Beware The Cruelty of Separatist Groups Ahead of OPM Anniversary in Papua

By: Sabby Kosay) *

The Free Papua Organization (OPM) is a separatist group that often commits atrocities against civilians. By 1 December, the people were asked to be vigilant because Papuan separatist groups often carried out brutal actions to show their existence.

            The Free Papua Organization (OPM) is an organization established in 1965 to end the governance of the Provinces of Papua and West Papua, which at this time in Indonesia, formerly known as Irian Jaya, even claimed to separate from Indonesia.

            They did not hesitate to carry out separatist military action, one of which was by holding 1,300 residents hostage and causing a Brimob member to die.

The Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law and Security of the Republic of Indonesia (Menko Polhukam) has prepared anticipation ahead of the anniversary of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) on December 1.

            He said, what will be handled later is anticipation related to politics. While related to security, it has already proceeded on its own because there are clear standards.

            If we study the OPM issue, really they are not actually fighting on behalf of Papua. They are a handful of people who claim to be Papua but are actually being used by other people or could be foreigners or foreign interests.

            More precisely, OPM is a traitor to the nation and a traitor to the earth of love. Peaceful Papua is always made full of threats and chaos.

            OPM itself has been a separatist organization for a long time and has even tried to break away from Indonesia since the reign of the Republic of Indonesia, but not only about it, but rather to the threat and depraved actions that have been inscribed by the Egianus Kogoya leadership group.

            OPM’s birthday really does not need to be celebrated, if the group only wants to tarnish fellow nation’s children. Their betrayal has undermined the peace of the land of Papua. Whether they are moving on their own or have been exploited by foreign parties, it is clear that OPM has done a lot of underground propaganda through the internet to gain international sympathy by exploiting human rights issues in Papua.

            The propaganda turned out to be quite effective for the OPM to seek support as indicated by the number of human rights activist institutions that gave attention to the Free Papua activists, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Komnasham, Kontras and so on.

            Therefore, OPM’s own birthday must be watched out. Do not let the traitors of the Republic of Indonesia continue to threaten peace in Papua. All parties must be able to act and act for a peaceful and progressive Papua.

            The welfare of Papuans will be a dream if the nation’s traitors have not been eliminated from the Land of Papua.

            Last year, the chief of staff of the Presidential office (KSP) Moeldoko mentioned that the road construction in Yigi District, Nduga Regency was also carried out by the OPM. The government also strongly condemned the massacre.

            Moeldoko rate, the action of armed criminal groups against civil society is also an act of terrorism.

            At that time various media reported related to the murder of 31 road construction workers in Kali Yigi-Kali Aurak, Yigi District, Nduga Regency. The murder was allegedly carried out by Armed criminal groups and led to 31 workers from the state-owned militant company PT Istaka Karya Tewas.

            Responding related to the anniversary of OPM, not a few Papuans who rejected the planned anniversary of the OPM. Those who reject the agenda also ask law enforcement officials to take firm action against groups that will carry out OPM anniversary commemorative activities, because this is contrary to laws and regulations and can cause unrest among the people of Papua.

            It is also possible that OPM and its wing organizations will create a riot in their anniversary. Like provocation on social media for example.

            The public is also encouraged to be careful of all provocation efforts from groups who want to break away from the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, especially as we know that the OPM has weapons supplied from foreign countries, lest our sense of unity be torn apart by a handful of people who want to escape from the lap of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia. The struggle of course is not only against other nations, but also against their own nation.

) * The writer is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta