By : Saby Kosay )*
The heinous acts carried out by the Papuan Separatist and Terrorist Group (KST) are still continuing to spread acts of terror that can unsettle the residents of Cenderawasih Earth itself. Firm action is needed from the security forces in order to restore a conducive situation in the Land of Papua.
The series of terror acts that continue to be carried out by KST in Papua, calling themselves Kodap XXXV/East Star and a group led by Ananias Ati Mimin in Oksibil District, Gunung Bintang Regency, Central Papua Province in early 2023 is indeed very disturbing to the community in the region.
Even since the beginning of January, on January 7 2023 to be precise, acts of terror have been carried out by KST Papua in the Gunung Bintang Regency. They shot a motorcycle taxi driver which in the end triggered a shootout between KST Papua and security forces consisting of joint TNI/Polri personnel.
It doesn’t end there, but acts of cruelty and terror are still being carried out by this Separatist and Terrorist Group in Papua, which is two days after the first incident in early 2023, namely on January 9 2023 they set fire to the State Vocational High School (SMKN) ) 1 Oksibil and also returned to shooting at the Ikairos cargo plane.
Then, on January 11 2023, on Wednesday to be precise, they again carried out their heinous action by setting fire to the Office of the Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) Office in the Oksibil District.
Previously, the Government had designated groups that always spread acts of terror as terrorist groups. In this regard, the Coordinating Minister (Menko) for Politics, Law and Security (Polhukam), Mahfud MD stated that indeed there are still acts of murder and also violence committed by KST, which is the reason for the government to designate them as a terrorist organization.
Mahfud MD then emphasized that this reason was also in accordance with what had been put forward by the Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Bambang Soesatyo and several other state institution leaders because the violence committed by these groups had been increasingly massive recently.
So, in line with all the acts of violence and atrocities that have been committed, including many of the statements from the group, the government considers that organizations and also people in Papua who commit massive violence are immediately categorized as terrorists.
This determination is also in accordance with Law (UU) Number 5 of 2018, which is an amendment to Law Number 15 of 2003 concerning the Stipulation of Government Regulations in Lieu of Law Number 1 of 2002 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Terrorism.
Referring to this rule, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs emphasized that indeed those who are categorized as terrorists are all people who are involved in planning, mobilizing and also organizing acts of terrorism. Then, he also explained that terrorism is any act that uses violence or threatens to create a widespread atmosphere of terror that can cause mass casualties.
Furthermore, Mahfud MD explained that acts of terrorism are also capable of causing destruction of vital strategic objects to the environment, public facilities, or international facilities with ideological, political and security motives. So based on the definition contained in Law Number 5 of 2018, everything that was carried out by KST Papua and all the names of their organizations including those affiliated with them were terrorist acts.
Because KST Papua has become increasingly violent with all the series of crimes they have committed that have seriously threatened the lives of other people, the atrocities committed by KST Papua deserve immediate action against them, because they have caused a lot of suffering to the Papuan people themselves.
Deputy Head of the Cartenz Peaceful Operations Public Relations Task Force, AKBP Arif Irawan stated that his party was paying attention to the series of KST Papua attacks. Currently, the Carstensz Peace Task Force itself is also continuing to make efforts to maintain security and public order, starting from the smallest environment.
Even the people in Bumi Cenderawasih themselves strongly criticized the attack carried out by KST Papua because they were determined to shoot civilians who even worked as motorcycle taxi drivers who were accused of being spies for security forces even though they only had status as ordinary people.
All the acts of cruelty and atrocities committed by KST Papua in spreading terror and threats of fear are very disturbing to the people of Cenderawasih Earth itself. For this reason, it is urgently needed to take firm action against the security forces, who are really supported by all residents in order to return the situation to a conducive situation in the Land of Papua.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta
