Markus Makur, Timika – Puncak Jaya Regent Lukas Enembe says that intellectual activists might be behind a series of attacks by armed civilians in the regency and has urged the military and police to arrest them.
"Thanks to the attacks, many of the development activities in Puncak Jaya regency have been stalled," Lukas told reporters in Timika, Mimika regency, Papua, before leaving for Jakarta to attend a Democratic Party congress.
A group of armed civilians have been terrorizing local residents with guns that were obtained from the military and police in previous ambushes.
Recently, he said, armed civilians had burned people's houses and shot at the workers at the site of a bridge construction project, causing the work to be suspended.
A joint team comprising of the military, police mobile brigade (Brimob) personnel and antiterror squad officers, shot dead Werius Telengen, chairman of the Kampung Yambi group, who was blamed for an attack on residents last Monday.
Lukas said that efforts to involve the community in curbing the violence had not been effective because the activists had consistently provoked the community.
Nesco Wonda, the speaker of the Puncak Jaya legislative council, said that armed civilians had been attacking residents and destroying public facilities including school buildings, health centers and bridges.
"Apparatus from the TNI (military) and police, therefore, must stay on guard in the regency as there are many illegal guns being used by armed civilian groups," he said.
He said the Puncak Jaya administration had given more attention to the community by offering fees to the youth and tribal heads, but security disturbances had not been abated.
He suggested the administration provide clear procedures for security forces entering villages in the regency in search of members of armed groups to prevent them from shooting at residents.
"It's not just the task of Puncak Jaya administration, but also that of the province's and the central government's to discipline the activists," he said.