Residents Of The RI - Timor Leste Border Hand Over Guns And Hundreds Of Bullets And Several Pineapple Grenades To The Pamtas Task Force

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Indonesian-Timor Leste Pamtas Task Force received three organic firearms and a number of homemade firearms from border residents from December 2021 to May 2022.

"We were close until they finally handed over (the firearms), because they were also aware of the law and knew it was illegal," said Commander of the Pamtas Task Force of the Republic of Indonesia-Democratic Republic of Timor Leste Lt. Col. Inf. Andi Lulianto, at the Salore Post, Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday 24 May.

Residents voluntarily surrender organic firearms. The Task Force said this was a form of success in embracing border residents and creating a sense of security in the region.

The firearms handed over by the new residents or ex-East Timorese in the border area were two SKS type weapons, one mini ruger type weapon, and a number of homemade weapons.

The Pamtas Task Force has also received three grenades, with details of two embedded pineapple grenades and an active mangosteen grenade. In addition, they also received hundreds of ammunition with variations in the 9 mm and 7.62 mm caliber sizes.

The possession of these weapons, explained Andi, is a trace of the conflict that had plagued the territory of East Timor and its surroundings before separating itself into Timor Leste.

Therefore, the Pamtas Task Force seeks to continue to embrace new residents and establish closeness so that they, of their own accord, hand over their firearms to the Pamtas Task Force.

Efforts to build closeness with local residents are reflected in the various activities carried out by the Pamtas Task Force, such as house-to-house vaccinations, free house-to-house treatment, harvesting rice together, and becoming educators in various schools.

In addition, Andi also believes that there are new residents at the border who have not surrendered their firearms for fear of legal proceedings. Therefore, he guarantees that new residents in the border areas who wish to surrender firearms will not be prosecuted.

"If they submit, go ahead. We guarantee that they will not be prosecuted and we will guarantee the confidentiality of their identity," he said, quoted from Antara.

The hope is that residents with firearms can hand over their weapons to the Pamtas Task Force without feeling afraid. Andi also guaranteed that the people within the territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia would always be safe and protected by the TNI at the border.