STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT. Vice President Ma’ruf Amin asked security forces on Thursday to arrest members of armed criminal groups, which frequently did violent actions in the highlands of Papua. Ma’ruf emphasized that security forces must be present to protect residents from violence perpetrated by the armed groups. Ma’ruf acknowledged that the security situation in Papua is not completely sound, particularly in mountainous areas.
Pegunungan Bintang Police Chief Moh. Dafi Bastomi confirmed that an armed criminal group on Wednesday set fire to the Pegunungan Bintang Population and Civil Registry Agency office in Oksibil. The group also fired shots at homes. Dafi identified the perpetrators as members of the XXXV Bintang Timur Operational Area armed criminal group.
Papua National Human Rights Commission Sub-coordinator Melchior Weruin recently said the central government, local governments, and security forces, must address the continued attacks by armed criminal groups in Papua. People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Bambang Soesatyo also urged the government, military, and police to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and collaborate with local leaders to overcome the problem in Papua.
Papua Police Chief Mathius Fakhiri said the National Police have placed 1,000 mobile brigade (Brimob) personnel on guard and ready to be mobilized to Papua. The Police are focusing on the districts of Puncak, Dogiyai, Intan Jaya, Yahukimo, Pegunungan Bintang, Nduga, Mimika, Jayawijaya regencies, and Jayapura City, he added.
The Home Affairs Ministry appointed Papua provincial government secretary Ridwan Rumasukun to fill in the post vacated by Governor Lukas Enembe who was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) two days earlier. The central government immediately appointed an acting governor to prevent the absence of leadership in the country’s easternmost province because Vice Governor Klemen Tinal passed away in May 2021, the ministry’s spokesperson Benni Irwan said.
Benni went on to say that Lukas’ legal status is currently that of a suspect, and that if his legal status changes to that of a defendant, he will be temporarily dismissed and assigned to acting governor.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that Papua Governor Lukas Enembe and PT Tabi Bangun Papua Director Rijatono Lakka have been officially named as suspects in the alleged bribery case related to infrastructure projects in Papua Province.
KPK Deputy Alexander Marwata said the investigators have detained Rijatono for suspectedly bribing Lukas Enembe for around IDR1 billion. Meanwhile, the KPK has yet to detain Lukas Enembe.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Papua Governor Lukas Enembe on Tuesday in a restaurant in Kotaraja, Jayapura City, Papua, over a bribery case. Lukas was taken to the Papua Police Mobile Brigade Headquarters after the arrest, Papua Police Chief Spokesperson Benny Ady Prabowo confirmed.
Four people from a group of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe’s supporters carrying sharp weapons at Sentani Airport of Jayapura were hit by the security bullets, one of them died. The supporters involved in a protest which ended in a riot at Sentani Airport when Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials were about to fly Governor Enembe to Jakarta after he was arrested for a bribery case.
“The victim who died was one of Lukas Enembe’s sympathizers who attacked officers guarding the Sentani Airport,” said Papua Police Spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo. He said that Lukas Enembe sympathizers attacked officers by throwing stones and shooting arrows. Then, the officers fired warning shots, but the crowd ignored them. “There have been attempts at warning shots. Also, the victim was shot below the waist,” he said.
KPK Chair Firli Bahuri explained that his team received information that Lukas was flying to Mamit Tolikara via Jayapura’s Sentani Airport on Tuesday, and that this could be his way out of Indonesia.
He said after receiving this information, his party contacted the regional police leaders to assist in the arrest of Lukas at the airport. KPK Spokesperson Ali Fikri emphasized that Lukas’s health condition allowed him to be investigated as a suspect.
