Terrorist Actions by OPM Are a Real Threat to Hamper Development Process in Papua
By: Jerome Maruna Kogoya )*
Terrorist actions by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) are a very real threat, especially in the process of accelerating development in Papua. The reason is, separatist groups from the region nicknamed Bumi Cenderawasih often launch barbaric actions that terrorize project workers there.
Therefore, because of the many acts of terror from OPM against project workers, the development process in Papua has been greatly disrupted and hampered so that firm action must be taken immediately to eradicate the terrorist groups that are the country’s enemies.
Because if OPM does not immediately take firm action, they will continue to intensify a number of cruel and barbaric acts of terror and continue to haunt project workers. As a result, the development process in Papua cannot proceed according to plan and continues to experience obstacles.
With the many threats of cruel and barbaric violence from the OPM, the atmosphere in Bumi Cenderawasih has become unconducive and continues to be disturbed, resulting in the obstruction of incoming investment, and development has also been severely disrupted.
One of the cases, as stated by the Commander of Task Force Yonif 133/YS, Lieutenant Colonel Inf Andhika Ganessakti, revealed that the OPM in Maybrat, Southwest Papua, deliberately carried out an attack on the health center project site. The OPM is said to want to hinder the development process in the Maybrat area.
Their motive is definitely to separate themselves from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). However, not only that, but they also want to hinder development in the area that the Government has continued to intensify.
Andhika said that a number of workers experienced trauma after the OPM terror. However, the workers have returned to work on building the health center. The workers’ confidence was able to return because of the hard work of the security forces who were able to convince them to continue development.
The presence of the OPM has greatly hampered progress throughout Papua. Moreover, so far the Government has continued to strive to accelerate development there.
The existence of the separatist group, the enemy of the country, certainly greatly hampers all government efforts in implementing the program to accelerate development and progress in the Land of Papua. In fact, all indigenous Papuan (OAP) citizens themselves really want and yearn for their region to be advanced and prosperous. However, if the OPM continues to interfere with its various barbaric acts, it is clear that progress will only be a pipe dream.
On the other hand, the Head of the Terrorism Studies Study Program (Kaprodi) at the University of Indonesia (UI), Muhammad Syauqillah, assessed that the series of terror acts by the OPM will continue to hamper the development of welfare for all people in the region nicknamed Bumi Cenderawasih.
Because if for example there are continuous conflicts, terror and various other illegal acts there, then of course Papua will experience serious obstacles in development.
The turbulent conditions are increasing with the presence of the OPM, making it one of the problems that has a level of urgency to be handled immediately, especially in the midst of the government’s intensive infrastructure development for the welfare of the people.
So far, all the terror acts that the OPM has intensified are completely inconsistent with the development framework of Bumi Cenderawasih, which is actually for the Papuan people themselves. This means that when development is hampered, in the long term it will also have a huge impact on the fate or welfare of the OAP community, for example, road access from one region to another becomes very hampered, as in the case of the destruction of the Baya Biru bridge.
Even so, in dealing with the OPM, the government has implemented a series of very appropriate strategies, including the use of a soft approach or a hard approach to resolve all problems of separatism and terrorism.
Other efforts to advance Papua that the government has made, namely by intensively building the Papua Bangkit Stadium, then the construction of the Trans Papua Road, a Special Market for Women, allocating special funds, to the existence of the Papua Youth Creative Hub (PYCH).
Another step by the government to advance Bumi Cenderawasih, not only physically or in terms of infrastructure, but also in terms of developing the quality of human resources (HR) with a free education program for the entire OAP community.
The obstacles to development and progress in Papua have so far been due to the presence of the OPM, which often carries out various barbaric actions, making it difficult for the local community to prosper.
High appreciation should be expressed to the ranks of the security forces, who recently succeeded in securing suspected OPM intelligence in Papua. The Indonesian Navy in this case the Joint Task Force of the Outer Islands Marine Task Force (Puter) XXVIII in synergy with the Indonesian Army and Indonesian National Police and the local community succeeded in securing suspected National Liberation Army/Free Papua Organization (TPN/OPM) in Mapia Village, North Supiori District, Supiori Regency, Papua. Saturday (03/04).
On various occasions, the Chief of Naval Staff (Kasal) Admiral TNI Dr. Muhammad Ali conveyed to all ranks of the Indonesian Navy to increase vigilance and respond quickly to all forms of unlawful actions around their work areas, and to synergize with related agencies and stakeholders for further handling processes.
The terror acts of the OPM are clearly a very real threat to the government’s efforts to accelerate development in Papua, because it not only makes project workers afraid of the terror, but on the other hand also makes investors reluctant to invest their capital in Bumi Cenderawasih, thus greatly hampering development.
)* Papuan students living in Manado
