The series of crimes committed by the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM; Free West Papua Organization), widely known as the armed criminals/separatists, are endless. There were only a few that were covered by the local and international news, but this movement made impactful appearances by utilizing social media and the worldwide public’s mind.

1. Free West Papua Organization:
The Endless Lists of Crimes
The series of crimes committed by the Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM; Free West
Papua Organization), widely known as the armed criminals/separatists, are endless.
There were only a few that were covered by the local and international news, but this
movement made impactful appearances by utilizing social media and the worldwide
public’s mind.
1. ​OPM Killed 49 People in 2018-2019

2.
The international news website, ​cnn.com​,​ reported with a comprehensive info-graphics
of the OPM terror timeline in 2018. There were 26 shooting cases by the armed
separatists, which killed 29 people: 22 civilians and seven security officers.
Meanwhile, reported by the ​bbc.com​, there were 23 shooting cases by the armed
separatists, 20 people died: 10 civilians and ten security officers in 2019.

3. 2. ​The Nduga Massacre: OPM Killed 19 Indonesians
The famous big event they made made, hailed as their independence struggle, is the
killing of 19 construction workers in Nduga, Wamena (12/02/2018), as cited by
thetimes.co.uk​.

4.
The national news website​ ​tribunnews.com​ recited the story from the survivors. At that
time, they took hostage of 34 construction workers. These workers were there to build
the Trans-Papua roads and bridges to connect all regions inside West Papua. The
armed separatists took away their clothes, phones, and wallets. After being locked up
overnight in a camp at Karunggame, without clothing at temperatures that could reach
0°C, the victims were told to walk to the Kabo Peak to be executed at 6 am.
For the survivors, the despicable incident was so imprinted as if it had happened
yesterday. Jimmy Aritonang is one of them. "We are all videotaped by these people.
When we are in Kabo Peak, we are tied up. From there, we are brought down; then we

5. are executed there." Another survivor, Martinus Sampe, managed to save himself after
pretending to be dead. With a gunshot wound in the leg, Martinus ran for help.
However, before that tragic event dubbed as Nduga Massacre, the armed criminals
have been terrorizing West Papua for a long time. They killed non-Papuans, forced
money and support from the West Papuan villagers, took non-Papuans hostages
working voluntarily as teachers and medics, and many more. Their methods of
movement are similar to how Iraq-Syria Islamic State (ISIS) operates.
3. ​Using Child Soldiers​ and ​Raping Women
Not only they killed unsuspecting people, but they are also recruiting and training
children to be their soldiers. Reported by ​the Associated Press​ titled ​“Underage fighters
drawn into Indonesian separatist conflict”​ released on June 24, 2019, the armed
separatist group had proudly admitted to recruiting child soldiers in their terror acts to
the journalist Stephen Wright.
ISIS also uses this practice of early indoctrination. According to the UN, these teenagers
are most likely used for other tasks beyond combat, such as for domestic/sexual
slaves, human shields, or forced to steal food/supplies from locals​.

6. As they are a patriarchal community, the armed criminals see women as expendables or
objects. There were reports of them raping women, non-Papuans, and indigenous, but
there were countless who went unreported. The Indonesian news company, ​Antara​,
reported that the armed separatists took hostage of 15 volunteer teachers and medics
on October 3-17, 2018. They viciously took a turn in raping one of the female teachers.
Suara.com detailed the victim's story with the title​ ​“Air Mata dari Nduga, Menguak
Tragedi Pemerkosaan di Papua”​ ​loosely translated as “The Tears in Nduga, Uncovering
the Rape Tragedy in West Papua.”
4. ​Threatens to Kill All Non-Papuans
If the ISIS killed non-Muslims, then the OPM killed non-Papuans. It is a known fact that
the armed criminals have been killing non-Papuans living in West Papua. Citing from
Tempo.co​, on June 25, 2018, the armed criminal groups opened fire on a commercial
plane, stabbed 3 Kenyam residents trying to save themselves, and slashed a 6-year-old

7. with a machete. The kid was the only one who survived the attack. His parents and a
merchant involved were killed.
Antaranews.com​ reported on October 25, 2019, that the armed separatist had killed
three motorcycle taxi drivers in Intan Jaya and shot two staff of the Public Works
Department in Yahukimo. On a Facebook post, they emphasized that they will kill every
non-Papuan in December 2019.

8.
The armed separatists also threatened to kill any native West Papuan who help West
Papua's provincial division. The statement was issued by the separatists on November
2, 2019, through another ​TPNPB News Facebook​ post. On the ​Heger Phaul blog post​,
the group said they would shoot West Papuans, who were in charge of the provincial
division to death. The threat shows their ignorance of people's welfare. They justify
violence and lawlessness for their political agenda and power, even by terrorizing and
killing West Papuans.

