KKB Always Makes Propaganda To Justify Its Criminal Behavior
Timika- On Monday, August 5 2024, Alama District in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, became a silent witness to the brutal actions carried out by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB). They took hostage and killed the PT helicopter pilot. Intan Angkasa Air Service, Mr. Glen Malcolm Conning, a New Zealander. Not only that, KKB also set fire to an IWN type helicopter, MD.500 ER PK, which resulted in total damage to the aircraft.
Immediately after the incident, the Cartenz-2024 Peace Ops Task Force together with the TNI-Polri combination from Timika immediately moved to the location to carry out a search. Successfully securing the location, the body of the pilot, Mr. Glen Malcolm Conning was evacuated to Timika using a Karacal helicopter belonging to Timika Air Base. The evacuation process which started at 10.00 WIT finished at 13.00 WIT.
On the following day, Tuesday, August 6 2024, the Cartenz-2024 Peace Ops Task Force succeeded in evacuating 13 civilians using three Bell helicopters. They arrived safely at the Yohanis Kapiyau Mimika Airport Aero Modeling runway at 15.00 WIT.
KKB spokesman, Sebby Sambom, claimed that the pilot from New Zealand was a spy monitoring KKB defenses in Mimika. This statement was made via national.tempo.co media on Monday, August 5 2024. Sebby Sambom also stated that the pilot’s death was a risk that had to be borne because the Alama District was a war area, as quoted from metro.tempo.co on Tuesday, August 6 2024.
However, after the Cartenz-2024 Peace Task Force occupied the Alama District and carried out crime scene investigations and examined witnesses, the KKB accused the government and the military of being the perpetrators of the pilot’s murder.
Head of the Cartenz-2024 Peace Ops Public Relations Task Force, Police Commissioner. Dr. Bayu Suseno responded firmly that the KKB, through its spokesperson, did not have basic knowledge of Humanitarian Law. He stated that the KKB often justified their crimes, including killing civilians, migrants, and Indigenous Papuans (OAP) who worked as health workers, teachers, motorbike taxi drivers, and most recently the pilot from New Zealand.
“The KKB always makes propaganda to make itself right, making excuses for killing civilians on the grounds that they are government spies,” explained Bayu.
Young Papuan figure, Otis Tabuni, SH, MH, also gave a strong statement against KKB spokesman Sebby Sambom. In his statement reported by odiyaiwuu.com on August 6 2024, Otis emphasized that Sebby Sambom did not have an educational basis in International Humanitarian Law. He criticized Sebby’s actions in continuing to provoke the KKB to kill civilians in Papua.
Otis explained the principles of international humanitarian law governing the protection of civilians, wounded soldiers, shipwreck victims and prisoners of war. He emphasized that attacks on civilians, medical workers and humanitarian volunteers are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Otis also questioned Sebby Sambom’s motives in his provocative statements and said that the KKB’s actions would not have an impact on the realization of Papuan independence. He strongly condemned the murder of Glen Malcolm Conning as a disgraceful act that only increased victims among people who did not know anything.
“In the name of humanity, we condemn the murder of Glen Malcolm Conning. The death of the pilot, who was a civilian, is a violation of human rights, and Sebby Sambom must be held responsible for his hoax and provocative actions,” said Otis, closing his statement.