VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) General Andika Perkasa has appealed to the World Peace Organization (WPO) to be able to play a role in helping resolve interstate conflicts around the world.

General Andika Perkasa made the statement following his meeting with several WPO's executive members who paid a courtesy call as broadcast on Perkasa's official YouTube channel on Saturday.

At the meeting, the WPO's executive members appealed for the TNI's support and directives to enable them to carry out the world peace mission, and to install an inscription of symbolic world peace in Papua.

Perkasa highlighted the importance of the WPO's presence in promoting more normative solutions to the interstate conflicts.

To this end, resolving the interstate conflicts should not merely rely on international agencies. A domestically-scaled organization could also play a role in reducing tension of the conflicting parties, he said.

He further said that members of civil society's role in reducing tension of conflicting parties was significant.

At the meeting, WPO's Deputy President Bambang Hari said the WPO, currently joint by 27 retired TNI generals, is formed to promote insightful thoughts and discipline as standardized by the TNI.

General Perkasa was sworn in by President Joko Widodo as the TNI commander on November 17, 2021 in place of Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who reached the retirement age of 58, on November 8, 2021.

According to observers, Papua is a challenge during Perkasa's leadership as armed conflicts are still occurring in Papua and West Papua though the central and regional governments have been making the utmost efforts to improve the welfare of local communities by intensifying regional development.

Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.

Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.

On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists, operating in Beoga, fatally ambushed chief of the Papua State Intelligence Agency I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.

Nugraha died of gunshot wounds. (Antaranews)