However, while conducting law enforcement operations against the armed groups, security personnel must respect human rights, deputy head of Commission III Overseeing Legal Affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR), Ahmad Sahroni, added.
"The notorious armed Papuan separatist terrorists must be rooted out but, in crushing them, do not abuse human rights because human rights violations can damage Indonesia’s reputation," Sahroni said in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police can conduct law enforcement operations against Papuan separatist terrorists anywhere in Papua and West Papua, but they must observe human rights rules, he reiterated.
Over the past four months, Papua has witnessed several violent attacks by separatist terrorists targeting civilians in districts such as Puncak and Intan Jaya.
The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel, and mount acts of terror against civilians to instill fear among the people.
The recent victims of such acts of terror have included motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, and street food vendors. The separatists have not even spared civilian aircraft.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man was shot 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.
In a separate incident on February 9, six armed Papuans fatally stabbed a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver.
Then, on April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan rebels opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma village, Beoga sub-district, Puncak district.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
After killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched three classrooms at the Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, armed separatists reportedly fatally shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, on the chest.
Two days later, nine classrooms at the Beoga public junior high school were set ablaze by an armed group.
And barely four days later, Ali Mom, a student of the Ilaga public senior high school in Beoga sub-district, was killed by armed attackers.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists operating in Beoga sub-district ambushed senior intelligence official, Maj. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, while he was visiting Dambet village in Beoga sub-district.
Following Nugraha's fatal shooting, President Joko Widodo ordered the TNI and the National Police to hunt down and arrest all members of armed separatist and terrorist groups operating in Papua, saying there is no place for them within Indonesian territory, including Papua. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Imam B, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
