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Concerns raised over deployment of thousands of additional security personnel to Papua
As of Sunday, around 6,000 joint security personnel had been deployed to Papua and West Papua.
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Activists participate in a rally in front of the Communications and Information Ministry in Central Jakarta on Aug. 23. They asked the government to lift the blockade on internet access in Papua. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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mid the two-week-long unrest in Papua and West Papua, the government is scrambling to cool down tensions in the country's easternmost provinces, including by deploying thousands of additional security personnel -- a move questioned by many.
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said on Sunday the total number of joint security personnel that had been deployed to the restive provinces had reached around 6,000, tribunnews.com reported.
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo confirmed that as of Saturday, around 2,660 Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel from parts of the country, including North Sumatra and Riau Islands, had been deployed to Papua and West Papua since riots erupted in Manokwari, West Papua, on Aug. 19.
Cendrawasih Military Command spokesman Lt. Col. Eko Daryanto said that around 400 marine personnel were deployed to Papua on Saturday, while Thursday and Friday saw the deployment of at least 200 personnel of the Infantry Battalion (Yonif) 725/Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) and 100 marine personnel.
Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sisriadi said that at the command of the government following the Aug. 19 riots, an additional 1,300 personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force had been deployed to the two provinces in stages.
"[..] It takes time to deploy them all," he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said on Friday following a dialogue with Papuan figures in Jakarta, that the government had deployed more security personnel to maintain order amid the ongoing protests, ensuring however that the forces would not resort to repressive measures.
