Badriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) chief General Gatot Nurmantyo was relaxed in response to news that there is a West Papua people’s petition seeking to separate West Papua from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
“Everything’s okay with West Papua right. There isn’t any problem”, said Nurmantyo during a hearing with the House of Representative’s Commission I overseeing information and communications, defense and foreign affairs at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Thursday January 26.
Nurmantyo explained he’s not going to get upset over the various petitions initiated by “criminal” groups because it’s a waste of time and energy on matters that are of little substance.
Nurmantyo also explained that the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) has already blocked a number of websites that have been circulating the petition. “If the petition’s not from an official group then why should we bother about it, it’s tiring right. Who made this [petitions], who makes them, there’s no end to them”, continued Nurmantyo.
As already reported, an online petition has been circulating supporting West Papua’s separation from the NKRI. The petition is targeting 10,000 people and will be taken to Geneva and handed over to the United Nations. (aky)
[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was “Tanggapi Masalah OPM, Panglima TNI: Papua Barat Baik-Baik Saja”.]
