Komnas HAM: As Long As The Regent Of The Mountains Cannot Communicate With The KKB, Violence In Papua Is Difficult To Contain

Hundreds of residents walked to Tembagapura asking to be evacuated to Timika for fear of the presence of the Papuan KKB, Sunday (8/3/2020) (Antaranews/Polri Public Relations)

PAPUA - Representative of Komnas HAM Papua Frits Ramandei urged regents in a number of districts in the Central Highlands of Papua to establish communication with armed criminal groups (KKB). According to him, these efforts can reduce the violence that often occurs in Papua.

"Since 2021 Komnas HAM has been pushing for the regents to actively build communication with these groups, so the regents must be on the spot. As long as the regents, the chairman of the DPRD cannot communicate with them, then violence will continue to happen again and again," said Frits. Ramandei, in Timika, Saturday.

Based on information received by Komnas HAM Papua, the case of violence that occurred in West Beoga District, Puncak Regency, which killed eight workers of PT Palapa Timur Telematika (PTT) last week, was masterminded by an armed civilian group led by Aibon Kogeya.

The group argued that they had committed violence against PT PTT employees in connection with their rejection of the government's plan to manage the Wabu Block.

"They allege that the construction of the Palapa Ring project is in order to become a communication center for accelerating the construction of the Wabu Block. Whatever their reasons, in the name of humanity their actions are inhumane. Apart from being against human rights principles, this is also a crime against humanity," said Frits who is a former journalist in Papua.

He mentioned the number of victims who died as a result of the violence that occurred related to the dispute over the management of the Wabu Block in the Intan Jaya Regency area.

Therefore, Komnas HAM urges the authorities who have the authority to immediately clarify the plan for the presence of the Wabu Block.

"This Wabu Block has claimed many victims, dozens of people have died, both civilians and TNI and Polri officers, because of the conflict over the mining plan for the Wabu Block. This needs to be clarified immediately," he said again.

Frits assessed that the action of an armed criminal group that massacred eight PTT workers who were repairing Telkomsel's BTS 3 in Jenggeran Village, West Beoga District, Puncak Regency some time ago was an act of crime, so law enforcement must be carried out against the perpetrators.

In this regard, he said, the Police are the foremost institution in law enforcement.