By: Loa Murib
The violent actions carried out by the armed separatist group, the Free Papua Movement (OPM), have become a real threat to the protection and respect of Human Rights (HAM) in Papua. Amidst the efforts of the government and civil society to promote development and peace, the OPM continues to carry out acts of terror that harm civilians. Violence, intimidation, coercion, and attacks on public facilities are evidence that this group is not only a threat to security stability, but also to humanitarian values that should be upheld.
In the Central Highlands region of Papua, civilians are direct victims of this group’s cruelty. Local community leader, Yonas Tabuni, said that OPM often enters villages, takes residents’ crops, forces residents to hand over logistics, and even threatens those who refuse. In many cases, residents are powerless to face this intimidation because of geographical challenges that make it difficult to provide optimal protection. Such actions not only cause fear, but also constitute serious violations of the right to security, the right to property, and the right to live in peace.
More than just a security disturbance, the violence carried out by the OPM has created deep suffering in the community. Yonas emphasized that the violence does not discriminate who the victims are. Teachers, health workers, farmers, even children have become targets. This shows that the cruelty of the OPM has exceeded moral and legal boundaries. What they are doing can no longer be called a struggle, but rather a brutal action that worsens the suffering of the Papuan people themselves.
The peak of the human rights violations was reflected in the shooting that occurred at Wamena Regional Hospital, Jayawijaya Regency. In this incident, the OPM through its armed wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), admitted responsibility for the attack. This attack drew strong criticism from the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), which stated that the action was a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Health facilities such as hospitals should be neutral zones in conflict, in accordance with the Geneva Convention. Attacks on hospitals not only violate the right to life and the right to health, but also create collective trauma in society.
When hospitals as basic health service facilities are attacked, people increasingly lose hope for protection. Medical personnel who should be saving lives are also the target of fear. This action proves that OPM no longer has moral boundaries in carrying out its actions. Attacks on hospitals are not only inhumane acts, but also show a very severe moral degradation in their struggle.
In addition to causing loss of life and injury, the violence carried out by the OPM has also had a major impact on the social conditions of the Papuan people. In Maybrat Regency, Southwest Papua, thousands of residents were forced to flee due to increasing threats and violence from armed groups. Data from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights shows that as many as 3,208 people had to leave their hometowns for safety. This wave of refugees has worsened the already vulnerable economic, educational, and health conditions of the local community. Mass displacement due to armed conflict is a human rights violation in its most obvious form, because it robs residents of their right to a place to live, a sense of security, and a decent life.
In the midst of this threatening situation, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) has taken strategic steps to provide protection to the community. The Commander of the HABEMA Media Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Inf Iwan Dwi Prihartono, emphasized that all operations carried out by the TNI in Papua continue to uphold the principles of law and human rights. He emphasized that the TNI is not present to oppress, but to protect the community from the real threat of armed groups. Professionalism, legality, and a humanist approach are the main principles in maintaining stability and serving the needs of the community in conflict-prone areas.
Lieutenant Colonel Iwan also said that the existence of military posts in strategic areas is not only for combat operations, but also aims to create a sense of security and strengthen the presence of the state in the community. The TNI even runs humanitarian-based programs such as health assistance, education support, and small development projects in remote villages. This approach shows that the state does not remain silent seeing the suffering of the people, but tries to be actively present with a collaborative and solution-oriented approach.
What is happening in Papua now demands the attention and commitment of all parties. The violence carried out by the OPM can no longer be seen as a legitimate struggle, because it actually destroys the principles of human rights that they have always echoed. The Papuan people are the main victims, trapped in fear, losing their rights to education, health, and a decent living. Attacks on health facilities, hostage-taking of educators, and the exodus of civilians are clear evidence that the OPM has transformed into an actor violating human rights.
*The author is a Papuan student in East Java
