By: Alfred Jigibalom )*
The community supports the arrest of independent Papuan activists who have been troubling and committing crimes. The arrests are expected to have a deterrent effect and at the same time reduce violence in Papua which has been triggered by the Papuan Separatist and Terrorist Group (KST).
During the New Order era, the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was very aggressive in defecting because they felt they were not part of Indonesia and the Act of Free Choice (the determination of the people’s opinion). At that time there was indeed centralization so that it seemed as if everything was for Jakarta and also Java. But now Papua is no longer forgotten because in the era of President Jokowi, much attention was paid to it, there was even an international Women Twenty forum held in Papua.
However, independent Papuan activists (OPM and other groups) still do not accept and reason that Indonesia is colonizing Papua. Whereas the Earth of Cendrawasih area is an official part of Indonesia, both according to national and international law. The reason is that the former Dutch colony automatically became Indonesian territory, including Papua.
When an independent Papuan activist is arrested, the community appreciates it. Jayapura City Police Chief Kombes Pol Gustav R Urbinas stated, “The Jayapura Police have arrested 7 pro-Papuan independence activists on March 24, 2022, in the morning. The two people of the 7 herd were of high rank. The first is Basoka Logo, Chair of the West Papua National Commission and the second is Buktar Tabuni, Chair of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
The two groups were involved in the 2019 riots in Wamena and Jayapura City. So if caught it will be good, because they will not mobilize their men to make the next move. Moreover, the arrest is also in accordance with the procedure so that there is no dangerous action.
Kombes Pol Gustav R Urbinas, the Jayapura Police Chief stated, “The arrest of the seven people (free Papuan activists) stems from a case of beating members on duty. The perpetrators were holding a closed meeting when there was the beating. There was an action against the members.”
The community supports the arrest of the two prominent Papuan independent activists and their five members because they are optimistic that Earth of Cendrawasih will be peaceful without any rebel groups. If only there were no defections, life in Papua would run normally and there would be no worrying turmoil.
So far, people’s lives have been increasingly complicated by a group of defectors who want to create the Federal Republic of West Papua. Then on OPM’s birthday in December there was also terror and residents were forced to raise the Morning Star flag (the OPM symbol).
Moreover, they dared to beat the officers even though they were on guard for the safety of the Papuan people. Of course, this action cannot be justified because the apparatus are friends of the people, in fact they are hostile to them. It is natural for the authorities to arrest rebel groups because they have previously been involved in major cases.
Therefore, the community continues to support the actions of the apparatus to secure Papua. If there are members of an independent Papuan activist who are arrested, it is very natural, to prevent chaos in the Earth of Cendrawasih area.
Don’t let anyone say that the arrest of free Papuan activists violates human rights because in fact they are the ones who are violating human rights on the Earth of Cendrawasih. The activists frightened residents with firearms and often shot them at the police.
The community fully supports the security forces in arresting the independent Papuan activists, because so far their actions have been troubling. In addition, they were also involved in a case 3 years ago, so it is natural to be arrested. Hopefully there will be further arrests so that Papua will be safer.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Gorontalo
