Jayapura – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation or TPNPB-OPM has announced that all schools in Papua, especially in armed conflict areas, should go on strike for as long as the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Indonesian Police (Polri) use them as military posts.

The TPNPB-OPM suspects that in addition to being teachers, the TNI and Polri officers also serve as health workers or doctors in the Papua area, so these schools must be emptied.

This was declared by TPNPB-OPM spokesperson Sebby Sambom in a press release received by Jubi in Jayapura, Papua province, on Tuesday February 18.

"The TPNPB Markas Pusat Komnas [National Commission Headquarters] has also received an official report from Sinak TPNPB Kodap [Defence Command Area] forces today, Monday, February 17, 2025, that the Sinak TPNPB Kodap is prepared to take responsibility for the burning down the Agandugume High School (SMP) in Sinak, Puncak regency, which was burned down at around 7 pm on the evening of Friday February 14, 2025", he said.

Sambom said that the TPNPB-OPM burned down the Agandugume High School building in Sinak because the school was suspected of being used by the TNI and Polri while it was conducting military operations.

"The Sinak TPNPB Kodap forces further reported that Indonesian government military officials have been conducting military operations in Timobut Village, Puncak regency since yesterday, and have taken over civilian homes, to be used as military posts after more than 450 military troops entered the war zone in Puncak regency on Wednesday February 5. Until now they continue to carry out operations in the civilian villages", he said.

Sambom challenged the TNI/Polri not to target civilians when conducting operations, but fight against TPNPB-OPM troops.

"The Markas Pusat Komnas TPNPB management also appeals to the Indonesian government's military to immediately stop operations in schools on the grounds of distributing nutritious meals to school children, pregnant women and all Papuans in public places. If this still continues to occur, the TPNPB is ready to hold an education strike for students in Papua", said Sambom.

"Specifically and especially, once again, for Papuans to immediately stop the consumption of food that has or has not yet been packaged being distributed by the Indonesian military in conflict area because it is poison", said Sambom, referring to the government's free nutrition's meals (MBG) program.

[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "TPNPB-OPM Umumkan Mogok Belajar Di Papua".]

Source: https://jubi.id/rilis-pers/2025/tpnpb-opm-umumkan-mogok-belajar-di-papua/