BY CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
Papua New Guinean villagers along the PNG-Indonesian border have been urged from being misled from false report of military operation to search for the missing New Zealand pilot, Border Commander Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Philip says.
“There are no reports of a clash between Indonesian military and Operation Papua Movement (OPM) rebels to search for the kidnaped pilot. All I’m aware is that the pilot is been kidnapped by the OPM rebels in Indonesian side across the border.
Philip said that to brush aside OPM Rebel Chairman Jeffery Bomarak report for PNG to brace for West Papuan refugees due to Indonesian military operation to search for the kidnapped New Zealand pilot.
It is understood that the pilot was kidnapped in Indonesian side about 400kms away from Tabubil in Western Province.
Meanwhile An Indonesian military commander in Papua Command Brigadier General J.O. Sembiring told Indonesian media last week that there is no military operation along the border on Indonesian side to search for the New Zealand pilot kidnapped by an OPM)rebel group at Paro District. And rumors of reprisal by Indonesian military have caused villagers panicking in Paro District and they might cross the Border to seek refuge on PNG side, Sembiring said. .
“The people who already left were afraid of being threatened as a result of the terrorist act carried out by an OPM group the Egianus Kogoya group. They set fire to the plane and kidnapped the pilot of the Susi Air plane last Tuesday (07/02/23)
“There are people who are sick, some are not strong, and there are even small children who are tired of walking for about two days in the forest. So the Regent (District Administrator) asked for help from the TNI-Polri (military /police) to save them as a form of humanity”, Sembiring said.
“Once again there are no TNI (Indonesian military) operations currently being carried out in the Paro area that threaten to kill the community and make the people afraid and run out of Paro. All of this is not true. If there are parties who say that, then it is an attempt to provoke the KST mob. And sympathizers”, Sembiring said
Meanwhile Indonesian military intelligence has urged PNG villagers along the Border to look out for this rebel group leader Egianus Kogoya which the group is also named after him. He has created a lot of inhuman attack on civilian and military personnel indiscriminately whether they are Papuans, non-Papuans and foreigners (like the New Zealand pilot). Since 2018 , his group’s attack has led to panic Indonesian villagers crossing into PNG side causing insecurity amongst PNG villagers and putting pressure on PNG Government and Non-Government Organization like churches and Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid to them (Indonesian Papuan refugees).
