Indonesian Military Should not be Provoked by OPM: Legislator

Jakarta (Antara) - The Indonesian Military (TNI) should not be provoked by the Free Papua Organization (OPM) that challenges it to wage a war, Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Mahfudz Siddiq stated. \"The TNI must promote smart power through the optimization of intelligence operations in handling the OPM,\" Siddiq remarked here on Monday. Siddiq pointed out that the Indonesian government should pay serious attention to the region, which is prone to political and military conflicts. He was of the viewpoint that the OPM wants to incite the Indonesian government into using hard power to handle the separatist movement. \"Because the OPM will take a lot of advantage,\" he noted. Siddiq emphasized that the problems in Papua cannot be separated from the interests of foreign actors. Therefore, he called on the Indonesian government and the TNI to not be provoked by the OPM. Earlier, the OPM, headed by Enden Wanimbo and Puron Wenda, has declared an open war against the military, police, and non-Papuans. Enden noted that the open war was intended to declare the organization\'s assertiveness that the struggle to attain Papua\'s freedom will continue and will come at a premium price. \"The OPM refuses to take part in any form of dialogue, and Papua is not secure,\" he pointed out.(*)