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PAPUA..NUBIC,.Sabtu.(21/4),.West Papuan armed criminal group now targets not only military personnel, but also innocent civilian both Papuans and Non-Papuans. Recently, the armed members did not only kill and hold civilians hostages but also raped some of them. They burned hospitals and schools. West Papuans are angry at them. Some have felt traumatized and some other have lost of their loved ones. It is confusing and ironic, however, to see how NZ media, individuals and even groups praise this group and even publicly support them. 

Public facilities burned down

 

From an unknown, but probably direct contact with the separatist group, a media in NZ reported an ultimatum from that the armed criminal members last February, 2018. The main message was that they were willing to take any risks and declare war with the Indonesian government and demand closure of Freeport. In addition to spreading threats to Papua’s security, they also called on other armed groups to unite. 

From then on, we can hear from the media, mostly from Indonesia, that this group set some public facilities like schools and hospitals on fire. One of the commander of this group, Hengki Wanmang said, setting school buildings and hospitals on fire is a form of war against the Indonesian government. They assume that the public facilities are for the benefit of Indonesia.

"We are responsible, we are burning school buildings and hospitals!" Hengki said via electronic message Wednesday April 4, 2018.

He continued, it will continue to launch attacks on facilities owned by Indonesia. They think that every public facility is the result of Freeport's donations and that is for the benefit of Indonesia. Therefore, the act of burning public facilities is a form of our rejection to Indonesia. 

Of this school and hospital burning, New Zealand media of course chose to stay quiet. But it they ever chose to publish any article about this, the argument would be that all of this is a manipulation undertaken by the Indonesian government. (Come on!)

For this moment, though, let’s forget whatever NZ media, individuals and group would have thought about the unfortunate occurrence in West Papua. 

Anger and trauma

 

Recently (13/4), the Papuan armed criminal group attacked civilians in the Aroanop and Jagamin area in Tembagapura, West Papua. Even worse, not just holding hostage, this armed members left a group of teachers at elementary schools in both areas wounded and one of them even got sexually harassed. 

One of the teachers, Rano Samsul explained that last Friday, “They went into the village quickly and held us for 45 minutes, and we also did not know what the purpose and purpose of KKSB to the village. They (the separatists) held teachers’ heads at gunpoint.”

The armed group members numbered about 20 people with guns and sharp weapons. The hostage taking was a tense situation. The hostages were tortured by being beaten and kicked. What was worse was that the criminals also sexually harassed and tortured a female teacher causing bruises on the face and left the teacher with deep psychological trauma.

After 45 minutes of taking hostage, the group went way with 10 cellphones, 4 laptops, and some food and clothing of the hostages.

The actions of this armed group, of course, can be deemed as cruel and condemned. Since then, these teachers experienced deep trauma. They are also very disappointed that coming scheduled exams for the school children in Aroanop and Jagamin failed to be held. Furthermore, these teachers had to leave school children because they have to undergo further treatment due to attacks by the separatists.

Again, none of NZ media, nor individuals, nor groups reported it. 

Anger and death

The rape case of teachers has caught attention of education practitioners in Cenderawasih University, in Jayapura, West Papua, including Marinus Yaung. The West Papuan lecturer of International Studies in Cenderawasih University, showed his anger at the West Papuan armed group actions in Papua which of course infringe international laws.

Marinus said that the international community has to see that what the armed criminals have been doing in West Papua recently is brutal and has to be seen as human right abuse and violations. These criminals do not think twice to sexually harass West Papuans and kill them. Last month, the armed group brutally killed an Advent Church mission paramedic, Berny Fellery Kunu (24 yo) in Bintang Mountain District which none of NZ media ever wanted to report it.

As a West Papuan, Marinus is confused how the group is still declaring that what they have been doing is for West Papua’s better future. He does not understand how people like Benny Wenda is still doing international campaigns against Indonesian government and keeps saying that the Free West Papua movement is peaceful. 

“Benny Wenda alongside the armed criminals certainly mislead international community. They proclaim themselves as West Papua National Freedom Army who are struggling for West Papuan's independence, but when they  do are destroy schools, burn out villagers’ houses, kill paramedics and rape teachers. They already infringed the International Law. They should be condemned by the international community, not praised!” said Marinus angrily.

He believes that if there was even a war in West Papua, principally, civilians including women, children, medical forces and educational manpower are forbidden to be war targets.

"There is international laws and regulations on humanitarian issues which are stipulated and backed strongly by the UN. So, what the separatists (in West Papua) have been doing certainly violate the laws, and indeed they should be globally banned. Moreover, schools and hospitals should be protected. Not to be destroyed and burned!" said Marinus explicitly.

With these brutal actions, Marinus were ensured the international society will not put it further sympathy on the "Free West Papua" struggling. "I told them (the armed criminals) that with all your brutal actions, there will no international support for you. No sympathy. Your struggling are nothing”, he added.

Once again, for Kiwis, the aforementioned information is not the kind of information they need. 

No illegal military operation

So what kind of information NZ people would buy? It the presence of military forces in West Papua especially in Mimika in this case. For NZ, the presence of the forces in West Papua is wrong whatsoever. Violence, rape, killings by the armed criminals do not count. 

This NZ perspective of course is totally unacceptable!

The Indonesian government eventually sent its military forces to fight the criminals. As a result, teachers and civilians in those areas are free from terror now. To this end, the forces are there not to scare people away but instead to ensure the public security. 

In this sense, as Marinus stipulated, there are no illegal military operations in Tembagapura. The presence of security forces are guaranteed by international law.  "Responsibility" and "protection" are the main principles which should be respected by all sovereign countries. What the forces to do is to protect human beings there, West Papuans. 

Like in other countries, military forces are present in Tembagapura, West Papua because what the armed criminal groups are doing is definitely against both Indonesian and international laws. The worst thing is they have been terrorizing civilians, including teachers! 

Of course, acts of terror in any form cannot be tolerated. Kiwis should agree with this! Therefore the securityr forces (the military and police) are present and work with the public merely based on the principle of public engagement. The presence of military forces there is limited to assisting the police and the community because these armed groups are always sheltering in the deep of the forest which is certainly beyond the reach of the police authority.

As for the latest information, Miss GR, a contract-teacher who was been raped the separatist group members, now has already been well, after passing her critical condition. Local head of village who reported the incident said that she had got tortured before she was sexually harassed by the separatists.

To this end, by the way, we at Tell the Truth NZ, and maybe you too, still cannot comprehend how in the world some Kiwi individuals, groups and even the media keeps deliberately partially reporting about what is happening in West Papua.(*)