9. 5. ​The Mastermind of Wamena Riots: 29
non-Papuans from the Total 33 Died, 3,000 Fled
Unrest
Wamena riots (9/23/2019) might be the worst event that happened in West Papua last
year. The separatists were trying to trigger horizontal conflict by creating disturbances.
Citing from ​Kompas.com​, there were 33 people, including 29 non-Papuans, that were
killed by separatist rioters, causing 3,000 to seek refuge (October 5, 2019). By the victim
counts, non-Papuans were being specifically targeted by the rioters. A lot of vehicles
and more than 300 properties owned by non-Papuan were burnt down by rioters.
The Jakarta Post​ reported that as thousands of non-native residents are trying to flee
from Wamena in Papua’s Jayawijaya regency following deadly rioting, some

10. heartwarming stories have emerged about native residents of the province protecting
non-native residents during the chaos.
"All those who say native Papuans are heartless, look at this photo! This was taken in
front of my house," a Twitter user named Edenia tweeted. The picture, which later went
viral, shows three Papuans escorting a non-Papuan family. The non-Papuan man is seen
hugging a Papuan man. "These are the same people that helped my mother before the
security forces arrived. Without them, she might have been dead now,” Edenia said. The
posts have been retweeted more than 9,000 times.
Papuan Obet Mabel, together with some other native residents of the city, helped at
least 58 families reach a safe place in the city center. They blocked the way of the
rioters who were chasing after the fleeing residents. “I led [the rescue effort],” Obet said,
adding that the faces of the rioters were unfamiliar to him. “I don’t know where they
come from,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Another native resident, elementary school teacher Nico Logo, said he had hidden
non-native Papuans in his house until the situation was safe enough. He further said it
could not possibly have been native Papuans from the neighborhood who attacked or
even murdered those from outside Papua, because they had lived together in peace and
harmony for a long time.

11.
Another citation from ​the Jakarta Post​ wrote that the Papua Police had named 13 people
suspects for allegedly having been behind the recent deadly unrest in Wamena, Jayawijaya
regency, which caused tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes.
Ten suspects, whose ages range from 16 to 40 years, were already in custody, while the
remaining three are still at large and being hunted by the police, Papua Police spokesperson Sr.
Comr. AM Kamal said on Monday.
“The three wanted [suspects] are categorized as provocateurs and are allegedly involved in the
KNPB [National Committee of West Papua], and the ULMWP [United Liberation Movement for
West Papua],” Kamal said as quoted by ​kompas.com​.
The Indonesian government has blamed both the ULMWP, led by UK-based Papuan exile Benny
Wenda and the affiliated KNPB, for orchestrating the unrest that broke out on Sept 23, 2019.
Police investigators claimed they found indications the three were involved with the groups after
collecting the testimony of the arrested suspects and witnesses, he said.
Mus Mulyadi, a satay restaurant owner, saw men dressed in high school uniforms. "Those who
set the kiosks on fire were all men who did not look like students. One had a beard this long."

12. The amateur video documentation shows that separatists caused the riots and arson. They
were seen carrying arrows and gasoline.
The international public has to realize that the armed separatists are not innocent and, indeed, a
terrorist organization.
Source:
● https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20181206120936-15-351572/infografis-lini-
masa-teror-sipil-bersenjata-di-papua
● https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-50939005
● https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/separatists-massacre-19-indonesian-construction-
workers-in-papua-7t9r96r90
● https://jambi.tribunnews.com/2019/12/10/kekejaman-kkb-papua-terbongkar-saat-eks
ekusi-sandera-sambil-menari-nari-ini-cerita-sandera-selamat
● https://apnews.com/81018270e5e345349a076e4151f0c6e7
● https://en.antaranews.com/news/119867/community-leaders-condemn-rape-of-schoo
l-teacher-in-papua
● https://www.suara.com/news/2019/11/05/071500/air-mata-dari-nduga-menguak-trag
edi-pemerkosaan-di-papua
● https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1100892/3-warga-kenyam-papua-tewas-diserang-kelo
mpok-bersenjata
● https://en.antaranews.com/news/135383/notorious-papuan-rebels-kill-three-ojek-driv
ers
● https://phaul-heger.blogspot.com/2019/11/tpnpb-opm-resmi-keluarkan-seruan-umum
.html?m=1
● https://regional.kompas.com/read/2019/09/26/19555801/korban-tewas-kerusuhan-w
amena-bertambah-jadi-33-orang?page=all
● https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/09/30/good-neighbors-papuans-help-non
-natives-flee-violence-in-wamena.html
● https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/10/08/papua-police-name-13-suspects-f
or-deadly-wamena-unrest.html