KKB Spreads Terror Again In Papua: Burn 2 Houses Of Elvis Tabuni Regent, School, And Puskesmas

JAYAPURA The Armed Criminal Group (KKB) has again spread terror in Papua. This time, the separatist group burned down a number of public facilities, including the house belonging to the Regent of Puncak, Elvis Tabuni, in Omukia District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua.

Head of Damai Cartenz Operations, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, said the arson was carried out on Sunday, July 6. At least two houses belonging to the Regent were burned. In addition, the Omukia District Office was also the target of the arson.

The KKB group is trying to build a narrative as if the government is using civilian facilities for military purposes. This narrative is used by the KKB to justify their acts of violence and influence and incite residents, while this is not true," said Faizal in his statement, Tuesday, July 8.

According to the Damai Cartenz Ops Task Force, apart from houses and district offices, the KKB also burned a number of other buildings. Among them are churches in Pinapa Village, official houses belonging to the Regional Government, health centers, as well as schools and village offices in Pinggil Village, all of which are in the Omukia District area.

Head of the Public Relations Task Force for Damai Cartenz Ops, Kombes Yusuf Sutejo, said the KKB group was also trying to form a public opinion by spreading the narrative that the TNI-Polri apparatus used civilian facilities as military headquarters.

"In fact, before the narrative from Sebby Sambom appeared, the KKB sympathizers' accounts frame that the burning of buildings in Ilaga was actually carried out by the TNI-Polri apparatus. This shows the existence of a structured propaganda pattern to lead the public opinion they made," said Yusuf.

According to Yusuf, the narrative that was built by mentioning the existence of militaryization of civilian facilities has been repeatedly used by the KKB to attract international sympathy and build support from local communities.

"It has become a habit of the KKB, if their party commits a crime of killing civilians, they always mention that the victims are Indonesian military officers who are spies. But the fact is, what they do is kill innocent civilians," said Yusuf.