Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police main headquarters (Mabes Polri) confirmed that it will act under the Law against Terrorism (UU Terorisme) in pursuing the armed criminal groups in Papua.

"We will surely use that specific Law as they are already categorized as terrorist groups," the Mabes Polri spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rusdi Hartono confirmed on May 4.

The Indonesian government officially labels the armed criminal groups, or KKB, as terrorists. It was announced by the Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Mahfud MD in response to a string of terror acts in Papua since early April this year.

"Aligning with all of the incidents the government considers the organization and people in Papuawho commit mass-scale murder and brutal acts of violence as terrorists," said Mahfud on April 29.

The government has also ordered law enforcers to move-in and hunt down the armed groups.

Apart from the use of the law on terrorism, the national police are studying the possibility of involving the special counterterrorism unit Densus 88 in the hunt.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1459203/police-act-under-terrorism-law-to-hunt-papua-criminal-group