To celebrate this year's Christmas and New Year, we want to share our happiness with members of our community near the Indonesia-PNG border area. We care for themMerauke Papua (ANTARA) - Personnel of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force donated 800 items of clothing and 200 trousers for residents of Erambu Village in Sota Sub-district, Merauke District, ahead of the Christmas celebrations.
The community service is aimed at upholding TNI's unity with local residents, Commanding Officer of the 123/Rajawali Infantry Battalion's Kaliwanggo Post, Captain Suryanto Marpaung, stated here on Tuesday.
"To celebrate this year's Christmas and New Year, we want to share our happiness with members of our community near the Indonesia-PNG border area. We care for them," he stated.
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The Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel's unity with the native Papuans is expected to promote peace and a sense of brotherhood in communities, Marpaung stated.
A local resident thanked the TNI personnel for their care for the Erambu villagers ahead of the Christmas celebrations.
ANTARA reported earlier that sharing land and sea borders with Papua New Guinea (PNG), Papua and West Papua's geopolitical and geostrategic positions are indubitably important for Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Over the past few years, soldiers stationed in these two eastern provinces have been facing security threats posed by armed Papuan separatist terrorist groups operating in several districts.
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Amid these security-related challenges, the soldiers continue to demonstrate their care for local communities through community services.
Several personnel of the Indonesia-PNG Border Security Task Force, for instance, assist locals through community services, such as conducting voluntary teaching, serving mobile library, and implementing street clean-up programs.
During his visit to Jayapura, Papua Province, on December 1, 2021, TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa had pledged to lay emphasis on "social communication" to deal with Papuan groups that continue to threaten the lives of civilians and security personnel in Papua.
Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence against civilians and security personnel in the past few years.
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Intan Jaya recorded its bloodiest month in September 2020, with notorious armed groups launching a series of attacks that claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilians and left two others injured.
The armed groups have continued their acts of terror this year, too.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists, operating in Beoga, ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) Chief I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet Village.
Nugraha died of gunshot wounds.
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Translator: Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
