Papua Church Council Rejects Intan Jaya Team Formed by Mahfud MD

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Papua Church Council rejected the fact-finding team or TGPF Intan Jaya formed by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD to solve the shooting case of Pastor Yeremias Zanambani in Intan Jaya, Papua.

The council considered the team was not independent as it consisted of security apparatus members, government, and intelligence units so it could not reveal the incident completely. Besides, Mahfud was deemed to have promoted the status of remilitarization or the military operation zone (DOM) in the province.

“Based on facts collected by the Papua Church Council, the shooting was committed by the Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel,” said the Chairman of the Evangelical Camp Church (Kingmi) Synod, Benny Giay, on Wednesday, October 7.

Since December 2019, many residents had left Intan Jaya to save their lives following the military operation in the area that was allegedly an attempt to suppress the public to accept the government’s plan in extending the special autonomy status of Papua until 2041.

"Security operations in many Papua regions have not been carried out alone. We suspect it aims to support the hidden agenda of investors, such as the seizure of land and customary forests (natural resources) belonging to Papuan people," Benny said.

One of the agendas, Benny added, occurred in Intan Jaya when locals objected to the entry of the subsidiary of mining company PT Antam that was planning to control the gold mining block in the region.

Read: Mahfud MD's Fact-finding Team Arrives in Papua

MUHAMMAD BAQIR