Tembagapura People Asked to Be Patient Wait for the Conducive Situation

Papua Police Chief Inspector General of Police. Paulus Waterpauw appealed to residents who were evacuated from the mountainous area of ​​Mimika Regency, precisely in the Tembagapura District to remain in Timika and not to rush back to their territory.

The police chief requested that residents evacuated due to the act of the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) wait until the security situation in the local area was declared conducive.

Inspector General of Police Paulus Waterpauw even assesses, until now his party is still dilemmatic in reconsidering whether or not thousands of these people.

Therefore, the two-star general stated that his party would re-evaluate to discuss whether or not the community from the 3 Mimika mountain villages was for the security and safety of residents.

"Once there is a conflict (KKB-ed) with the authorities, the community is usually used as a shield. They (KKB-red) are not sneaky, "said the Inspector General. Pol. Paulus Waterpauw, Saturday (7/25).

He added, in addition to thinking about the security and safety of the community from the KKB, his party also tried to ensure that in the end of the Covid-19 situation these thousands of residents remained well protected.

"We are still trying to take firm action against the KKB group. We appeal, if anyone disagrees with the current State Government, it can be delivered directly, not by means of violence, "said the Kapolda.

Previously it was reported, nearly 2 thousand indigenous people in the Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency in March 2020 were evacuated by the joint military-police apparatus. The evacuation was carried out because they claimed to be traumatized and frightened by the existence of terror from the KKB armed criminal groups from various mountain areas in Papua.

A number of these KKBs were found to be in the vicinity of the residents' villages and fired on the TNI-Polri guard post. The action made residents feel threatened and it was difficult to get food needs and health services. Thousands of indigenous people chose to be evacuated for fear that the November 2017 incident will recur.