"We call on Timika’s residents to return to their routine activities," he stated.Timika, Papua (ANTARA) - Some 200 Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel from the Maluku Provincial Police and Gorontalo Provincial Police landed in Timika, Papua Province, Thursday morning, to facilitate security restoration after a rally escalated into chaos a day earlier.
"Fellow Brimob personnel from the Maluku Provincial Police and Gorontalo Provincial Police arrived to assist the Mimika Police Resort. They will be stationed here for 11 days based on the evolving security situation," Chief of the Mimika Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agung Marlianto revealed.
The Brimob personnel landed in Timika, located in the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua, aboard a Lion Air flight from Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province.
From the Mozes Kilangin Airport in Timika, the personnel headed straight to the Mimika Police Resort's Service Office and will thereon be stationed at several strategic and vulnerable locations in and around Mimika City.
Marlianto noted that the security situation in Timika has been brought under control since 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday after the demonstration erupted.
From Wednesday night to Thursday morning, the joint security task force from the National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian Police (Polri) conducted patrolling in the city to ensure tranquility and peace.
"We call on Timika’s residents to return to their routine activities," he stated.
Timika’s residents rallied on Wednesday sparked by accusations of racist action against Papuan students in Surabaya and Malang, East Java.
The alleged racist action fueled protests in several other parts of the provinces of West Papua and Papua, including Manokwari and Jayapura.
The police reported that 10 public facilities were destroyed in the wake of the violent demonstrations in Manokwari, while 15 facilities incurred damage in Sorong.
Related news: Police dispatches four units of Brimob personnel to West Papua
To restore security in the West Papua provincial capital of Manokwari, the police sent four units of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel from the Southeast Provincial Police, North Sulawesi Provincial Police, and Maluku Provincial Police.
"They have been stationed according to their respective position. The most important aspect is that the presence of Brimob personnel aims to ensure a peaceful situation," Chief of the Public Relations Bureau of the National Police (Polri) Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo had stated on Tuesday
He affirmed that the security condition in West Papua, especially Manokwari, has returned to normal, and the local people have resumed their routine activities.
Related news: Injured policeman discharged from Papua's Bhayangkara Police Hospital Related news: East Java Police avers no Papuan students faced racism
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarianus Supar/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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