Lawmaker Urges Government to Take Tough Stance Against Armed Criminal Groups in Papua

Jakarta –

Member of Commission III DPR RI, Arsul Sani, asked the government to take a stand against armed criminal groups (KKB) in Papua who threatened to shoot Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, who has been held hostage since last February. Arsul pushed for it TNI-Polri add strength and act more offensively or attack.

“What the government has to do is for the National Police and the TNI to deploy more massively and offensively to free the hostages, including the Susi Air pilot,” Arsul told reporters, Saturday (27/5/2023).

Arsul explained that the offensive action that the TNI-Polri had to take against the KKB was like taking action against terrorists. The PPP politician ensured that the DPR would provide full political support for the TNI-Polri’s move.

“Yes, measurable action, for example if the humanitarian approach and communication does not make them surrender, then force must be used as is commonly done against terrorists,” he said.

He said the government did not need to negotiate with the KKB in any Papua. Moreover, he said, what the KKB was demanding was talks on Papuan independence.

“They can’t and shouldn’t even represent Papuans because in fact what actually exists are local armed groups in several areas of Papua, each of which is separate and doesn’t have a single line of command,” he said.

As is known, the KKB in the Papua region threatened to shoot the Susi Air pilot who came from New Zealand and was held hostage since last February, if their demands to start talks on Papuan independence were not complied with. The KKB gave two months for the demand to be granted.

Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens has been held hostage by KKB led by Egianus Kogoya since February 7, shortly after he landed his plane at the Paro airfield. Egianus Kogoya and his group also set fire to the plane Mehrtens was piloting.

In the recently released video, as reported by Reuters, Saturday (27/5), a visibly thin Mehrtens can be seen holding the banned Morning Star flag and surrounded by KKB members carrying assault rifles.

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(fas/dnu)