OPM is a rebel

OPM is a rebel

Seeing the phenomenon in Papua that is happening right now, the former Head of the Indonesian National Intelligence Agency (ret.) A.M. Hendropriyono said that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was not an ordinary Armed Criminal Group, but the OPM was a rebel who had to be included in the list of international terrorists.

"We still consider them KKB, Armed Criminal Group, no. They are rebels," Hendropriyono said in Jakarta, Monday (12/23).

OPM's status as a KKB should have changed. Because, he said the government had mobilized the Indonesian National Army to crush the OPM. If you view OPM as a criminal usually, he said, the government should only mobilize Police personnel.

Furthermore, he conveyed that the status of OPM as a KKB could backfire for Indonesia. He said the OPM would use its status to garner international support so that Indonesia was branded as a country that perpetrated violence against civilians. Hendro said that the OPM, through the West Papua National Army (TNPB), had killed officials and civilians who did not understand anything.

"We have to anticipate this far in advance. As I said, why don't we go to the international forum. On the international forum the OPM should have entered the international terrorist list," he said.

Hendro also mentioned the provocation carried out by the Australian state-owned television media, namely ABC. He saw ABC often playing broadcasts about the security situation in Papua. He considered the action taken by ABC was to lead Papuan people's opinion to support the steps taken by the OPM.

"We can't be negligent," Hendro said.

Hendro hopes that all components will come to think about and participate in solving problems in Papua and West Papua. He does not want people to only rely on the government. More than that, he conveyed that the handling of security in Papua has been integrated. However, he hoped the Coordinating Ministry for Politics and Security also took the initiative to revise a number of laws to support the resolution of problems in Papua.

"I hope that everyone will seriously deal with it immediately. Don't just walk around, don't just go there (Papua), come here," he said.
"This is a technical problem in the field with political problems in the international must be integrated," said Hendro.