"The KPU office will continue to be safeguarded and secured, as the regional election is our national agenda," Mamberamo Raya Police Chief Adjunct Sen. Coms. Hotman Hutabarat was quoted as saying by ANTARA in Kasonaweja, the capital of Mamberamo Raya District, on Tuesday.
Hutabarat also thanked the loyalists of the contesting candidates and local residents, in general, for their contribution to maintaining peace and stability during the registration process held on Sept 4-6.
Some 100 police and army personnel were deployed to safeguard and secure the KPU-Mamberamo Raya Office during the registration process, while 30 other security personnel conducted a routine patrol around Kasonaweja City.
Eligible Papuans will vote during the simultaneous regional elections in 11 districts this year as violence and ongoing security threats of notorious armed Papuan rebels continue to pose a threat to this Indonesian province.
On Oct 8, 2019, the Papua provincial government and KPU had organized a ceremony in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, to facilitate all related parties to echo their pledge to ensure the successful convening of this year's regional elections.
The ceremony’s attendees comprised Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, KPU Chairman Arief Budiman, KPU chairpersons, and officials from the districts of Waropen, Supiori, Merauke, Yalimo, Boven Digul, Asmat, Mamberamo Raya, Nabire, Keerom, Pegunungan Bintang, and Yahukimo.
During the ceremony, the KPU chairpersons and officials from those 11 districts pledged to ensure the successful convening of this 2020 regional election, while Papua Governor Enembe requested the district governments to apportion funds for the KPU.
A spate of violence has frequently erupted in several parts of Papua and West Papua over the past few years, and the armed Papuan separatist groups continue to pose a real threat to civilians and security personnel.
On May 22, 2020, for instance, two medical workers — Almalek Bagau and Eunico Somou — from the Wandai Health Center in Intan Jaya District were reportedly shot by armed rebels while they were delivering drugs for COVID-19 patients.
According to police, Bagau and Somou were holding walkie-talkie devices to communicate with the local COVID-19 post owing to no cellular network in the area. This led their attackers to misinterpret them to be security personnel and hence opened fire on them.
In response to the attack on two medical workers by Papuan armed rebels Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw affirmed that the incident could not be justified on any ground and should be vehemently denounced. Related news: 100 security personnel safeguard KPU-Mamberamo Raya office
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Alfian R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
