Arfai incident
| Arfai Incident | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Papua conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Indonesia |
 Free Papua Movement Cassowary Battalion | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Sarwo Edhie Wibowo |
Ferry Awom  | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1 battalion | c. 400 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3[1]–18[2] killed | 4[2]–36[3] killed | ||||||
The Arfai incident (Indonesian: Peristiwa Arfai) was a skirmish between Indonesian Army soldiers and Free Papua Movement fighters backed by local sympathizers on 28 July 1965, where the fighters launched a raid against an Indonesian barracks in an attempt to capture firearms.
Events
[edit]On 26 July, three Indonesian Army soldiers were shot during a flag-raising ceremony, and the following day, the army launched reprisals, with soldiers reportedly roaming the streets firing at civilians.[4]
The raid occurred against the barracks of army's 641st infantry battalion in Arfai, Manokwari on 28 July 1965, and was conducted by an armed group under one Permanas Ferry Awom, which numbered around 400 men and originated mainly from Biak tribe, from Biak, Numfor, Ayamaru and Serui.[5] Awom was a member of the Papuan Volunteer Corps, and according to a participant in the raid during a later interview, he entered Manokwari with around 80 fighters, receiving help from local sympathizers.[6] Later lieutenant general Sintong Panjaitan, who arrived in Irian in 1967, wrote in his memoir that the attack occurred on 4:30 AM, and the Papuan fighters utilized firearms, parang, spears and bows.[3] Meanwhile forces of Lodewijk Mandacan and Barents Mandacan would be mostly from Arfak tribe, some former members of Papuan Volunteer Corps.[7]
Reportedly, 3 Indonesian soldiers were killed in the raid and another 4 were injured,[1] while Panjaitan wrote that 36 rebels were killed. He also wrote that two pieces of small arms - a Bren light machine gun and an automatic weapon - were captured.[3] The International Center for Transitional Justice reported that "18 Indonesian military personnel and four OPM guerrillas" were killed in the incident.[2]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the incident, alongside other events in Manokwari and Sorong, the Indonesian National Armed Forces launched a military operation codenamed Sadar under Brig. Gen. R. Kartidjo , which involved pressuring civilians and launching aerial attacks, on occasion burning villages supporting rebellions.[2] After Brig. Gen. Sarwo Edhie Wibowo became commander of Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih he launched operation Wibawa. He tasked Major Heru Sisnodo and Air Sergeant major John Saleky of Kopassus to meet with Lodewijk Mandatjan and Barents Mandatjan and managed to convinced them alongside to surrender. Both of them would later be granted the rank of titular Major.[7] While some of Cassowary Battalions under them would be integrated with Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih after trained in Siliwangi and Diponegoro. Meanwhile Permenas Ferry Awom would surrender to Capt. Sahala Rajaguguk alongside 400 of his men in July 1971.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Djopari, Johannes Rudolf Gerzon (1993). Pemberontakan Organisasi Papua Merdeka (in Indonesian). Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia. p. 110. ISBN 9789795532279.
- ^ a b c d "The Past That Has Not Passed: Human Rights Violations in Papua Before and After Reformasi" (PDF). International Center for Transitional Justice. p. 13. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ a b c Mampioper, Dominggus (18 December 2018). "Bukit Arfai riwayatmu dulu". Jubi (in Indonesian). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ "1965: 'Kekerasan Brutal' Perdana Militer Indonesia di Papua". tirto.id (in Indonesian). 1 December 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ al Rahab, Amiruddin (2016). "Operasi-operasi Militer Di Papua: Pagar Makan Tanaman?". Jurnal Penelitian Politik (in Indonesian). 3 (1): 9.
- ^ "Peristiwa Arfai 1965 dalam cerita mantan tapol Papua, Yulius Inaury". Tabloid Jubi (in Indonesian). 26 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
- ^ a b Fuaddah, Muflika Nur (2021-04-21). "Aksi Sarwo Edhie Wibowo Hadapi Teror KKB Papua Berkekuatan 14.000 Orang di Era Soeharto hingga Mampu Bujuk Kembali ke NKRI, Taktik Cerdas Ini Jadi Kunciannya - Semua Halaman". Intisari (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- ^ Rahab, Amiruddin al (2016-08-30). "OPERASI-OPERASI MILITER DI PAPUA PAGAR MAKAN TANAMAN?". Jurnal Penelitian Politik. 3 (1): 3–23. ISSN 2502-7476. Retrieved 2022-03-24.