We rely on the police to guarantee the security of teachers who still stay in BeogaJayapura, Papua (ANTARA) - Papua Province's education authority has appealed to the police to evacuate teachers who still stay in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, to safer places for security reasons following the killings of two teachers this week.
"We rely on the police to guarantee the security of teachers who still stay in Beoga," Head of the Papua Provincial Government's Education, Library, and Archive Office Christian Sohilait said in a statement that ANTARA quoted here Sunday.
To this end, Sohilait said he had coordinated with related authorities within the Papua provincial government, including Papua deputy governor, and the Papua police chief.
The deadly attacks of several armed Papuan criminals on Thursday and Friday had triggered several teachers to take refuge along with local residents at a military post, he said.
Several armed Papuan criminals shot dead two teachers, and torched junior and senior high school buildings in Beoga Sub-district on Thursday and Friday.
As a result, several local residents fled their homes and took refuge at a military post.
According to Papua Police Chief Insp.Gen.Mathius Fakhiri, they would soon be evacuated to Sugapa Sub-district in Intan Jaya District.
"The violent acts of the armed Papuan criminals are brutal," Fakhiri said, adding that some 25 personnel of the police's elite Mobile Brigade unit, stationed at the Beoga police precinct, joined efforts to secure and protect the refugees.
Security disturbances have been reported sporadically from several areas, such as Puncak and Intan Jaya Districts, where armed Papuan groups operate.
Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September, 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks in the area that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
These notorious armed Papuan groups have continued their acts of terror during the new year.
On January 6, 2021, some 10 armed Papuans vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the Pagamba Village airstrip.
The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel, while they unleash acts of terror against civilians to instill a sense of fear among the people.
On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai Village, Sugapa Sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika District on February 9.
On February 9, 2021, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Related news: Papua police urged to crack down on killers of two teachers
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Translator: Hendrina DK, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
