Jakarta – Sukamta, Deputy Chair of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), condemned the shooting that killed Aris Sanda, a driver from Toraja, on the Wamena-Mbua route in Highland Papua. Aris was reportedly stopped and held hostage by an Armed Criminal Group (KKB) before being found dead alongside his burnt-out vehicle.
The TPNPB-OPM claimed responsibility for the shooting. The group alleged that Aris was an intelligence agent posing as a driver. However, this accusation is merely a claim by the party asserting responsibility and remains to be proven through an investigation.
Sukamta emphasized that no accusation against the victim could justify a killing carried out outside of due legal process.
“Whatever accusations were leveled against the victim, they cannot serve as grounds for an extrajudicial killing. The safety of civilians must be the top priority,” Sukamta said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 17).
According to Sukamta, the incident demonstrates that civilians still face real threats in the conflict zones of Papua. He noted that these threats target not only those directly involved in the conflict but also ordinary people going about their daily activities—including drivers and workers handling transportation and logistics distribution.
Sukamta urged security forces to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the sequence of events, the perpetrators, and the motive behind the shooting. He also called for those responsible to be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“Civilians must not become victims due to unilateral accusations. The State must ensure that anyone who commits violence against civilians is prosecuted according to the law,” he asserted.
He specifically called on the government to improve early detection and protection measures along high-risk transportation routes.
“Do not simply react after a shooting has occurred. Security measures must be preventive, involving the strengthening of territorial intelligence, early detection, and community protection at vulnerable points,” Sukamta said. Sukamta believes that threats facing drivers, transport operators, workers, and the general public passing through high-risk areas could have far-reaching consequences.
“We must not let people become afraid to work, travel, or provide essential services to others. The state must step in to ensure a sense of security,” he said.
Sukamta also urged that the handling of issues in Papua not rely solely on a security-based approach. In his view, protecting the public and fostering prosperity must go hand in hand as part of the effort to resolve the situation in Papua.
“Security and prosperity cannot be separated. The people of Papua need a safe environment so that economic activities, education, healthcare, and public services can function,” he concluded.
