By : Salmon Kadepa )*
The community condemns the heinous actions of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) which had the heart to use mothers and children as human shields in the case of the plane shooting at Sinak Airport. OPM’s cunning strategy increasingly shows the cruelty of this group which does not side with Indigenous Papuans (OAP).
OPM continues to act and disrupt security in the area known as Bumi Cenderawasih. Not half-hearted, their various atrocities also included a barbaric strategy, namely using mothers and children as human shields in carrying out their actions, namely shooting down planes at Sinak Airport.
In fact, cases like this are not the only ones that have occurred in Papua, where the perpetrator is also the OPM. They have shot at planes several times and also used civilians, including mothers and children, as human shields.
This very cruel strategy, namely using mothers and children as human shields, was related to the shooting of the Smart Air PK-SNH plane at Sinak Airport, Puncak Regency, Central Papua. The security forces experienced few obstacles in taking firm action against them.
When the security forces were trying to chase down the shooters, who were members of the Papuan separatist gang, they immediately carried out a cunning strategy, namely using mothers and children as shields.
Head of the Public Relations Task Force (Kasatgas Humas) for the 2024 Cartenz Peace Operation, Police Commissioner Bayu Suseno, said that the perpetrators of the attack were detected to be 3 people and they were using long-barreled firearms (senpi). The shooting occurred at around 11:40 WIT and hit the propeller of the plane that was about to land.
Security forces confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident. The condition of the Smart Air plane carrying 5 passengers also managed to land safely at Sinak Airport.
The plane managed to land thanks to the alertness of the plane pilot who immediately decided to continue landing at Sinak Airport and wait for a safe situation to return to Nabire.
As a result of the OPM attack, the departure of the NGA airline’s plane was delayed. The Free Papua Organization also attacked the Logistics Warehouse Post of Infantry Battalion (Yonif) 751. The security forces responded to the attack, resulting in a firefight.
After firing back, security forces from joint personnel immediately responded by chasing the group. Until now, the authorities are still trying to hunt down the perpetrators of the shooting by intensifying patrols and ongoing tight security operations to prevent further OPM actions from occurring.
Security forces also appeal to the entire public to continue to increase their vigilance and report to officers if they see any suspicious activity.
Meanwhile, Head of Information for the XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command (Kapendam), Lieutenant Colonel Infantry (Lt. Col. Inf) Candra Kurniawan admitted that the security forces continued to be careful when carrying out retaliation against the OPM attack because the perpetrators took cover behind mothers and children. the children they used as human shields.
Using mothers and children as human shields is indeed OPM’s method of carrying out its actions. Even so, there were no casualties in this incident thanks to the quick response of the security forces who immediately rushed to secure Sinak Airport.
The chase took place, but security personnel could not immediately take firm action because they were worried that it would impact the mothers and children who the OPM had brought as their human shield.
Because they continue to carry out these very cruel, barbaric and despicable acts, the Panca Marga Youth (PPM) as a forum for bringing together the sons and daughters of the successors of the Independence fighters of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) who are members of the Big Family of the Indonesian National Army (KBT) strongly condemns the brutal actions OPM continues to cause people in Papua to become victims.
Victims continue to fall due to the actions of terrorist groups that are enemies of the country, from security forces to even innocent civilians. Therefore, the General Chairperson (Ketum) of PPM, Berto Izaak Doko, considered that all the disturbances carried out by OPM had disturbed his common sense.
So far, the joint security forces of the TNI and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) have tried to create security and peace to accelerate development in the Land of Papua, but have always been disturbed by the presence and chaos of the OPM.
Moreover, based on how the recent case occurred, various parties strongly condemned OPM’s heinous ploy which had the heart to use mothers and children as human shields during the plane action at Sinak Airport.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bandung