Oktovianus Pogau
JAYAPURA (Suara Papua/Pacific Media Watch): The most saddening Christmas gift for the Papuan people this month has been the death of five teenagers in Paniai regency, Papua, who were shot dead by a joint unit made up of the municipal police (Polresta) and the Indonesian military (TNI) on Monday.
Paniai Traditional Council (DAP) chairperson John Gobay the shooting showed President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s remained committed to the continued use of a security approach to resolving West Papuan problems.
“I can say that this is a most saddening gift for the Papuan people, specifically the residents of Paniai this December. We are questioning Jokowi’s commitment to resolve the Papua problem,” Gobay told a media conference at the office of the Democratic Alliance for Papua (ALDP).
Gobay is calling on the Papua police chief and the XVII/Cenderawasih regional military commander to question the commanders of the Enarotali Timsus 753 [military unit based at Paniai sub-district military command (Koramil) -- JB], the district police chief (Kapolres), the post commander (Danpos) and the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to ensure that their staff who were involved in the shooting are prosecuted.
“The security personnel that committed the crime must be punished as severely as possible. The experience has been that impunity continues, perpetrators from the TNI/Polri [police] are never punished,” Gobay said.
'Don't distort facts'
Gobay also called the TNI and police not to distort the facts by accusing the National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement (TPN/OPM) of being the perpetrators of the shooting, never mind being involved in the shooting of police or TNI troopers.
“We are also calling on the Kapolri [national police chief] and Panglima TNI [Indonesian military commander] to withdraw all troops, be they Polres, Koramil, Timsus 753, Brimob, Kopassus [army Special Forces] and BIN [National Intelligence Agency] from Paniai,” said Gobay.
“The security forces are not carrying out their function of protecting and safeguarding society, but creating unrest and taking the lives of civilians, because of this they must be withdrawn from Paniai,” he said.
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