Illustrated
Jayapura, Jubi – The Puncak Jaya Regional Government employs 500 former members of armed groups in a number of sectors in accordance with their skills.
“They have already integrated with other community members and no longer take up arms; even some of them have worked as Civil Police officers to foremen of several projects of the local government,” Puncak Jaya Regent Hanock Ibo told on Wednesday (27/1/2016).
He said the local government of Puncak Jaya has committed to approach those former rebels to no longer commit crime, either against the citizens or security forces.
“We will continue our efforts to embrace them back to the community and these efforts are now started to get a positive response, including from one of Free Papua Movement’s leaders Goliath Tabuni who during the time lead the arm fight,” he said.
His response was demonstrated by allowing his wife and child to come to Mulia, and it means he has opened his self and trust the security force and local government would protect his family,” said Ibo.
When asked about 10 Tabuni’s men who declared themselves out of the group and returned to the government, the regent admitted currently those former rebels except Melody Enumby are already in Jayapura.
They want to look around the result of development in Jayapura and surrounding area, while the Regional Commander Melody Enumby could not participate due to illness.
“Hopefully with the increasing number of rebels recognize their fault, the development program in the central highland region could be implemented properly,” he said. (*/rom)
