Coordinating Minister For Politics, Law And Security Affirms KKB In Papua The Enemy Of The People

Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD in an online media presentation with the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) in Jakarta, Thursday (21/7). (ANTARA/Indra Arief)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD emphasized that the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in Papua is the enemy of the people, and the government will continue to take firm action against groups that lead to such disintegration.

"The government will firmly hunt down and take action against those who call themselves KKB. Our enemy, the enemy of the people is not Papua, but the KKB in Papua," Mahfud said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 21.

On Saturday (16/7), KKB again attacked civilians, in Nduga Regency, Papua which left eleven people dead, including religious leaders.

Mahfud said the KKB did not represent Papua. The Papuan people, said Mahfud, are civilized people.

"Papua consists of people who are much more civilized, because this Papuan land cannot be represented by the KKB," he said.

He emphasized that the government applies a welfare approach to develop Papua. The government also does not carry out military operations in Papua, but takes firm action to ensure public safety and enforce the law in accordance with the legislation.

Regarding the current situation, Mahfud assessed that in general the security conditions in Papua are conducive. The violence perpetrated by the KKB occurred in only a few locations, and did not represent the situation in Papua.

“Criminal acts and violence only occur in the Central Mountains and some places. If you go to Manokwari, Jayapura, to the south, everything is conducive. So in general it is conducive, there are KKB disturbances in certain places," he said.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said the acts of violence and killings carried out by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) in Papua were because they were afraid of the development achievements of the Indonesian government.

The government, said Moeldoko, continues to seriously pay attention to the welfare and progress of the people in the Papua region.

"What is the evidence, Presidential Instruction Number 9 of 2020 concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua, which is directly commanded by the Vice President," said Moeldoko in a media presentation in Jakarta, Thursday.

In addition, according to Moeldoko, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have also ratified Law Number 2 of 2021 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua Province, which emphasizes increasing special autonomy funds (Otsus), improving governance, and increasing participation of indigenous peoples. .

Then, the government and the DPR have approved the establishment of three new autonomous regions (DOB) in Papua, namely Central Papua, Papua Mountains, and South Papua. This is an effort to bring public services closer to the people in Papua.