It was one fine evening, dozens of bridge development workers took a break after a long day of hard working to build the bridge. The construction is part of the Trans Papua development that connects different remote areas in West Papua. While enjoying their break time, dozens of unwanted guests raided their camp. These people were working hard day, in day out to help develop better West Papua, far away from families where almost most would skip this kind of job. And, yet these armed civilian guests mercilessly murdered them.
In collaboration with local governments in West Papua, the Indonesian Government has prioritized development in the region for decades. The latest presidential instruction stipulates that in accelerating welfare development in West Papua, various policies and actions have been initiated and implemented in various fields.
Some of these fields include health and education, local economic development, basic infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and connectivity aimed at realizing a peaceful and prosperous West Papuan community. Many new school and health centers have been established. Hundreds of teachers and health workers have come to West Papua as part of the West Papua development initiative.
Those educators, nurses and doctors come from various backgrounds, civilian and military, and West Papuan and non-West Papuan.
The actions and policies were also carried out based on the local culture of West Papua, indigenous territories, and a focus on West Papuan Natives. In the economic sector, for example, West Papuan Indigenous businessmen and local entrepreneurs domiciled in the Papua Province are always to be involved.
In terms of infrastructure development in West Papua, many West Papuan Natives are involved from the lowest level to the top. Some of them are now high-ranking officials in construction companies working on the construction of roads in West Papua. Others become field workers along with other ethnic groups.
A tragic, unfortunate twist
Dozens of those field workers worked for the construction of a bridge at Kali Yigi-Kali Aurak, Nduga District, West Papua. Working away from family and city crowds, these workers have been the silent heroes of West Papua’s development.
Things went well actually until Sunday evening (2/12), The West Papuan armed civilian group attacked these workers and ruthlessly killed them. This attack took place at the location of the bridge construction.
It has been confirmed that 16 people were killed. The 16 people were employees of PT Istaka Karya, a state-owned company located in Jakarta and Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, in Papua.
It is tragic that the struggle of those who work hard for the development of West Papua must end miserably. It is an irony that the regional and central government are working hard to accelerate welfare development in the area, while a group of irresponsible, ruthless people suddenly came to kill those workers.
Where is your empathy?
The group led by a man named Egunius Kogoya immediately claimed responsibility for the brutal action. They claimed that what was done was for the freedom of the rights of the people of West Papua. For the sake of freedom, to them, killing their civilians is justified.
Their actions, he said, received support from the international community. In New Zealand for example, the media and several communities here alleged that the action was a scenario of the Indonesian government security forces and then blamed armed civilian groups as the perpetrators. The claim has been also the opinion of many media and figures including Radio New Zealand, BBC and Benny Wenda.
Seeing the brutal murder, hearing the reasons and the international support for this brutal action, our deepest hearts ask, where is the empathy of those who claim themselves as freedom fighters and those who claim to come from intellectual communities?
For us, the workers who died were our silent heroes. Although paid, their decision to work in the deep, remote areas of West Papua was a voluntary decision that must be respected.
Imagine you have family members that work away from your family. Moments later you hear the news that they were just killed by people who claimed to be fighting for good. It is an inhumane tragedy where construction workers who are non-combatants, innocent civilians, working to help develop a region that needs development, to help their families back home, were instead killed and made victims of a struggle in the name of freedom. (*)
