Jayapura – The Bintang Highlands High School and University Student Association (IMPPETANG) together with the Bintang Highlands community held a peaceful demonstration calling for the TNI (Indonesian Military) and Polri (Indonesian Police) to be withdrawn from Bintang Highlands regency.
"The students and the community demand and urge TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto and Police General Drs. Listyo Sigit Prabowo to immediately withdraw TNI and Polri officers from the Oksop district of the Bintang Highlands regency. Which has resulted in refugee camps", said the coordinator of the peaceful action by university and high school students and the Pegubin community, Binius Kakyarmabin, on February 6.
Kakyarmabin said that the students and community reject the presence of military and police officers in the Bintang Highlands. They are asking that the TNI commander and the national police chief stop sending organic and non-organic TNI and Polri officers.
They then requested that the TNI and Polri officials not carry out activities that disturb to the comfort of the community without the knowledge of civil society in the Bintang Highlands.
"Because with their presence, it greatly disturbs the comfort of civil society. In fact, many civilians are displaced because of fear of the presence of the troops", he said.
Similar remarks were conveyed by deputy action field coordinator Christo Uropmabin who said that the statements above were based on the facts of the conditions that are occurring in the Bintang Highlands. Therefore, they are urging the Indonesian government to not send any more troops to Bintang Highlands regency.
"We, the community and students in the Bintang Highlands, really hope that the government and all institutions will pay attention to us and jointly promote comfort, safety and peace in the Bintang Highlands regency, said Uropmabin.
In addition, Uropmabin asked all humanitarian institutions to pay attention to the refugee crisis that is occurred there. "We also hope that all institutions will participate in the humanitarian agenda in the Bintang Highlands and the entire land of Papua from Sorong to Merauke", he said.
After holding the action, the students and community disbanded in an orderly and secure fashion.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Mahasiswa dan Pelajar Mendesak Pemerintah Pusat Tarik TNI/Polri Dari Pegunungan Bintang".]
