Gov't Shall Not Make Foreigners Scapegoat for Papua Riot: Fahri

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) deputy speaker Fahri Hamzah urged the government to not make intelligence activities or foreign party involvement as a scapegoat for the riot in Papua.

“If there is indeed a foreign intelligence, it cannot be made a scapegoat too. Because all of that should have must be anticipated by state intelligence and security officials,” he said in a written statement, Monday, September 2.

Fahri conveyed his statement in response to the National Police Chief Tito Karnavian’s remarks saying that foreign parties provoked the tense condition, which was stirred prolonged conflict in the province.

According to Fahri, the current conflict in the eastern province of Indonesia is a discriminatory problem. He said that significant changes in approaching and handling the case are necessary.

“Security approach should be converted to a humanitarian approach. It starts from the way we think to the way we build social relations,” Fahri underlined.

Previously, Tito Karnavian said that foreign parties deliberately provoked the conflict situation in Papua. “We know these groups have relations with an international network,” said Tito in Jakarta Metro Police HQ, Sunday, September 1.

However, he was tight-lipped to expose the group he mentioned in detail and their roles. “So we have to deal with it in the country and abroad. We team up with Foreign Affairs Minister and intelligence body.”

DEWI NURITA | YUSUF MANURUNG