VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 17 - The Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) has appealed to the Defence Ministry, National Defence Forces, and Police to seek effective measures to crush armed Papuan groups responsible for acts of terror in the province.

The prolonged conflicts with the notorious armed groups in Papua have claimed many lives and created unease among local communities, MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said here on Tuesday while commenting on a soldier's death in a recent gunfight.

Private-2 Ginanjar from the 400/BR Infantry Battalion was killed in a gunfight with armed rebels in Mamba village, Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district, Papua province, on Monday morning.

Soesatyo expressed deep condolences over the demise of the “brave soldier” who was killed in the line of duty, defending the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

To hunt down and enforce the law against those committing crimes against security personnel and civilians in the eastern province, the TNI and National Police will need to work closely with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), he said.

Security personnel stationed in Papua also need to intensify routine patrols to secure vital objects, protect locals from acts of terror, and clamp down on criminals' movements, he added.

The Indonesian province of Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence, with armed Papuan groups in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak targeting civilians and security personnel over the past two years.

The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel, while they unleash acts of terror against civilians to create fear among the public.

On February 9, 2021, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver was stabbed to death by six armed Papuans.

The 40-year-old driver, identified as Rusman HR alias Aco, was reportedly stabbed on a street near Ilambet village in Ilaga sub-district, Puncak district.

He sustained serious stab wounds on the back while trying to escape his attackers and died of exsanguination, according to local police.

On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district, Puncak district.

The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9. (Antaranews)