VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (right) reviews rice stocks at state-owned logistics firm Bulog’s warehouse in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, on Friday (March 11, 2022). (ANTARA/Aditya Ramadhan/uyu) - 

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has said that the government will resolve security disturbances in Papua region through peaceful efforts such as by improving the welfare of the community.

"We will still prioritize improving the people’s welfare to handle the security disruptions,” he said while inspecting Cipinang Rice Market, East Jakarta, on Friday.

The government must implement a dynamic defensive attempt for maintaining the security of the region to avoid any casualties, he added.

"We do not use offensive security attempts. We prioritize to protect the community, thus there will be no more victims," he remarked.

Furthermore, the Vice President said that the government has also discussed the matter with various parties.

“We do not want the disturbances to happen again in the future," he emphasized.

According to the Presidential Staff Office, between January and early March 2022, there have been at least seven alleged acts of violence committed by Papuan separatist groups (KKB) in several districts in Papua province.

The incidents claimed a total of 13 lives and left 5 people injured, it said. The victims were military personnel and civilians, it added.

Armed separatists killed a gold miner in Yahukimo district on March 7, 2022, and injured a construction worker in Intan Jaya district on March 8. The worker sustained injuries on the neck.

In addition, separatists attacked employees of telecommunication company PT Palapa Timur Telematika (PTT) in Puncak district on March 2.

About ten KKB members shot eight PT PTT workers when they stayed overnight night at their camp to repair a base transceiver station (BTS).

Due to the difficult terrain and bad weather, the only survivor of the attack, Nelson Sarira, was evacuated to Mimika district on March 5 by the Peace Cartenz Task Force.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the victims were moved to Mimika Regional Hospital for identification and post-mortem examination on Monday 7//ANT