Martin Bagya Kertiyasa, Papua – The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has once again spread false news on social media, claiming that Indonesian military personnel carried out a brutal shooting of Papuan students at Yalimo State Senior High School 1, resulting in casualties, the military said on Tuesday.
The Head of Information for the XVII Cenderawasih Regional Military Command, Candra Kurniawan, stated that the information disseminated by OPM is a hoax and a form of propaganda aimed at escalating the situation and pitting the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) against the public.
The news that TNI personnel carried out shootings and that troops were deployed to the Yalimo area is not true, Candra asserted in a statement.
According to him, local security forces continue to make various efforts, ranging from coordination and mediation to communication, to restore a conducive situation. These efforts are still ongoing at the moment, he added.
Candra also expressed hope that the public would not be provoked by the false information deliberately spread by OPM to create unrest and conflict within society.
Do not be incited or provoked by OPM's hoaxes. Let us create a sense of security and peace in the Land of Papua, Candra said.
Candra reaffirmed that the TNI's duty is to protect and safeguard the security of all Indonesian citizens.
TNI personnel in the Yalimo area are currently carrying out their duties to maintain order, prioritizing communication with all elements of the regional leadership coordination forum, security apparatus, and all components of society, he explained.
It is known that OPM has frequently spread hoaxes to disrupt stability in Papua. On July 12, Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for OPM's combat wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM), claimed that the Indonesian military had conducted a military operation in Alutbagon Village, Oksop District.
Simon alleged that TNI personnel burned down civilian houses in Oksop and stated that TPNPB forces had surrounded Indonesian military personnel inside the Safe Ephesus Church.
The Head of the TNI Information Center, Kristomei Sianturi, denied these accusations. Kristomei confirmed that the deployment of TNI troops to several districts in Papua was part of routine territorial activities aimed at protecting civilians from intimidation by OPM.
When this group becomes cornered, their movement space narrows, and their logistics run low, they start creating propaganda or spreading hoaxes, Kristomei said.