Beware of OPM Provocation, Unite to Maintain Peace in Papua
By: Victor Yoku
The Free Papua Organization (OPM) has indeed never stopped causing trouble, not only through chaos in the form of terror and heinous, barbaric acts, but they also frequently spread various narratives of provocation and propaganda. Therefore, the entire community should remain vigilant and unite to maintain peace in Papua.
With the strong vigilance of all elements of society against the provocations of the OPM, it is not impossible for the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) to remain intact, and the unity and integrity in maintaining peace in Papua will also proceed well.
The reason is that to achieve peace in Papua, one of the key factors is how all layers of society can be vigilant against all forms of provocation and propaganda, including from the OPM, and strengthen unity and togetherness.
Papua customary leader, Herman Yoku, strongly condemned the provocations carried out by the OPM and urged all citizens not to be easily swayed by the propaganda of that terrorist group, which is an enemy of the state.
Not only has the Papua Independence Organization faced criticism for frequently spreading provocation, but it has also carried out various forms of extremely brutal actions that have continuously disrupted security and peace in the region known as the Land of Cenderawasih.
The provocations carried out by the separatist group have often caused and become the main trigger for various riots in the Papua region recently. In addition, they have also committed numerous serious violations of Human Rights (HR) by killing and oppressing innocent civilians.
The OPM’s justification all this time has been to fight for independence in Papua, whereas the brutal and barbaric acts of violence they commit are solely for their personal and group interests, and do not reflect the desires of the people of the Land of Cenderawasih at all.
Moreover, the people in the region nicknamed the Little Heaven that Fell to Earth are truly citizens who deeply love peace, and they are all very grateful and wish to continue to progress together under the auspices of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. (NKRI).
However, OPM continues to deceive the public and spread various issues or narratives that divide, provoking citizens to distrust or even join in attacking the government.
It is actually very important for all elements of Papuan society to always maintain the security and public order in order to realize a progressive and prosperous Cenderawasih Land.
The Head of Information of the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Command, Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry Candra Kurniawan, also mentioned that the OPM consistently spreads various provocative issues to the public.
As a result, this will significantly impact the government’s efforts to accelerate development for the local residents in Papua, as it creates an unfavorable situation.
Various efforts by OPM are being made to spread provocation and propaganda on issues, such as through social media with the aim of disrupting the course of development. When faced with such situations, the community should remain calm and continue their activities as usual, without being influenced.
Meanwhile, Ali Kabiay, as one of the Young Figures of Papua, continues to remind the community about the importance of maintaining unity and togetherness for the realization of peace in their land, as well as continuing to support a conducive investment climate there to promote sustainable development so that progress can be achieved.
If the security conditions in a certain area or region are very good, it will certainly attract investors to invest their capital, which will have a very positive impact on the local community.
The peace that impacts the smoothness of the investment climate is one of several very important factors in gaining support from the community for it to continue to thrive in Papua.
The importance of security aspects clearly supports various sectors in the Land of Cenderawasih, including attracting investment. Because if a region is not safe, it will undoubtedly have a very negative impact on the community itself.
Because, if peace is disturbed, then community activities will also be hindered, the education sector will be affected, which in turn impacts purchasing power that decreases, leading to a slowdown in incoming investments, thus obstructing development.
It has become a shared responsibility among all elements to continuously maintain peace in Papua. Therefore, do not easily be provoked by the calls of the OPM. The integration between the community and the government in unity, maintaining dialogue, and continuously building trust is very important.
Always be vigilant against the provocations of the OPM and foster unity and togetherness to maintain peace in the Land of Papua. By doing so, all parties will ensure that the Land of Cenderawasih can continue to grow and develop in harmony.
*) The author is a human rights observer from Papua.