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By APD writer Aditya Nugraha
JAKARTA, Aug. 19 (APD) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Monday that government assures equal respect and prosperity for people in Papua and West Papua following the riots that whelmed several cities in the two easternmost provinces earlier in the day.
“I know there has been offending situation. As brothers to each other in the country, the best deed is to forgive. Venting the anger is ok, but forgiving is better,” the president said in the palace on Monday afternoon to respond the riot.
Riots that broke in West Papua cities of Manokwari and Soring, and in Papua province capital of Jayapura on Monday morning following the recent arrests of Papua students in East Java province cities of Surabaya and Malang.
The arrests were related to vandalism act on national flag in Surabaya and an event to commemorate integration of Papua into Indonesian territory in 1963 in Malang.
Indonesian authorities have released 43 Papua students on Sunday after they were arrested on Friday afternoon shortly after the incident in Surabaya.
Riots in Manokwari has paralyzed the city with provincial parliament building was burned down by the rioters. Meanwhile in Sorong, rioters stormed the airport and damaged several facilities and burned some cars in the parking lot.
Indonesian police said that the riots were fueled by sprawling of hoaxes and fabricated information through social media, particularly on a student killed during the arrest and disrespectful statement made by a regional official in east Java related to the event in Malang that ended in commotion.
Indonesian Police Headquarters Spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo said that police have identified accounts of social media that spread the hoaxes, carrying out operation to arrest owners of the accounts.
He added that joint police and military personnel patrolled the several areas in Manokwari to restore the security and order in the city at present. Tribal leaders in the community are also involved in the efforts in doing so.
Except the joint personnel that suffered from injuries, no victim was reported from the riot, Dedi said.
West Papua Police Chief Herry Rudolf Nahak said situation in Manokwari has gradually restored as the rioting mass dismissed in the afternoon.
Rioters demanded security assurance for Papua students studying in Java and apology from the ones who made disrespectful statements against Papua students.
Indonesia Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs said the riot in the restive provinces highly risks the nation’s unity.
Separatism issue has been intensifying the easternmost provinces in the last few years. Separatist groups promoting for Papua Independence have been carrying out frequent attacks to create instability in the provinces.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
