Terrorist Labelling; Papua Liberation Group to Seek UN Help

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement  (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambon, on Friday condemned Indonesia’s decision to declare the groups as terrorist organizations. He viewed that the Indonesian government was mistaken and in a state of panic. 

“Note that we the TPNPB-OPM are prepared to use the United Nations legal mechanism if Indonesia considers us as terrorist groups. Even if Indonesia uses the international criminal court route,” Sebby Sambon confirmed on Friday, April 30. 

He said Indonesia has mistakenly used the definition as he believes terrorists are widely used to describe groups with a global agenda. Sebby viewed that the decision whether to consider a group a terrorist must be agreed upon internationally and not arbitrarily by the Indonesian government.

“Every nation member in the United Nations must agree with it and not just Indonesia,” he said.

The spokesperson went on to say that both OPM and West Papua National Liberation - and backed by legal support - are ready to declare a global campaign against Indonesia by alleging it to be a terrorist state, based on the numerous acts of terror Indonesia committed against the people of West Papua, said Sebby. 

Previously reported, the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD on Thursday announced that the armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua and organizations or people affiliated in it are deemed as terrorists. 

That means that the Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the West Papua National Liberation  will in fact fall into the ‘terrorist’ category. 

Read: Papua Governor Releases Statement on Terrorist Status for KKB, OPM

EGI ADYATAMA