JAKARTA: Rebels seeking independence for western Papua have killed three indigenous Papuans in execution styles in Yahukimo regency, Papua Highlands province, earlier this week, as depicted in video clips going viral in social media in the past few days.
The West Papua National Liberation Army-Papua Freedom Organization (TPNPB-OPM) has claimed responsibility for the shootings around Trans Papua Highway in Seradala District, Yahukimo regency.
Spokesman for the TPNPB-OPM, Sebby Sambom, said the executions were carried out by a group led by Kopitua Heluka, claimed to be operations commander of Yahukimo Area Defense Command (Kodap).
“Major Kopitua Heluka said that three intelligence agents of the Indonesian military [TNI] had been executed by Kodap XVI Yahukimo and Kodap III Ndugama Darakma on July 20 and 21,” he told Kompas.com on Wednesday (July 22).
“We are fully responsible for the actions.”
He added that the TPNPB-OPM has evidence showing the three victims were involved in assisting security authorities in operations against the rebels.
Sebby also relayed a threat attributed to Kopitua Heluka against Papuans who are considered to act as informants or intelligence agents for the security apparatus in Yahukimo region.
Meanwhile, the TNI’s Habema Operations Command (Koops) said the three victims were civilians, consisting of husband Kumis Kogoya and wife Seli Wenda, and an unidentified woman from the Unaukam tribe.
Koops Habema chief spokesman Lt. Col. M. Wirya Arthadiguna said the loss of civilians’ lives were not justifiable in any case.
“Every Papua resident has the right to live safely, work, raise their families and build their future without fear,” he said in a written statement.
“The security apparatus will continue to coordinate to investigate the incident and chase the perpetrators and enforce the law.”
He said the steps were taken to provide protection for the people and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
One video clip shows a couple sitting roadside in front a row of Papuan rebels holding firearms, machetes, bows and arrows and the Morning Star flag.
One of the rebels delivered a statement accusing the couple of being intelligence agents for the Indonesian government before signalling one of the rebels holding a rifle to shoot them. A similar setting also happened to the unidentified woman.
The TPNPB-OPM has started to target indigenous Papuans who are believed to be government agents or assisting the government or the military and police. Previously, the rebels only targeted newcomers from outside the Papua region.
The rebels have also declared certain regions war zones and prohibited any military or police movement into those regions.
They also banned civilian pioneer flights from entering the region, accusing such flights as being used to move security apparatus.
The Papua region is mountainous, and many places can only be reached by small airplanes, making such flights the bloodlines of the hinterland communities.
More recently, rebels killed an American pilot, identified as Nicholas F. Gosselin, who was flying for PT AMA, or Associated Mission Aviation.
While the airline said it transports food, fuel and mail to remote communities across Papua, the rebels accused the carrier of “frequently dropping Indonesian security personnel”, in violation of its mission goal. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
