Jayapura, Jubi – The Association of Moni Students (IPMMO) in Java-Bali assesses that the armed conflict in Intan Jaya Regency is increasingly heating up with the ongoing sweeping carried out by security forces.
This resulted in people in several villages such as Munumai, Matalipa, Mbamogo, and Dangoa to flee.
Head of IPMMO Burume Kibame Kobogau, in a written statement received by Jubi on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, said sweeping by military forces were not only recently occurred but had started since the armed conflict between the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police and the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) erupted on December 18, 2019 in Intan Jaya’s Bulapa.
“The same problem is happening from time to time until now,” Kobogau said.
The military operations carried out by the TNI and police in several villages, made the student association ask the Intan Jaya Government to immediately handle displaced civilians or civilians affected by military sweeping in Munumai, Matalipa, Mbamogo and Dangoa villages.
“We are the children of Intan Jaya and we feel disheartened to learn about what is currently happening in our villages. Therefore, we hope that the government can handle the problems that occur in Intan Jaya as quickly as possible, including the issue of gold mining in Block B Wabu,” he said.
Students also asked the central government to withdraw the TNI and police as they were deemed to have disrupted the lives of the people of Intan Jaya.
“The IPMMO strongly condemns the attacks carried out by TNI-police officers in Intan Jaya recently during sweeping. The attack resulted in casualties, property losses, and left the community in trauma,” Kobogau said. (*)
