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JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian military and police investigators continue to investigate the illegal sale of arms by soldiers and policemen to Papuan insurgents at the Intan Jaya regency, a battleground for the long-running conflict in the province.

The Ministry of Health is vaccinating more than 4 thousand Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian clerics with the Covid-19 vaccine to encourage their flock to follow suit.

The initiative comes after a survey showed that 41 percent of Indonesia’s population still rejected the vaccine.

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Indonesia Uncover Illegal Arms Sales to Papuan Insurgents

The Indonesian military and police continued to uncover more details about the sale of arms to Papuan insurgents, a day after the Regional Police in Maluku announced the arrest of two of their personnel for the illegal transaction earlier this February.

The Military Police for the Army’s Pattimura Regional Command for the provinces of Maluku and North Maluku disclosed that it is holding a Private MS for selling arms to the insurgents, which are designated as Armed Criminal Groups or KKB.

“Private MS admitted to selling over 600 rounds of ammunition designated for target practice [to the insurgents] via civilian accomplices,” said Military Police Corps Colonel Paul Johanes Pelupessy.

“He said that he sold the ammunition to a civilian known as AT, who then sold them again to his accomplice J, who allegedly sold them to the KKB. Both admitted to the transaction to the police, following their arrest.”

The Indonesian National Police’s Internal Affairs Unit at the Maluku Province Regional Police also suspected J, who was arrested in Bentuni, West Papua province, of transacting weapons with two policemen detained earlier this month for the same charge.

“The policemen,, who were identified as SHP and MRA, claimed they have no idea that the weapons would end up with the insurgents,” said Police Grand Commissioner Leo Surya Nugraha Simatupang, the police chief for the islands of Ambon and Lease.

The police also arrested four civilians  as accomplices in the illicit transaction.

If found guilty, the soldiers and their police counterparts face dishonorable discharges and lengthy prison terms.

Sources:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/23/20052861/praka-ms-jadi-tersangka-kumpulkan-ratusan-amunisi-saat-latihan-menembak-dan?page=all#page2.