements under the OPM.
The approach taken by the government and security forces is called a soft approach , involving religious figures, customs, churches, and Egianus’ family. For one year and seven months, the government together with security forces and various other parties continued to negotiate until finally the Susi Air pilot was successfully released.
Hadi said that there was no reward requested by the OPM in this release process. All parties worked together persuasively to resolve this issue for the sake of humanity. The context conveyed by Hadi is important to understand the complexity of the negotiation process in the Papua region.
The government’s approach shows that dialogue and persuasive approaches are more effective than the use of military force alone. With no demands for rewards from the OPM, it is clear that this liberation operation is the result of cooperation between various parties, including the security forces.
Kingmi Nduga Church Coordinator, Pastor Eliaser Tabuni, also gave his views on the role of women in the negotiations for Philip’s release. According to Eliaser, women in the Bumi Cendrawasih region played a key role in the negotiation process with the TPNPB militia under the command of Egianus Kogoya.
Not only that, women in Nduga emphasized the importance of compassion and humanitarian values to the OPM group, which eventually softened and was willing to negotiate. Eliaser said that the role of these women cannot be ignored in the success of the operation, because their loving approach has touched the hearts of OPM members.
The context of the propaganda carried out by OPM through these baseless claims should be a warning to the public to be more critical in assessing the information circulating.
The OPM separatist group often uses misleading communication strategies to gain public sympathy, both domestically and internationally. They exploit the uncertainty of information in the media to frame a narrative that suits their interests.
In the case of the release of the Susi Air pilot, the claim that the OPM acted without intervention from the ranks of the TNI, Polri and BIN security forces is just one example of their efforts to distort the facts for political gain.
The steps taken by the government and security forces in Papua have proven that persuasive processes can produce results without violence. Although the OPM continues to try to influence public opinion with misleading narratives.
Facts on the ground show that it was hard work and collaboration from various parties that succeeded in freeing Philip. Religious, traditional, and local community leaders also played an important role in quelling the conflict that occurred in the area nicknamed the Golden City.
Propaganda such as that carried out by the OPM is part of their efforts to maintain their image as a group that still has significant influence in the region nicknamed Little Heaven at the tip of Indonesia.
However, the narratives they construct often do not correspond to the reality on the ground. On the contrary, operations carried out by the government and security forces show that conflict resolution in Papua is more likely to be achieved through dialogue and persuasive approaches.
The success of the release of Philip Mark Mehrtens is proof that a peaceful approach and collaboration between all elements of society is more effective than the propaganda tactics used by separatist groups.
This experience also teaches us that in facing terrorist groups who are enemies of the state, synergy between security forces, community leaders, and civil society is the main key to maintaining peace in Cenderawasih Land.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali