Jakarta – Indonesian police chief (Kapolri) General Tito Karnavian claims that Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB) were behind the anarchic demonstrations in and outside of Papua and West Papua.
“What has been happening in Papua was designed by these groups with the specific aim of creating anarchy. The Cyber Directorate has been monitoring the groups which are producing reports about Papua”, said Karnavian on Thursday September 5 as quoted by the state news agency Antara.
Karnavian explained that the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) was also mobilised by the ULMWP and KNPB. Based on this, added Karnavian, the public is being urged not to be influenced by the issues being packaged to create chaos in Papua.
“The ULMWP and KNPB are responsible for several of the actions and we already have the names, so law enforcement will be carried out”, said Karnavian.
The police general, who was once the Papuan regional police chief, asserted that if the law is not enforced, these groups will continue to play at sacrificing the people.
Karnavian explained that several of the actions in Papua were held in the context of a United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva on September 9, in the hope that there would be a report on the riots in Papua.
In addition to this, on September 23-24 September there will be a United Nations general assembly in which member states will convey their views, although there are no agenda items on Papua.
Nevertheless added Karnavian, these groups are attempting to get certain countries to raise the issue of the riots in Papua at the UN.
On the other hand, Karnavian said that the situation in Jayapura is already favourable and public activities have returned to normal.
One the same day Karnavian also visited three police officers who fell victim while dealing with protests in Deiyai and an Armed Criminal Separatist Groups (KKSB) in Wamena. The three officers are currently being treated at the Bhayangkara Hospital in Kotaraja, Papua.
The officers who he visited were Second Brigadier Deni Taime and Second Brigadier Rifki, Paniai municipal police officers who were injured by arrows and sharp weapons. The other was Second Police Inspector Iwan who was the victim of a shooting by a KKSB in Wamena.
Speaking with CNN Indonesia TV meanwhile, Benny Wenda denied any involvement in the riots in Papua and West Papua.
“I don’t think it was because of my demands, my leadership [called for] peaceful actions [to demand] a referendum. Since I have led [the ULMWP] I have also left it up to the Papuan people to demonstrate peacefully in conveying their views to the Indonesian nation particularly demands for a referendum when they have come out the streets peacefully”, said Wenda speaking in Britain.
Speaking to CNN Indonesia, the head of the public relations sub-division at the Director General of Immigration, Sam Fernando, confirmed that Wenda is no longer an Indonesian citizen and has accepted asylum and become a British citizen.
“In 2003 Benny was recorded as already residing in Britain”, said Fernando when contacted on Wednesday September 4. Fernando declined to explain in detail when and how Wenda came to lose his Indonesian citizenship.
Wenda formed the ULMWP in Vanuatu on December 7, 2014, and was later appointed as its chairperson. (Antara/kid)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Kapolri: Benny Wenda, ULMWP dan KNPB Ada di Balik Rusuh Papua”.]
