The meeting with Papuan figures was scheduled to take place at the Rimba Papua Hotel in Timika, the capital of Mimika District, Operation Assistant for the Commander of the Joint Regional Defense Command (Kogabwilhan) III Brig. Gen. Suswatyo stated.
Several top brass from the military and police joined the TNI commander's entourage, including Sen. Coms Agung Budi from the General Police Inspectorate, he remarked.
On Saturday morning, local police and military personnel were deployed to secure several areas between the Mozes Kilangin Airport and the hotel.
As part of his visit to Timika, Tjahjanto donated 59 pigs flown from Ambon in Maluku Province to Papuan communities in several districts for the Bakar Batu or roasting stone rituals, he stated.
Meanwhile, ahead of December 1, local police officers have intensified routine patrols as a precautionary measure against armed Papuan criminals operating in Mimika District that tend to capitalize on the momentum to launch attacks.
"A joint team of police and military personnel is involved in taking precautionary measures to tackle potential security threats presented by armed criminals prior to and after December 1," Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Sen. Coms. IGG Era Adhinata stated.
The Indonesian province of Papua has time and again witnessed a vicious cycle of violence, with armed Papuan criminal groups in the districts of Intan Jaya and Nduga targeting civilians and security personnel over the past few months.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September this year, with armed groups launching a series of attacks in the area that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians while injured two others.
The notorious armed groups in the Indonesian province continued their acts of terror in October and November.
On October 9, 2020, for instance, an armed group ambushed a joint fact-finding team (TGPF) formed by the government to investigate a recent shooting in Mamba Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
In the incident, a TGPF member -- Gadjah Mada University (UGM) lecturer Bambang Purwoko -- was shot in the leg, while a TNI soldier -- First Sgt Faisal Akbar of the Hitadipa Task Force -- sustained injuries on the waist.
On November 20, 2020, two local students named Atanius Murib and Manus Murib, both 16 years of age, were assaulted by unknown armed attackers. As a result, Atanius Murib died, while Manus Murib sustained a serious gunshot wound.
The Advocate for Papua Policy and Human Rights (PAK HAM) condemned the fatal shooting incident in Ilaga Sub-district, Puncak District, Papua Province, on November 20, 2020, that resulted in the death of Atanius Murib and injured Manus Murib.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarianus S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
