Setara Deems Govt Emotional for Hastily Declares Papua KKB as Terrorists

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Human rights group Setara Institute deputy chair Bonar Tigor Naipospos deemed that the government was emotional and in a hurry to label the armed criminal group (KKB) in Papua as terrorists. He believed that this decision would not help resolve issues in the country's easternmost province peacefully.

“This emotional action will not necessarily help,” Bonar told Tempo on Thursday, April 29.

He acknowledged that, however, the government’s decision was triggered by the shooting of the Papua Regional Intelligence Agency Chief Brig. Gen. I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha by the rebel group. 

The government, Bonar said, prioritized the use of security forces by adding the KKB to the list of terrorist organizations. He added that the government could just mobilize the Indonesian Military's (TNI) anti-terror joint force or the Joint Special Operations Command (Koopsusgab).

According to him, the government should first evaluate the security operations in Papua because labeling the armed groups as terrorists did not necessarily guarantee the operations’ effectiveness.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud Md earlier declared that armed criminal groups in Papua as terrorists following the series of terror acts since early April 2021.

Read: Papua KKB Labeled as Terrorist; Police Redesign Operation Pattern

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