An intelligence report confirmed by Indonesia’s intelligence officer said that on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 16:30 hours local time, an armed separatists group attacked a military post guarded by 36 Indonesian militaries (TNI) personnel.
“Six people were killed, the group allegedly arrested nine and the other 21 people were in an unknown situation,” the report said on April 17, 2023.
The 36 military personnel are members of the joint task force of Infantry Battalion R321/GT and members of the army’s special force (Kopassus). It was reported that the joint force escaped to the hilly areas after the attack. The evacuation was postponed due to the heavy rains and bad weather.
A spokesman for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), Sebby Sambom, said that on Sunday, April 16, 2023, the TPNPB’s headquarters received an official report that its members had shot dead 13 members of Indonesian armed forces.
In his report on April 15, 2023, TPNPB claimed that they had launched and attack and killed 12 Indonesian military personnel. The report said that TNI was only successful in evacuating one victim of the attack.
TPNPB also claimed that they had arrested nine Indonesian military members on April 15, 2023, and later executed them on April 16, 2023. According to TPNPB’s claim, the number of Indonesian personnel killed by the group amounted to 15 people.
On the contrary, Indonesian military spokesperson Julius Widjojono stated that only one TNI soldier was shot dead by the separatist group on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The soldier was killed during an operation to free Susi Air Pilot Philip Mehrthens.
On February 7, 2023, the Free Papua Organization’s armed wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), attacked a Susi Air aircraft and captured New Zealand national pilot Phillip Mehrtens and several Indonesian passengers shortly after the plane landed at an airstrip in Nduga, Papua. The Indonesian passengers were later released, but Mehrtens was held hostage.
Enough talks
Ridwan Habib, a security analyst from the University of Indonesia, said that the problem faced by the TNI in combating the armed separatist group is the terrain.
members of the separatists have lived deep in the jungle since early childhood. “They know the climate, and they know the wild animals and harmful mosquitos and poisonous plants there. They can walk on foot for 3 hours without stopping. While most of the TNI personnel come from Java and Sulawesi, and they were not trained in such kind of terrain. They live in the city,” Ridwan added.
However, Ridwan hoped that TNI would carry out rescue operations to save the other military personnel left in the Papuan jungle. “In the military, there is a term, ‘no men left behind’. So, we cannot leave them for too long in unclear fate. There must be a rescue operation from TNI headquarter,” Ridwan added.
Ridwan further asserted that the attack should be enough reason for Indonesia to stop having dialogues and negotiations with the separatist group.
“I think we can no longer trust this group because they have several times betrayed peace negotiations. They buy some time and seek support and sympathy from the international community. Because they have a single target to separate Papua from Indonesia,” Ridwan added.
Ridwan argued that it is time for President Joko Widodo to deploy the Indonesian military for limited military operations with the parliament’s approval.
