Hoax Threats of Papuan Separatist Groups to the Government to Avoid Mistakes in Brutal Actions

The message from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to the TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono to act decisively against Papuan separatist groups received a response from West Papua Commander-in-Chief Amry, Damianus Magai Yogi. In an article quoted from thetpn-pbnews.com, he stated that his group was ready to fight and urged the Indonesian government to immediately hold peace negotiations to prepare for a referendum. According to him, let the Papuan people determine their own destiny, or face more resistance from armed groups in Papua.

At the end of the statement, he stressed that if President Jokowi did not respond, then areas that were silent like Meepago would take up arms to fight back. A real threat model needs to be re-examined for its motives. This is because too often Papuan separatist groups, through a number of spokesperson representatives, convey this when they are in a pinch or under pressure. That is, the existence of a statement that leads to threats can be a sign that their existence is being pressed. However, this condition still needs to be watched out for.

Papuan Separatist Group's Bullshit Claims Control over Maybrat District

Not far from the statement of threats against President Jokowi, the Papuan Separatist group once claimed through a statement in a 3-minute video that they claimed to have taken control of the capital of West Papua's Maybrat Regency. In the video that began circulating on December 25, it was stated that the separatist group guerrillas had succeeded in occupying the Kumerkek district, Maybrat Regency, as the first achievement at the end of 2022. The statement in the video delivered by the TPNPB Operations Commander Kodap IV Sorong Raya, Arnoldus Yancen Kocu also stated that he was ready to reject the humanitarian agenda carried out by Komnas HAM in Maybrat. Previously there was a recommendation from Komnas HAM that regional heads of Maybrat and Teluk Bintuni could meet with the TPNPB group.

Responding to these claims, the West Papua Regional Police Chief Inspector General of Police Daniel Tahi Monang Silitongan said that his party would pursue and arrest TPNPB members who had claimed control of Maybrat District, Southwest Papua Province. Until now, his party has firmly stated that the Maybrat area, including Kisor and other villages, is in a safe condition. He suspected that Arnoldus and his members only went down to the city to take pictures for a moment. Denial of claims of control by the separatist group was also strengthened by a statement from the Head of Public Relations of the West Papua Regional Police through the Maybrat Police Chief, AKBP Gleen Molle that the situation in the Maybrat Capital was under control, unlike what was reported by Arnold Yancen Kocu.

The figure of Arnoldus Yancen Kocu is the creator of the Hoax Claim to Control the Maybrat Region

In a number of circulating media records and narratives, it is stated that the figure of Arnoldus has an important position in TPNPB as Operation Commander IV Sorong Raya. The TPNPB militants he led were said to be the actors in the attack on 14 project workers on the trans Bintuni-Maybrat road, West Papua. Apart from that, the OPM soldiers also opened fire on the workers when they were trying to run for their lives. Through the OPM spokesperson, Sebby Sambum, once said that the four workers who were killed were referred to as Indonesian intelligence. However, this was not proven after cross-checking by a number of parties.

Throwing Hoaxes to Avoid Mistakes

The strategy of using hoaxes has also turned out to be used as a separatist group, in addition to triggering public unrest, as well as a medium to avoid mistakes that have been made. A number of series of events have become unforgettable traces in the maneuvers of the separatist group. Until the end of 2022, there have been more than 40 attacks carried out by the Papuan Separatist and Terrorist Group (KST). Many victims fell as a result of this brutality, not only members of the TNI/Polri, but also from civil society. Among them are project workers, employees, health workers, to motorcycle taxi drivers. From the data collected, at least 41 victims were recorded as having died throughout 2022 as a result of the KST Papua terror acts, eleven of whom were members of the TNI/Polri.

The Joint Regional Defense Command (Kogabwilhan) III once corrected a hoax about the deaths of three women in Puncak Papua Regency who were shot by Indonesian military officers. The news circulated from the news of a partisan online media. The news, which turned out to be a hoax, was deliberately spread by a Papuan separatist group. Strictly speaking, the Head of Information (Kapen) Kogabwilhan III Colonel Czi IGN Suristiawa said, there was no incident as reported. The OPM separatist group, which is supported by a political and clandestine front including journalists, media and social media activists, actively spreads hoaxes to corner the government. When OPM terrorists burn schools, kill teachers and spread other terrors, their supporters deliberately remain silent and do not comment. The hoax was also spread by pro-independence Papuan activists with the aim of slandering the joint TNI-Polri team.

In carrying out the action, there are at least 2 online media where the leaders and editors are very intense in dealing with the figure of Veronica Koman as an influencer. Every propaganda published by the media supporting the OPM separatist group has always been the subject of his tweets on Twitter. Driving opinion through hoaxes was made to attract public attention. OPM separatist supporters have also spread slander regarding the destruction of the Kingmi Church which aims to provoke church congregations, both locally, nationally and internationally. One of the factors behind the hoax strategy was the urgency of the separatist group's position.

On another occasion, the spokesman for TPNPB-OPM, Sebby Sambom, also spread an issue saying that the TNI-Polri threw bombs at people's villages in Papua. In his allegation, the apparatus with full force equipped with a special force called the Satan Army attacked the local residents' settlements in Ilaga. There were 40 air attacks from TNI-Polri. The attack was claimed by helicopters. Responding to this, the Head of the Nemangkawi Public Relations Task Force, Kombes Pol Iqbal Alqudusy, emphasized that the news was a hoax. He appealed to the public not to believe this information. It should be noted that Sebby Sambom is a spokesperson who is no longer recognized by TPNPB.

Previously, Sebby Sambom also claimed that TNI-Polri security forces had killed a 17-year-old teenager. In fact, in fact the two members of the Papuan Separatist Group who died in gun battle with the TNI-Polri are confirmed to be adults. This was confirmed by the Mimika Police Chief AKBP I Gustri Era Adinata. Sebby has deliberately spread hoaxes about the death of a 17-year-old teenager, to create a negative impression of the TNI-Polri.

Papuan People So That They Are Not Easily Instigated by Statements of Separatist Groups

Being a way and an effort to carry out its mission, of course everything is done by the separatist group to attract the attention of the government, even to the international community. As a society that is information and media literate, it is the responsibility of all of us to be able to be critical and pay attention to the maneuvers of separatist groups. So that in the future no party will be consumed by a cheap issue by a group of defectors who have disturbed the peace of our beloved Cenderawasih Earth.

SOURCE : https://timenya.online/2022/12/28/hoaks-ancaman-group-separatis-papua-kepada-government-for-berkelit-dari-error-ACT-brutal/