SORONG - Yakonias Kendi, the Chief of the North West Yapen Islands Tribe in Greater Sorong, has called on the Sorong City Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) and traditional leaders to sit down together and find a concrete solution to the conflict in the region.
"The current tense situation gripping Sorong City is a continuation of previous events and must be addressed wisely through open dialogue," Yakonias explained in Sorong, according to Antara, Wednesday, August 27.
He urged the active involvement of security forces, the prosecutor's office, the Sorong District Court, the Sorong City Government, and all tribal leaders in resolving the conflict.
"The best way is to sit down with the tribal leaders to resolve this issue with dignity," he said.
Yakonias also believes that the current situation has been allowed to persist, resulting in the paralysis of all community activities in Sorong City.
According to him, the main trigger for the unrest was the transfer of four political prisoners with the initials AAG, NM, MS, and PR, who were named suspects in an alleged treason case related to the activities of the Federal State of the Republic of West Papua (NFRPB), from Sorong to Makassar, South Sulawesi.
"Essentially, they (the political prisoners) refuse to leave Sorong City. This should be carefully considered to avoid triggering large demonstrations that ultimately result in casualties," he said.
He hopes the provincial and city governments, security forces, and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) will consider this input as a crucial step in resolving the conflict.
"Especially the governor, mayor, prosecutors, courts, and BIN. They must play an active role," he said.
Southwest Papua Police Chief, Brigadier General Gatot Haribowo, stated that the situation in Sorong City had been tense since early Wednesday morning when the Sorong District Attorney's Office transferred the four political prisoners to Makassar to face trial at the Makassar District Court, South Sulawesi.
"The situation is now under control. We are working to secure the transfer of the four prisoners," he said.
Hundreds of security personnel were deployed to strategic locations to anticipate further protests from the prisoners' supporters.
The crowd reportedly protested and attempted to block the prisoner's vehicle in front of the Sorong City Police Headquarters at around 5:15 a.m. WIT. They burned wood and used tires and delivered speeches demanding the cancellation of the transfer. Security forces then dispersed the crowd blocking the road.
At around 6:30 a.m. WIT, the prisoner's vehicle successfully exited the Sorong City Police Headquarters under tight escort from Brimob tactical vehicles and headed for Domine Eduard Osok (DEO) Airport in Sorong.
Upon arrival at the airport, four prisoners were immediately escorted to the departure area for their flight to Makassar.
The riot also resulted in damage to government facilities, such as the Southwest Papua Governor's Office Building, the Sorong Mayor's Office, and the governor's residence.
"We have identified the perpetrators of the vandalism and will soon make arrests," said the Regional Police Chief.
Several locations in Sorong City, such as Jalan Baru, the Sorong City Government office complex, and the governor's office, reported that the situation is under control. Joint TNI and Polri personnel continue to be on alert to prevent further disturbances.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
