TNI Commander: OPM Must Be Crushed!
The Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), General Agus Subiyanto, has emphasised that separatist groups in Papua must be crushed. According to him, the handling of separatist groups in Papua will be conducted through security operations alongside a territorial approach to support development and the welfare of the community.
“The OPM (Free Papua Organisation) is a separatist group; it must be crushed. There must be no separatists in our country,” said Agus when met in Jakarta on Sunday.
Responding to concerns regarding public anxiety caused by the activities of armed groups, Agus stated that resolving the Papua issue cannot rely solely on the TNI, as it requires collaboration.
“So, as I have said from the beginning, the resolution of the Papua issue must be collaborative, not just involving the TNI. If the connotation is only the TNI, it may lead to violence,” he said.
According to Agus, the TNI is also conducting massive territorial operations through various activities to support the needs of the Papuan people. These efforts include the construction of churches, the provision of boreholes for clean water, the renovation of schools, healthcare services, and the deployment of soldiers to teach in remote areas.
“We are going there to assist in accelerating development and the welfare of the people residing there,” said Agus.
Agus stated that security and development approaches must proceed through collaboration so that the handling of the Papua issue is not viewed solely from a military perspective.
Previously, OPM leaders from Kodap III Ndugama-Derak, Egianus Kogoya, alongside Operations Commander Major Belia Kogeya, protested the use of Super Tucano aircraft by the TNI in military operations in Nduga Regency, Highland Papua. Both expressed objections to the use of heavy weaponry in these operations.
The TPNPB-OPM claimed that bombings and gunfire from these aircraft caused six of their members to be wounded. According to the group, the attacks targeted coordinates they claim as their headquarters in the Nduga region in recent times.
The OPM subsequently urged the TNI to cease the use of fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, arguing that the use of such equipment has the potential to impact civilian settlements in the surrounding conflict areas.