Mahfud: OPM Takes Advantage of Jokowi's Momentum Abroad to Get Attention

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud Md highlighted the actions of armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua. Mahfud admitted to following the latest developments, including the call from the Timika Diocese for a ceasefire between the TNI-Polri and the National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization/TPN-OPM.

"As Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, I also keep abreast of developments, including calls from the Timika diocese and LBH Papua. I also continue to monitor the latest updates from the Police, TNI, and BIN," Mahfud told reporters, Monday (1/11/2021).

Mahfud said that so far the TNI-Polri had taken measured measures to prevent civilian casualties. However, said Mahfud, the OPM has always used civil society as a shield.

"I also ask the Polri-TNI officers to take measured measures so that there are no civilian casualties. Actually, as the public knows, the Police and the TNI have been very careful to protect civilians. as shields and victims," ​​he said.

Mahfud then said that the OPM always took the momentum to attract foreign attention. One of them, said Mahfud, was when President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was abroad to attend an international agenda.

"Our impression is that the OPM always takes the momentum to attract foreign attention. Currently the President is abroad and is meeting with G20 figures. Now the OPM is taking advantage of that momentum. Whereas in official international institutions, the issue of Papuan separatism has never been resolved. on the agenda. The international community sees Papua as seeing other areas, for example the problem of saving the environment and people's welfare, not about disintegration," he said.

Mahfud said the government would hold a meeting to discuss Papua this morning. The meeting will be chaired by Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

"We continue to coordinate through the Vice President's office. Actually, there are already standardized routine handling or procedures. But specifically, Monday morning at 8.30 we will have a meeting under the leadership of the Vice President. Papua," he explained.

Previously, 36 priests (pastor) of the Catholic Church of Timika Diocese, Papua, called for an immediate ceasefire between the TNI-Polri officers and the TPN-OPM. The ceasefire is expected to end the protracted armed conflict in Intan Jaya Regency, Papua.

"Given the armed conflict in Intan Jaya Regency (Timika Diocese) and several other places in Papua which caused so many victims, including small children and also resulted in the displacement of civilians on a large scale, the Pastors of Projo Diocese of Timika - for the sake of our obligation to practice human rights, call on the two warring parties (TNI-Polri with TPN-OPM) to immediately hold a ceasefire and start a dialogue to bring about lasting peace," said Father Agustinus S Elmas, reading the call at the Bobaigo Transit House Timika Diocese as reported by Antara, Sunday (31/10).

SOURCE : https://news.detik.com/berita/d-5791247/mahfud-opm-gunakankan-momentum-jokowi-di-luar-negeri-untuk-cari-perhatian