235 Firearms Remaining Timor-East Conflict Confiscated By The Indonesian Army

KUPANG - Commander of Korem 161/Wira Sakti Brigadier General Joao Xavier Barreto Nunes said his party managed to collect 235 homemade weapons from the remnants of the conflict between pro-integration and pro-independence when Timor-East (now Timor Leste) escaped from the Republic of Indonesia.

"These 235 homemade weapons are the result of territorial operations carried out by the RI-RDTL Pamtas Task Force which has been serving in the Western sector and the Eastern sector," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 17.

He said that 235 homemade weapons were the result of operations in approximately the last two years, from 2022 to 2024.

The weapons, he said, were given voluntarily to the Indonesian Army, especially to every Pamtas task force that had served in the RI-RDTL border area.

The handover was carried out after they received enlightenment and direction in the implementation of territorial operations carried out by the RI-RDTL Pamtas Task Force.

The one-star general said that his party would destroy a number of homemade weapons, but was still waiting for instructions from Kodam IX/Udayana in Denpasar, Bali.

"We are still waiting for instructions whether it was destroyed in the Kodam or destroyed in Korem 161/Wira Sakti," he said.

In addition, on this occasion, the one-star general also said that apart from the 235 weapons that had been collected, there were also six homemade weapons and one homemade pistol obtained by the West Sector Pamtas RI-RDTL Task Force Yonkav 6/Naga Karimata which was also obtained from the community.

Danrem believes that there are still many residents on the border of the two countries who still have these homemade weapons, therefore he hopes that the public can hand over the weapons so that they do not become a problem in the future if found.

Meanwhile, the former Protegrable fighter who chose Indonesia Alfonso Hendrikus da Costa Soares said that he returned the weapon because it was time for farming to no longer be at war.

"Now he is no longer holding a gun, but holding a hoe to farm so he can support his wife and children," he said.

Indonesia, he said, is now safe, especially in border areas, so he invites all people at the border to jointly maintain this conduciveness.